Strawberries are one of the best fruits you can grow in a greenhouse because of their rich taste. They also have many health benefits, such as cardiovascular benefits. It can lower your blood pressure and offer other nutrients.
The best part is that strawberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow. It does not require high resources and attention. If you want to learn more about growing strawberries in a greenhouse, here’s what you need to know.
How To Grow Strawberry Fruit In A Greenhouse?
You can easily grow strawberries in a greenhouse in most climates and soils as long as sun exposure is adequate. Strawberries grow well in a warm environment and having a greenhouse is a great way to protect your strawberry plants from sudden cold temperatures.
Here are the steps to growing strawberries in a greenhouse:
- Get disease-free strawberry seedlings from a reputable supplier and plant them into pots or trays
- Ensure that the hole allows the root system to be placed without bending
- After that, apply a water-soluble organic compost to the plants for the best fruiting
- Remember the compost should have high potassium content
- Wait for the crop to sprout and become ripe
If you plant the fruit in the summers, water it frequently because strawberries grow best in wet conditions. You should also ensure that the variety receives six hours of sunlight daily. Some types may also need 12 hours.
Types Of Strawberries To Grow In A Greenhouse
Here are the strawberry types you can grow in a greenhouse:
1. Tristar
Tristar is one of the oldest and top varieties of strawberries. It can grow in early summer and spring. Of course, some types don’t require high sunlight exposure because of their day-neutral ability. You can grow this variety in trays or pots in a greenhouse.
Planting this fruit in spring will ensure you’ll receive ripe fruit by summer. It can also continue to give you fruit in autumn. This mainly depends on the greenhouse’s temperature. The best part is that Tristar varieties give the sweetest strawberries a rich flavor.
2. Jewel
Jewel is another type that offers flavorful and sweet strawberries easily. The primary difference between this variety and Tristar is that Jewel is not day-neutral. So you will have to ensure that it gets adequate daylight exposure during the growing period. You can also use the succession planting technique to harvest this type in a greenhouse.
The fruits of this variety are large and well-shaped, with an excellent texture to enjoy the taste. Jewel strawberries also resist spoiling in storage and have an extended shelf-life. So you can easily grow adequate supply to last you the whole year.
3. Albion
This is a day-neutral variety that was developed at California University. Strawberries under this category have a relatively high sugar content making them the top choice for desserts. You can use the fruit for multiple purposes and grow it without facing much trouble.
Albion variety is also resistant to developing fungal diseases and can grow without infections. This is mainly helpful for growing the plant in a greenhouse because the humid environment allows easy fungal survival. So many plants wilt and die because of such diseases in greenhouses.
4. Selva
Selva is another type you can grow easily in a greenhouse regardless of the daylight length. The berries are large and offer a good harvest during the picking period. You will have to hand pollinate the fruit to grow it easily in a greenhouse.
This type can be grown from May to Autumn until the freezing climate sets in. It can also repeat fruiting to maintain a constant supply of strawberries. Selva variety is packed with vitamin C, antioxidants, and good cholesterol to ensure optimal health.
How Long Does It Take For To Grow Strawberries In Greenhouse?
The fruit is mainly ready for harvesting after blossoming for 4 to 6 weeks. You should only harvest the ripe berries by using the color as an indicator. Strawberries should also be picked every three days, and ensure to cut the fruit by stem.
Remember, the growing period mainly depends on the variety. Midseason strawberry types mainly ripen eight days after the early summer types. So they may take up to seven weeks depending on the environment and growth factors.
Do Strawberries Grow All Year Round?
Strawberries cannot grow throughout the year in standard conditions. However, you can change this by controlling the environment in a greenhouse. By maintaining suitable conditions, you can grow a strawberry throughout the year.
Firstly, you should maintain the temperature between 35°F to 85°F in the greenhouse. You must also select a suitable variety resistant to diseases and day-neutral. This will help you grow the fruit easily when sunlight exposure is low such as in winters.
