Vertical beds for strawberries: how to make them yourself, how to winter, reviews

Advantages and disadvantages of vertical beds

Cultivating garden strawberries above the ground has the following advantages:
economical use of the territory of a summer cottage;
ease of caring for berry bushes;
no risk of soil overflow;
reducing the threat of diseases affecting plantings;
bed models perform an additional decorative function;
bushes receive more sunlight;
Weeds rarely grow.

However, raised beds also have disadvantages. These include:
the need for frequent irrigation and feeding of plants;
limited soil volume;
due to the risk of soil freezing, the bushes have to be covered during the winter cold;
A lot of effort is spent on assembling and disassembling the structure.

How to care for strawberries

Basic care for strawberries growing in a vertical bed has its own characteristics, but the measures themselves are standard: watering, fertilizing, trimming mustaches, preventive treatments against pests and diseases.

Watering, fertilizing

The volume of the substrate is limited, so you have to water and feed strawberries often. In multi-tiered beds, a drip irrigation system is organized, which necessarily includes a pump. It provides water supply to the strawberries growing in the upper level.

During the first weeks, the beds are watered 1-2 times a day. When the plants take root, watering is carried out according to the weather, assessing the moisture content of the substrate. Feed once a week (10 days). To grow green mass, fertilize with a urea solution:

water - 10 l;
fertilizer - 15 g.

During flowering and fruiting, they switch to complex fertilizers for strawberries containing phosphorus and potassium.

Trimming

All mustaches are trimmed if you do not plan to propagate strawberries. In those varieties that bear fruit on rosettes of the 1st or 2nd order, they are selectively left.

Protection from frost, pests and diseases

In regions with cold winters, mobile vertical beds are built. In the fall, they are dismantled, containers with strawberries are lowered into the cellar, transferred to trenches, greenhouses, insulated with organic (straw mats) or purchased covering materials. Where there is a lot of snow (Irkutsk, Novosibirsk region), the bed is placed on the ground; garden strawberries do not freeze in a thick snowdrift.

In the southern regions, the ridge is not dismantled; it is insulated for the winter with agrospan.

Plastic vertical beds

To master the method of vertical gardening, you need to know what and how to correctly build a bed structure. Plastic is quite an advantageous material.

Find out how and when to transplant strawberries to another location.

From bottles

Nondescript garage walls and a utility block can be decorated with a high bed of bottles . The composition will require several 1.5–2 liter bottles, strong rope and 2 washers.

A hole is cut in the side of each plastic bottle. Then, through holes are made in the neck and bottom area and a rope is threaded through. You need to tie one knot under each gap in the neck, and several in the bottom. Having completely assembled the product, it is attached to the wall. To organize drainage, several holes are made at the bottom and small stones or expanded clay are poured. Each bottle is filled with soil to approximately 3/4 of its volume, then plants are planted.

From canisters

Another simple option is made from canisters mounted in several levels (one next to the other) on a vertical plane.

Plastic canisters are screwed on with a lid. A gap is cut out in the side wall, through which the soil mixture can then be easily poured into the canister and plants can be planted.

In this case, drainage holes are made in the bottom. Place the canisters bottom down. To make the structure look more aesthetically pleasing, you can coat the canisters with paint. In addition to its decorative function, the paint will protect the rhizome from overheating.

Important! To prevent strawberries from absorbing toxic compounds, the plastic from which the canisters are made must be suitable for storing food products in it.

From containers

The following method is considered the most convenient and easiest to implement. Containers are made from boards or purchased plastic analogues. Then they are fixed, for example, on a fence or pole.

From pots

The assembly scheme for such a flower bed is also quite simple and cost-effective. All that is required is to stock up on the required number of plastic pots with a volume of 7–9 liters. After cutting several holes in the sides of one pot, fill it with soil. Secure the next container on top, performing similar actions with it.

To ensure the stability of the entire model, you can first drive a steel rod into the ground, then string all the pots onto it.

