Strawberries on the balcony, what do I need?
Hi! I want to grow strawberries on the balcony, I want to try different varieties - ampel and simple, suitable for the balcony, Help me choose everything I need - soil, fertilizers, drainage, mulch, as well as suitable balcony pots (size?) and small pots for the time of seedlings. Thanks
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Thank you for your question. How lovely to hear that you want to grow strawberries on the balcony.
Strawberry seed or seedings
First of all, you'll have to chose weather you want to grow your strawberries from seed or seedlings. I'd suggest seedlings, as you will usually get strawberries the first season. If you grow from seed, you might have to wait a couple of years before they are mature enough to produce strawberries. There are a variety to chose from, and all of the strawberry varieties we have in our assortment are suitable for balcony gardening. The strawberry-ampel is fully ready, and all you have to do is to give it some water and nutrients.
Winter and pots
You can grow strawberries in almost anything, just make sure the pot has some kind of drainage. If you want to grow many strawberry plants, I'd suggest growing in a pallet collar/lavakaulus with a tray underneath. I have a post about what you need for that here, if you can manage the Finnish. Millaisen pohjan lavakaulus parvekkeella tarvitsee?
If you want to grow the strawberries for multiple years, I'd suggest a bigger pot with insulation, for example we have Iqbana pots, as this will help them withstand the cold during the winter. During the winter it's also a good idea to cover the plants with something, for example a fabric like hallaharso.
Soil and fertilizer
I'd suggest to grow strawberries in an organic soil, like puutarhamulta. I'd suggest this organic marjalannoite for fertilizer, but a regular kastelulannoite will do just as well.
Oter than that, you'll probably need a watering can, if you dont have one already. And if you're away for a longer time during the hot summer and no one can help you water the plants, you might want to look into self-watering solutions.
Hope my answer helps you get started with your strawberries. Good luck! 🍓
Hello, i would like to ask for your recommendations.I grow Rugen and Mara de bois on my balcony and have some problems with leaves. They are wrinkles... I attached a few photos. What can I do with it?
Thank you for the question. Wrinkled leaves could be a sign of aphids, so it's important to thoroughly inspect the strawberry plants, especially the undersides of leaves and stems, for small bugs. Another possibility is that the plant has been slightly under-watered, resulting in improper development of new growth. If this is the case, ensuring adequate watering should help the next leaves grow normally. Always check the humidity of the soil before watering by sticking a finger into the soil.
Apart from this, the plants appears healthy! 🍓