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
Seuraa viestiä
1
seuraajaa
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! 🍓