From PVC pipes

To implement this option, use 2 PVC pipes of different sections: 120 and 20 mm.

The first pipe will act as a frame - you need to make gaps in it with a diameter of 10-12 cm. It is also important to maintain a minimum distance between the slots - 30 cm.

A pipe of smaller diameter is necessary for irrigating plantings. After drilling small holes in it for water to escape, wrap the pipe with burlap and insert it inside the larger pipe. Fill the latter with fertile soil. Directly plant seedlings into holes in the pipe.

How strawberries overwinter in vertical beds

Wintering strawberries in vertical beds requires additional measures. Such a small volume of soil freezes very easily, so plants need to be additionally protected.

Collapsible structures - hanging planters, pots, PVC bottles are removed from the base or walls of the building for the winter. Containers are placed on the ground and covered with spruce branches. You can store pots in the cellar if the temperature here does not fall below -2 degrees and does not rise above +5 degrees. In the latter case, there is a high risk of developing fungus.

If the structure is stationary or large, a bag, pipe barrel, strawberries in vertical beds are wrapped in spunbond for the winter. This method is suitable for the middle and even northern zones, where the cold is much stronger.

After wintering, bushes damaged by frost should be removed immediately.

Wooden vertical beds

Summer residents find rational uses for boards or wood products that have fallen into disrepair. With a small set of tools, you can easily assemble a tall wooden flower bed.

You will be interested to know about the yield of strawberries per hundred square meters and per hectare.

From boxes

This model is made in the form of a pyramid by installing boxes one on top of the other. Boxes can be taken in the shape of a triangle or square: each next one should be smaller than the previous one in size. The layers are covered with fertilized soil and immediate planting begins.

From pallets

The tray is covered with dense waterproof material on three sides and one large side. Having secured the material, the box is turned over with the open side up. Soil is poured into the gaps between the boards. Bushes are planted on top and between the boards on the open side.

The box is lifted vertically, placed along the fence, against the wall of the house or against the wall on the balcony.

From boards

The peculiarity of the plank model is that it can have any shape. It is made in the form of a ladder with steps-boxes, a shelf or a pyramid.

You can make several boxes yourself and stack them on top of each other. To prevent the boards from moving apart, it is advisable to connect them with hoops.

Important! Before use, the wood must be treated with a protective impregnation.

From the boxes

You can use an old chest of drawers under the beds by simply pulling out its drawers , which will decorate any garden plot in an original way. Before use, the wood should be varnished so that the chest of drawers will further improve the decorative appearance of the area near the country house.

Kinds

There are many ways to vertically grow garden strawberries.

Pyramids

Pyramidal strawberry beds look very decorative and can decorate a summer cottage. The soil here warms up better and faster than in classic beds, and the crop ripens earlier. During returning spring frosts, it is convenient to cover the pyramid bed.

To make a vertical pyramid bed with your own hands you will need:

fine mesh;
boards;
screws or nails;
screwdriver;
hacksaw;
PVC pipe;
fertile land;
peat;
compost.

First, a sunny area in the garden is selected where the pyramid will be installed. Then they start building the beds:

Boxes 25 cm high are made from the boards, five in number. Each subsequent one should be 50 cm smaller than the previous one.
A fine-mesh mesh is laid at the selected location, the dimensions of which should be approximately 20 cm larger than the lowest box.
The largest box is installed on top.
Fill it with a mixture of compost soil and peat.
A PVC pipe is installed in the center, having previously placed a plug at the lower end and drilled holes over the entire surface through which water will flow to the strawberries.
Next, install a second box, pour the soil mixture into it, and so on, until the smallest one.

When the structure is ready, after 14 days you can begin planting strawberry seedlings.

It’s easy to make a pyramid bed with your own hands

This bed is best suited for growing remontant varieties that will bear fruit several times a season, until frost.

In addition to boards, you can use slate, plastic panels or even old car tires to create such a bed.

For the winter, such a bed is covered with spruce branches or straw.

