Method of growing strawberries using Finnish technology

Principles

Interestingly, from a geographical point of view, Finland is not a very suitable country for growing strawberries. This is due to the climate unsuitable for these berries. But recently Finland has been surprising with the quantity and, most importantly, the quality of strawberries. By the way, today many people use Finnish technology both on large and small plantations. The secret lies in the principles of cultivation. Of course, any of them is based on the main factor - heat.

The first is the greenhouse method for growing strawberries. This method can be carried out both in small tunnels on natural soil, and in a greenhouse equipped with new technology. The second is growing strawberries using black film. This method is carried out in the open field and significantly accelerates the ripening time of berries. In scientific parlance, this method of growing is called mulching.

With this technology, strawberries need only 7-8 weeks to grow. The film covers the soil, the soil warms up and the root system grows faster. Mulching occurs in two ways: directly with a black film or with a non-woven black material (agryl, agrospan). Another method is to build tall beds. This method is similar to the second. The earth is also covered with a film, in this case it is called spunbond, the principle is the same - to warm up the soil.

Advantages

So, let's figure out why the Finnish way of growing strawberries is so good. First, a favorable environment is created in the soil and its deep layers for the development of microorganisms, which, in turn, enrich it with oxygen and all the elements necessary for a favorable functioning.

Second, thanks to the film, the topsoil can retain nitrate nitrogen. Thanks to this, the root system of plants consistently receives all the necessary nutritional elements. Weeds do not have the opportunity to actively germinate, which makes the whole weeding procedure easier. The film keeps the soil moist for almost the entire summer, but there is one caveat. If there is excessive heat, there is a risk that the crop will dry out. To prevent this from happening, you need to install a drip irrigation system under the film.

The black film attracts the sun's rays, so the soil heats up quickly and the strawberry crop ripens in record time. When ripe, the berries fall onto the film, and not onto the soil. Thus, the strawberries remain clean, without rot and dirt.

We will separately consider the advantages of mulching with agril and agrospan. The advantages of covering with a nonwoven material are in many ways similar to the advantages of a black film: the growth of weeds is reduced, the berries are not contaminated, and the soil is steadily moistened. But when covered with non-woven material, the soil does not heat up that much. This type of coating is lighter than a black film, more precisely, moisture penetrates better, which prevents the soil from drying out even in extreme heat.

Video "Preparing the soil for planting strawberries"

How to properly prepare the soil and what is the process of Finnish planting.

What is required

The main functional material in any Finnish crop growing technology is film. Mulch cover is used for plantings in one and two rows. For the first case, you will need a film covering of one meter, and for double-row plantings, 1.2-1.3 meters of film are used. Films are of different types. The black, dark brown appearance of the film is more effective for crop growth, but they too actively attract the sun's rays, which can cause the crop to dry out. There is a white film, but when using it, the result will have to wait longer.

You can use materials from polypropylene nonwoven fabric: Lutrasil, Agrotex, Agril. The cost of such materials is usually not very high, but there is a risk that the crop will not be sufficiently protected. For the discussed technology of growing strawberries, a drip irrigation system is required. The hose is pulled along the entire bed, small holes are made in it and placed in the ground at a shallow depth. So, the crop is guaranteed to be protected from drying out.

Growing technology

First, the farmers prepare the soil for the future sowing of strawberries. The earth is dug up, weeded, and then loosened so that there are no large lumps of earth. Due to this, the soil is enriched with oxygen. The choice of the site before planting is important. They choose the one on which nothing grew a year before planting.

Further, the soil is well fertilized. Experienced farmers advise using natural fertilizers such as horse manure, humus, compost. As a rule, the width of the beds is 80 cm. A distance of about 60–70 cm is maintained between the rows, so that in the future you can easily walk between the beds, mow the grass, etc. The garden bed needs to settle for two weeks and at this time the irrigation system is being prepared. After the watering hose has been prepared, it is laid between the rows. The hose itself is rooted into the ground to a depth of 4–5 cm, and the far end of the hose is closed with a stopper.

After the ground in the garden has settled and subsided, you can proceed to the stage of working with the film. The film is stretched and fixed with stones or boards on all sides of the garden. Strawberries are planted in the cut holes so that the bushes do not interfere with each other, it is recommended to place them in a checkerboard pattern. The first watering of the holes must be done manually, then with the help of the installed irrigation system.

After the strawberries are ripe, farmers will quickly pick the berries from the film. As you can see, the Finnish method of growing strawberries is quite simple, economical and not very energy intensive. Already many European countries use this technology for growing berries. This technology is gaining popularity in Russia. The main thing is that the result is visible - ripe, juicy berries, which, in fact, they were striving for.

Video "Description of planting strawberries under the film"

Features of planting strawberries under a black film. You can hear the basic rules of landing.