Area
Strawberries are mainly mild winter crops. Dry weather is required during flowering and fruiting. The climate is suitable for strawberry cultivation in rabi season. Strawberries cannot be grown on fertile loam to sandy loam soils where water accumulates.
Suitable soil
Strawberries can be grown by applying a lot of organic fertilisers to sandy loam and soil. Strawberries cannot be grown in waterlogged lands.
Seedling preparation
Strawberry is mainly a crop of mild winter regions. However, dry weather is required during flowering and fruiting. Fertile loam to sandy loam soil that does not accumulate water is best for growing this fruit.
Strawberry seedlings are available in two ways: seeds or runners. However, the yield of seedlings produced from seed is not the same as that of runner seedlings in the same year.
How to make seedlings.
Strawberries are propagated by runners.
Hybrid strawberry seeds
So the previous year’s trees should be collected without destroying them.
And they should be sown in lightly shaded areas rich in organic matter.
If the roots of the runner produced from that tree come out, it should be cut and planted in a polythene bag containing 50% dung and 50% silt.
After that, the seedlings should be stored in a light shaded place with polythene bags.
A polythene canopy should be placed above the seedlings to protect them from excess rain.
When propagated through runners, the yield potential of strawberries gradually decreases.
Therefore, it is better to use seedlings produced through tissue culture to maintain the yield potential of the variety.
Planting
Strawberry seedlings can be planted from mid-October to mid-December. But November is the best month for planting strawberry seedlings. After preparing the land, the distance from line to line will be 50 cm and strawberry seedlings should be planted at a distance of 30 cm in each row. When it rains, excess water must be removed from the field or the plants will rot
Farmers are leaning towards strawberry cultivation due to high market price and high profit.
Improved Strawberry Cultivation System:
Strawberry is mainly a crop of mild winter regions. However, dry weather is required during flowering and fruiting. Fertile loam to sandy loam soil that does not accumulate water is best for growing this fruit.
Strawberry seedlings are available in two ways: seeds or runners. However, the yield of seedlings produced from seed is not the same as that of runner seedlings in the same year.
How to make seedlings.
Strawberries are propagated by runners.
Hybrid strawberry seeds
So the previous year’s trees should be collected without destroying them.
And they should be sown in lightly shaded areas rich in organic matter.
If the roots of the runner produced from that tree come out, it should be cut and planted in a polythene bag containing 50% dung and 50% silt.
After that, the seedlings should be stored in a light shaded place with polythene bags.
A polythene canopy should be placed above the seedlings to protect them from excess rain.
When propagated through runners, the yield potential of strawberries gradually decreases.
Therefore, it is better to use seedlings produced through tissue culture to maintain the yield potential of the variety.
Mother plant maintenance
Strawberry plants cannot tolerate strong sunlight and heavy rain. For this, light shade should be provided in March-April. After harvesting, healthy plants are picked and planted under a polythene canopy to protect the mother plant from the heat of the sun and heavy rain. Runas produced from the mother plant are used as seedlings later.
Fertiliser Application
Strawberries need a lot of organic fertilisers for good yield. However, soil testing and fertilisation improves yields. Usually per cent of land…
Dung manure 100-120 kg,
Urea fertiliser 1 kg,
TSP fertiliser 800 grams,
MOP Fertiliser 900 grams,
600 grams of gypsum fertiliser should be used.
At the time of final tillage, full dung, TSP, Gypsum and half amount of MOP fertiliser should be mixed well in the cultivated land. Urea and residual MOP fertilisers should be applied in 4-5 instalments after 15-20 days from 15 days after transplanting.
Other Care
If you want to catch flowers on strawberry plants, you need to take special care. After the tree is planted, a lot of runners or small creepers start coming out from its base. They cover the land. It does not yield well. Straw or polythene should be spread at the base of the tree so that these creepers do not come out. After 30 cm of the polythene seat, make round holes and insert the strawberry bushes by hand. Hormones can be sprayed on the leaves to get higher yields and early fruiting.
Collection and sale of fruits
When the unripe fruit starts to turn yellow or red in colour, then it can be understood that the fruit has started to ripen. The fruit turns red when fully ripe. However, the fruit does not need to be completely red to remove it. In that case, the fruits should be taken as firm. And the fruit should be picked with pods. The fruit is good for 10-12 days after picking. On an average, 150-200 grams of fruit per plant. Still, strawberry cultivation is profitable one day by applying intelligence and wisdom.