Beds made of PVC pipes

Pipe beds are economical in terms of material costs and will not take up much space in your summer cottage. To equip such a bed you will need:

sewer polypropylene pipe with a diameter of 15 cm and a length of no more than 2 m;
a perforated irrigation hose or a smaller pipe for organizing irrigation, its diameter can be 2-3 cm, and the length should be 15 cm longer than the main one;
drill.

A large pipe is dug into the ground; first, holes for plants with a diameter of about 7 cm are made in it with a drill, spaced 20 cm from one another, and a plug is inserted down.

After installing the pipe, fine gravel is poured inside for drainage. A watering hose or smaller pipe is placed in the center, with holes through which water will flow to the plants when watering; before this, a plug is inserted down.

Then the fertile mixture is gradually poured into the large pipe, trying to avoid the formation of voids. When the structure is ready, you can start planting strawberries.

When growing garden strawberries in pipes, it is necessary to carefully control the level of moisture in the substrate, if suddenly fungal spores get into such a bed with excessive watering, they can quickly multiply and destroy the crop.

In beds made of plastic pipes, you need to ensure that the soil does not dry out.

In addition, you need to remember that the soil in a plastic pipe dries out faster if there is insufficient watering than in a regular, classic bed, because of this the yield may decrease and the quality of the berries may deteriorate. To prevent the root collar from rotting, you need to make sure that when planting it is above ground level.

When growing strawberries in pipes, fertilizing is done with fertilizer solutions through a perforated hose, which is used for watering.

Iron vertical beds

Next, we present to your attention options for iron raised beds.

Learn about growing strawberries using hydroponics.

From construction mesh

You will need a metal mesh, straw, and substrate. The mesh must be bent into the shape of a pipe with an approximate diameter of 90 cm, then secured. Place straw on the sides. Fill the pipe with compost.

The first level of seedlings is placed at a distance of 0.5 m from the ground. The distance between the bushes should be approximately 10 cm. After moistening the first layer, lay 50 cm of substrate and plant the bushes again. The height of the tower can be selected individually.

From a barrel

An ordinary iron barrel can serve as a base for a tall vegetable garden. To do this, make longitudinal slits in an old 200-liter barrel. The metal is then bent inward. The barrel should be filled with fertilized soil, and a pipe with holes for watering and feeding the bushes from the inside should be installed in its center.

How to vertically grow strawberries with your own hands

Of course, it is also possible to equip a permanent structure. But how to do this without having rolled metal or new pipes or boards if you are building a vertical bed. When there is nothing like this, and there is little space, take a closer look at the materials at hand. On the site you may find things that are very necessary for this task: boxes, bags, boards, pipe scraps, plastic bottles, barrels and much more.

Beds in pipes

This method of planting strawberries is quite unusual and interesting. It allows you to get good yields and has become very popular. You can place PVC pipes vertically or horizontally. In any case, choose two: one up to 200 millimeters in diameter, and the other thinner, tap water.

First, you should carry out some manipulations with the pipes, adapting them and then planting strawberry seedlings.

Step by step:

Cut holes 15 centimeters in diameter at a distance of 20 centimeters from one another. If the pipe is intended for vertical placement, arrange the holes in a checkerboard pattern. These will become the holes in which you plant the strawberries.
Create a drip irrigation system. A thin pipe (water pipe will also work) with several holes drilled in it will come in handy.
Insert the irrigation pipe into the larger pipe.
Make several holes at the bottom of the pipe. This is necessary to prevent water from accumulating. Its excess contributes to root rot, the formation of fungus, and powdery mildew.
Close the larger pipe with plugs. It is recommended to use wooden mugs for them.
Fill the pipe with soil.
Moisten the soil.

You can plant seedlings.

In plastic bottles

It seems that a more economical material cannot exist. For vertical plantings, many gardeners use 5-liter bottles. In any supermarket they sell drinking water or technical liquid.

The container is cut into two halves. One with a lid. It is in it, previously inverted, that the strawberries will be planted. In this case, the lid does not screw tightly. This will allow excess liquid to flow freely into the tray, the role of which will be played by the second part of the bottle.

