Who doesn't love the sweet taste of freshly picked strawberries?
Imagine popping into your greenhouse and plucking a few ripe berries to enjoy on the spot.
Growing strawberries in a greenhouse is surprisingly easy and rewarding, making it a perfect project for both seasoned gardeners and beginners.
With just a little guidance and the proper care, you can harvest these delightful fruits all year round.
Ready to turn your greenhouse into a strawberry paradise? Let’s walk through some simple steps to get your strawberry plants thriving and your fruit bowl overflowing with homegrown delights.
How to Grow Strawberries in Your Greenhouse
Strawberries are a delicious fruit with a typically short growing season, but your greenhouse can change that. With proper planning and care, you can enjoy these sweet, succulent fruits throughout the year. Here’s how to get started:
1. Select Your Strawberry Type
Choosing the right variety is crucial for your greenhouse strawberry project. Here’s a breakdown of the popular types:
- June-bearing strawberries: These plants produce a large, concentrated crop once a year, over two to three weeks. They are categorized into early, mid, and late season, each with their own fruiting timeline.
- Everbearing strawberries: These varieties produce two main harvests – one in early summer and another in early fall, offering a more spread-out yield.
- Day-neutral strawberries: True to their name, these plants can produce fruits consistently if the temperature remains between 35°F and 85°F, making them ideal for year-round cultivation in a greenhouse environment.
2. Plant Your Strawberries
Whether you’re planting in the ground, in raised beds, or in pots, here are some steps to follow:
- Soil and Preparation: Use well-draining, loamy soil enriched with organic compost to provide a nutrient-rich base. Maintain a pH between 5.5 and 7.0.
- Spacing: Plant your strawberry seeds about 18 inches apart, allowing 30 inches between rows. This spacing helps to minimize disease and ensures each plant gets enough sunlight.
- Depth: Ensure the crown of the plant is just above the soil surface to prevent rotting.
3. Maintain Optimal Growing Conditions
To maximize your strawberry yield, pay attention to these crucial factors:
- Watering: Strawberries need moist but not waterlogged conditions. To minimize evaporation, aim for about 1.5 inches of water per week, preferably in the morning.
- Lighting: Ensure your plants receive at least six hours of sunlight daily (some require up to 12). If natural light is insufficient, use grow lights, especially during shorter winter days.
- Temperature: Use a heater to keep your greenhouse between 65°F and 77°F to encourage flowering and fruit development. Lowering the temperature after harvest helps plants enter a rest phase, crucial for the next season's growth.
4. Harvest Your Greenhouse Strawberries
Depending on the variety, strawberries will be ready to harvest about 30-45 days after flowering (60-90 days from seed). Harvest them every other day during the peak season to ensure optimal flavor and reduce rot.
Managing Pests and Diseases
Strawberries in greenhouses can still face pest and disease challenges. Here’s how to manage them:
- Pest Control: Regularly clean your greenhouse and remove plant debris to eliminate potential breeding grounds for pests. This includes fallen leaves and excess mulch that can harbor insects.
- Disease Prevention: Avoid overhead watering to reduce leaf wetness, which can lead to fungal diseases. Use organic fungicides and ensure good air circulation to keep diseases at bay.
Bonus Tips for Growing Strawberries in a Greenhouse
- Successive Planting: Consider staggering plantings every few weeks to extend your harvesting period.
- Renew Plants: Replace strawberry plants every three years to maintain health and productivity.
- Avoid Certain Neighbors: Steer clear of planting strawberries near brassicas, nightshades, okra, and melons to avoid growth issues.
- Companion Planting: To enhance strawberry health, plant alongside asparagus, beans, peas, rhubarb, spinach, or garlic.
- Prune Runners: Regularly trim runners to concentrate the plant's energy on producing larger, more abundant strawberries.
- Manual Pollination: To ensure fruit development, lightly brush the flowers or enhance greenhouse airflow to aid pollination.
Images from Planta Greenhouses’ customers.
Bring Your Strawberry Greenhouse to Life
Dive into the exciting world of greenhouse gardening by creating your very own strawberry patch. It’s a rewarding way to enjoy fresh, succulent berries all year long.
Why not spice up your garden by trying different strawberry varieties? Each one brings its unique flavor and joy, ensuring you have delicious, juicy berries whenever you like.
Ready to get started? Dive into our detailed guides or check out our premium greenhouse kits to find your perfect match.
Here’s to cultivating a vibrant and fruitful strawberry haven in your backyard!
Why Nova Greenhouses?
- We handpick high-quality greenhouses from the best brands in the world.
- Our team works hard to find extraordinary backyard greenhouses at reasonable price points.
- We exclusively source premium products made from the finest materials.
- Our team tests every greenhouse to guarantee strength & durability.
- We have a vast shipping network that reaches every corner of Canada & the USA.
- Our top-rated customer care team is available 7-days a week to answer any questions.