Before planting seedlings in such a “pot,” the bottom is lined with a thin layer of drainage (hydrogel is possible). Sometimes a synthetic winterizer plays this role - it retains water and then returns it to the dry soil.

In a barrel

If you have an extra barrel in your garden plot (the size doesn’t matter, neither does the material), it will make an excellent strawberry bed. You'll have to work on it. First, clean off rust and other dirt, drill holes in the bottom, and place drainage (crushed stone, pebbles). Then install a perforated irrigation pipe. Now cut holes in the walls of the barrel. A 10 cm slot is enough.

You can gradually fill the barrel. It is better to plant the lower tier with aromatic herbs. They will prevent acidification of the soil. And then plant strawberries over the entire surface.

Plank pyramids

Today it is not uncommon to build pyramids in the countryside, specifically for planting strawberries.

Tire pyramids

Build a pyramid of car tires on your summer cottage. It is better if the tires are of different diameters. Strawberries will begin to grow along the perimeter of each tier. The more tiers, the more impressive the design. The more tires, the more options for the flower bed. All tires are the same – that’s not bad either. You will end up with a cylindrical bed. And to plant strawberries, you need to make side holes in the tires.

Important! Tires are toxic material. In addition, in the sun they can emit an unpleasant odor. And this is their biggest drawback. Gardeners often paint tires with paint. This minimizes the unpleasant consequences of using such material.

Strawberries in bags

Any plastic bag of impressive size filled with soil can be used as an almost finished bed. To plant strawberries in it, just place an irrigation pipe with holes vertically inside the bag and make slits in the walls. It is in them that the seedlings are planted. It is enough for there to be 20 centimeters between the slots. Yes, the optimal bag capacity is 50 liters.

Vertical beds made of bags

The bags can be made of polyethylene or thick fabric. It is recommended to stitch the sides and bottom of each bag several times with strong thread. The bags need to be filled with soil, then holes of 15 cm in size must be made in them - the plants will then be planted in them. A strong loop is sewn into the top of each bag, through which it will be attached to the support.

Vertical growing methods

Method No. 1: planting strawberries in a container

The easiest way is to plant strawberries in containers. These can be flower pots, plastic boxes, car tires, etc. For this method, take containers of different diameters and place them on top of each other.

The base is made from the largest container, then all the others are installed in the form of a pyramid. The bushes are planted in niches formed by the difference in diameters. If you use tires of the same size, you need to cut holes in which the seedlings will be planted. Tires protect plants well and retain heat in the soil. The berries will ripen very quickly in such conditions.

With this method, it is important to consider the following: the distance between strawberry plants should be at least 20 cm. If you build a vertical bed for strawberries with your own hands, the holes must be cut in accordance with this requirement.

For vertical seating, unnecessary barrels and various boxes are also used. The created structures require a carefully planned irrigation system. Some gardeners place several polymer pipes with pre-drilled holes inside before filling the containers with soil. The lower holes are closed with plugs, and watering is carried out through the upper ones.

Method No. 2: planting in cylinders

Vertical cultivation of strawberries is possible in special systems that can be purchased at the household goods department or designed independently. The structure is cylindrical in shape, with holes drilled on the surface. Soil mixed with peat and sand is laid inside, and bushes are planted in the holes themselves. The structures come in different lengths and heights.

Before planting, the roots of the bushes are kept in a pink solution of manganese. After a few hours, the seedlings can be planted. Subsequent care for strawberries consists of regularly moistening the soil and trimming the tendrils. It is recommended to feed vertical strawberries with liquid fertilizers.

To prepare seedlings for winter, the structures are removed and covered with a layer of foliage or agrofibre. The vertical tube can be completely wrapped in insulation. Strawberries in vertical tubes tolerate frost well and bear fruit well the next year.

Method number 3: growing in a plastic pipe

For this method you will need a wide and narrow drainpipe (for irrigation). The narrow one should be 10 cm longer than the wide one. Small holes are made two-thirds of the length of the narrow pipe. The end without holes is located at the bottom - this will prevent waterlogging of the soil. The narrow pipe is wrapped in burlap so that the root system does not get caught in the holes. Holes about 20 cm in diameter are made in a wide pipe. The bottom also remains intact. Next, the narrow pipe is inserted into the wide one, and gravel is poured in so that the structure stands vertically. The soil is filled in and bushes are planted in the wide holes. Now the plants need to be watered. As the soil becomes moist, the water level will decrease.

Method number 4: beds made of bags

Beds made from bags can be used to decorate a fence, an ugly wall of a house or barn, a gazebo and other objects. For this you will need a bag made of natural burlap. You should not take artificial material, as it quickly deteriorates under the sun. Burlap allows moisture and air to pass through well. The bottom and sides need to be stitched several times for strength. A loop is made on top by which the bag will be suspended. Holes are made in the bag for the bushes, and the cavity is filled with earth. After planting the plants, they need to be watered.

Method number 5: stack of pots

For this design you need to prepare at least three clay or plastic pots. The number of bed levels is not limited. It is necessary that one of the pots is larger in diameter than the others. The largest one will become the basis of the structure. A wooden stick or strong metal rod is inserted into the base. The thickness of the rod should be slightly less than the diameter of the hole at the bottom of the container. The pot is filled with soil, smaller pots are placed on the rod and also filled with soil. Now you can start planting the bushes.

Method number 6: mesh beds

Such beds are very suitable for growing strawberries. For these purposes you will need a construction net, soil and straw. The mesh is folded into a tube about 90 cm in diameter and secured. Straw is laid along the walls. Next, the pipe is filled with compost and soil. Between bushes maintain a distance of 16-18 cm.

Method number 7: beds from boxes

The design is similar to a chest of drawers and fits well into any area. To create it you need wooden boxes. The size of the box located above should be smaller than the previous one. You can even use a ready-made old chest of drawers.

Method number 8: “pocket” beds

“Pocket” beds are actually vertical rows in the form of a piece of canvas with many pockets. To make such beds, foil insulation is used. The shiny surface reflects the sun and does not overheat the ground, and in cold weather the polystyrene layer retains heat.

For a bed 2 m high you will need 4 m of material. The sheet is folded in half and sewn with a horizontal seam at a distance of 6 cm from the top. Then all the edges and bottom are stitched. Rectangles are drawn on the surface from which pockets will be formed. There should be no more than three pockets per meter. A pocket hole is cut at the top of each square at a distance of 3-4 cm from the seam. The finished bed is attached to the support. The pockets are filled with soil, after which the bushes are planted.

Gardeners who have mastered the vertical method of growing strawberries have recognized that this is one of the most convenient and practical options. In addition to their main purpose, such beds perform an aesthetic function.

Vertical beds made from old car tires

For this option, you need to prepare old tires, fertilized soil and a chisel. Using a chisel, cut the required number of holes in the tire with a diameter of 7–10 cm in increments of 15–20 cm.

The same procedure is performed for each tire. The prepared tires are arranged in several levels. As a result, when the tower rises to the desired height, the substrate is filled in and berry bushes are planted.

Important! Worn tires are a material with a low environmental friendliness - rubber releases toxic substances into the ground.

Pyramid of tires

Building such a bed is quick and easy. All you need to arrange a planting site is a few tires of different diameters and a tool for making holes. The optimal diameter of the nests is 10–20 cm. Starting with the largest one, the perforated tires are folded in a column, gradually covered with a substrate with the addition of humus, and bushes are planted. After planting is completed, the bed is watered.

The main advantage of such a bed is that the rubber heats up quickly, as a result of which the plants receive more heat and grow faster.

Using the same principle, they build a pyramid of car rims.

Pyramids made of boards or tires

Pyramids can be made from boards or tires.

To build the first version of the pyramid, follow the proven technique:

Make a box of a convenient size, fill it with substrate, and compact it.
Place another smaller box inside, remembering to fill it with earth.
Install 3–5 tiers in a similar manner.
Leave 15–20 cm of unoccupied space around the perimeter of each level. Plant seedlings in these free zones.

To create a pyramid bed from tires, you need 5 used tires of different diameters . The rubber elements of the wheel are arranged in the shape of a pyramid. The structure can be decorated by installing a decorative flowerpot on top. The substrate is poured into each tire one by one during the assembly process.

Technology for planting strawberries in vertical beds

The methods for planting strawberries in vertical beds are not much different from the conventional method. Features of planting and growing are determined only by the volume of soil.

The beds should be placed so that the strawberries are illuminated by the sun most of the time. This is especially important when the bed is stationary, for example, suspended on the wall of a building. A pyramid of tires or boxes can be placed even in the middle of an asphalt area.
It is important to choose the right container size: at least 3–5 liters of soil. The roots of the plant reach 20–25 cm in length, and if they have nowhere to grow, the strawberries will not be able to take root and bear fruit.
You need to choose the soil very carefully. The soil should be loose, fertile, with a pH of 6.0–6.5. You can use ordinary garden soil, but if you enrich it with wood ash and peat. If the soil is not loose or clayey, river sand, sawdust, and vermiculite are also added to the mixture. If the soil is poor, superphosphate and potassium sulfate are added to the mixture - a pinch per bucket of soil.
Drainage is required. A layer of expanded clay, crushed stone, and pebbles 10 cm thick is poured into the bottom of the container or into the lower part of the bed.
When planting seedlings, make sure that a distance of 20 cm is maintained between the bushes.
It is better to plant strawberries in a vertical bed in the spring, especially in the southern and northern regions. In the south, planting in October for the winter is allowed, but only if a warm winter and no frost are guaranteed. In the middle zone, it is preferable to plant strawberries in August and complete all work before the beginning of autumn.
For planting, rooted tendrils, seedlings, and young bushes no older than 2 years are used. In the first case, the vertical bed will remain idle for the first year, since the mustaches do not produce such a quick harvest. Seedlings ensure the appearance of ripe berries sooner, but growing them is a complex and lengthy process. It is best to use young bushes from a horizontal bed. They are planted together with a lump of earth and already in the fall such strawberries produce their first harvest.
Water the strawberries in the vertical bed several times a day with a small volume of water. Drip irrigation is preferable.
If flowers appear on the berries too quickly, the buds are torn off. Flowers are left only after the bush has taken root and produces several new leaves. From now on you can feed strawberries.

Important! Strawberries in vertical beds need to be renewed every 2-3 years. When planting, mulching, or watering, do not cover the growing point with soil.

Vertical planting in boxes

Planting garden strawberries vertically in boxes mounted on special poles, similar to decorative flowerpots with flowers, is carried out according to the following scheme:

The bottom of the first level is covered with sawdust, small branches and dry grass.
A layer of earth fertilized with humus is poured on top.
The soil is watered with settled water and the missing layer is added.
The next step is to form depressions in which to plant the bushes. The distance between them should be up to 10 cm.

Each subsequent level is assembled in a similar way. It is not recommended to build more than 3-4 tiers.

Did you know? The first documented mentions of strawberries date back to the 230s BC. e., when the Italians began to cultivate this berry.

Possible errors during cultivation

The main mistake that gardeners and gardeners make is using land of dubious quality. It is not recommended to take the one in which you grew house plants. Don’t forget to water your strawberries often so that the soil doesn’t dry out.

If you leave such a structure uninsulated for the winter, the plant will freeze, even if the variety is winter-hardy.

If growing strawberries vertically seems incredibly difficult to you, don’t despair. This is at first glance. It won't be easy at first. But after gaining practical experience, you will want to take it seriously. There will even be a surplus that can be sold, thereby replenishing the family cash register.

Hanging vertical beds

You can make a hanging flowerbed from the materials discussed above - for example, from a plastic pipe: by cutting it lengthwise and closing the ends with plugs, you will get a trench where you can fill the soil mixture and plant strawberries. The gutter can be fixed to a tree or veranda canopy. Its length can be selected at your discretion. An option of several tiers of such gutters is also possible.

Warm beds

The operating principle of a warm garden is simple: rotting organic matter releases heat and methane, which promotes better growth of berry bushes.

All warm bed models must include the following layers:

Drainage from branches.
Carefully compacted natural heat-generating layer (grass, leaves, sawdust, plant humus and other waste).
Hot or warm water.
Top fertilized layer of soil.
Seedling.

Choosing a location

By taking a serious approach to choosing the location for installing an unusual structure, you will get a rich harvest of the berries in question.

Optimal size

The optimal height of the sides of the structure ranges from 15 to 50 cm. The optimal width of the bed is considered to be a distance from 90 to 120 cm.

You can choose the dimensions of the future flower bed yourself, since there are no clearly established dimensions.

As for the length, compact and neat models from 1.5 to 3 meters are more common.

Did you know? The leader in strawberry production in the world is the state of California (USA), where up to 1 billion tons of this berry are produced every year. The best quality red berries are grown in Great Britain.

Nature of the relief

It is preferable that the area where the bed will be placed be level, without deep holes, steep slopes, or uneven surfaces. This question is very important because if there are bevels, the water will be distributed unevenly: some plant roots will receive an excess of moisture, others will dry out faster.

Wind protection

When choosing a site, you need to take into account the fact that strawberries do not tolerate cold winds and drafts . In addition, the wind in winter can blow away the snow cover that protects the bushes from freezing. Accordingly, it is important to consider protection from strong air flow. If there is no natural protection, artificial plantings of sunflower or corn can be arranged.

Soil composition and structure

A mandatory component of the soil for multi-tiered beds are small pieces of polystyrene foam . They remain virtually unchanged for many years and prevent compaction and caking of the soil. You can use a special substrate marked “for berries” or a universal mixture.

Drainage arrangement and timely planting

High-quality drainage plays an important role in creating a vertical garden. The optimal choice is hydrogel - a polymer substance whose granules accumulate and retain moisture. In this case, the bushes are able to constantly use moisture.

It is preferable to plant strawberries from August to mid-September, but spring planting is also acceptable - from mid-April to early May.

Important! It is not recommended to carry out planting work later than September - the berry bushes will not have time to prepare for the winter season, which will negatively affect their further development. Even the death of plants is not excluded.

Suitable strawberry varieties

For a vertical bed, remontant varieties of strawberries are chosen, from which they are harvested several times during the summer. The Queen Elizabeth variety is very popular. Its berries have juicy, dense pulp, large, and regular in shape. Canopy varieties, for example, Alba, look good on vertical beds. This is an early variety, its bushes curl very beautifully, they will decorate any corner of the garden.

Vertical planting of strawberries will allow you to rationally use every piece of land in your garden plot. Building beds is not difficult. By thinking through the irrigation system and providing shelter for the beds for the winter, you can significantly increase the strawberry yield. And the easy care of plantings and the beautiful appearance of the beds will delight gardeners.

Author: Irina Sedelnikova
Print

I am a software engineer by profession, writing software in Delphi/SQL. I supervise a training portal for my organization (checking, editing, posting content). Rate this article:

(7 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Share with your friends!

Soil preparation

The soil mixture for growing strawberries in multi-tiered beds is prepared in advance.

Disinfection

For soil collected from a plot, disinfection is an important stage of preparation : garden soil often stores weed seeds, larvae of harmful insects, fungal spores and other pathogens characteristic of strawberries. For treatment, use Roundup or ammonia water (1 liter per 5 m² of area).

Acidity level control

The crop in question prefers soils with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction. To adjust the acidity level, the soil must be enriched with lime. Ash is also an effective means of deoxidation. In addition to the fact that wood ash reduces acidity, it is a source of valuable chemical elements.

Fertilizer

The soil should be fertilized with nutrients in advance (2 weeks). In order to grow and bear fruit normally, garden strawberries need a whole complex of fertilizers, which includes both organic matter and minerals. Manure is applied in a volume of 5–6 kg per m² during the process of digging the soil. A universal complex fertilizer is poured over the dug up soil.

Mulching

The main advantage of inorganic mulch is its durability . Mulching with black film and agrofibre is carried out during the planting period. Having spread the material on the bed, soil is poured on top. Then you need to make a cross-shaped cut and through it form a hole in the ground to plant the plant there. The number of slots is determined individually by each individual.

Organic mulch helps increase yields while reducing the time spent caring for strawberries. The most popular organic materials are straw, dead grass, and rotted sawdust. Organic matter should be poured in a layer of 4–8 cm.

Compost can serve as a good mulch - it perfectly nourishes and saturates the soil, reliably protects it from drying out, prevents weeds from growing, and reduces the likelihood of diseases affecting the berries. However, compost requires frequent updating.

Did you know? Strawberries are one of the few crops in which the seeds are not inside the fruit, but outside. Each berry contains about 200 seeds.

Features of growing strawberries in vertical beds

Strawberries in vertical beds at the dacha are a set of containers placed vertically at some distance from each other. Berries in such containers are grown as indoor flowers.

Important! It cannot be said that such a solution is much more convenient or contributes to a higher yield. The vertical bed is designed specifically to save space - it does not serve any other purpose.

The peculiarity of this solution is the small amount of land used. At the same time, the area of contact between plants and air is much larger. Accordingly, a small volume of soil loses moisture faster and dries out. In addition, unlike indoor flowers, fruiting strawberries require much more nutrients. Maintenance of such a structure must be intensive.

Here it is recommended to grow day-neutral, remontant, and hanging strawberries. The latter bears fruit on unrooted tendrils. This way you can get a good harvest on a modest area.

Caring for vertical beds

Cultivating strawberries above the ground requires following a number of simple measures:

Use a drip system for both irrigation and feeding;
Weed the protected soil as necessary;
Do not forget about preventive inspections of plantings for the presence of parasitic insects.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that almost all of the above-described bed models are easy to implement and allow you to plant more seedlings in the same area. Taking into account the fact that strawberries bear fruit several times per season, more than 5 kg of sweet berries can be collected from one high bed, which is impossible to achieve on a horizontal analogue.

Advantages and disadvantages of vertical

Growing garden strawberries vertically is familiar to many summer residents. If not in practice, then at least through publications and photos in magazines and the Internet, they know about various technologies and structures made of boards and pipes in which gardeners successfully plant sweet berries. There are many interesting examples on the website rastenievod.com, not only for strawberries, but also for various flowers and ornamental crops.

At dachas they set up vertical flower beds for flowers and pyramid beds for green crops. Similar structures are made when planting hydroponically.

The method has many advantages :

saving space. Regular ridges occupy a considerable area, while multi-tiered “verticals” occupy only small spaces. True, they need to be placed in well-lit places, and not in shaded corners of the garden;
low susceptibility to diseases and pest attacks;
easy care;
no weeds. Even if a couple of weeds appear in the soil, they are easy to remove;
clean berries (see photo).

At the height of fruiting, structures with strawberry bushes look picturesque, attracting everyone's attention. And thanks to good soil heating and illumination, the yields on such improvised ridges are not inferior to, and sometimes even exceed, the yields from conventional plantings.

"Minuses":

the need to use various materials for the construction of the structure (boards, pipes, pots, bags, containers);
rapid drying of soil in containers. In order for the plants to develop and bear fruit, it is necessary to adjust the watering system, otherwise the strawberries will quickly die in the hot sun;
in regions with harsh winters, you will have to think through ways to protect plants from frost. Without shelter, the ground freezes completely.

The disadvantages of the method can be easily eliminated if you carefully consider the watering systems for the beds, and also provide for collapsible structures for wintering.