Imran Saleem – Page 79

If you want to grow any fruit in your home then strawberries are a good option for this purpose. Strawberry is that kind of fruit which is liked by everyone, especially children. The sight of juicy strawberries brings water in the mouth. You can make many things from strawberry, in fruit salad, it is an important ingredient, in ice cream or in shortcake, we like it anyway. The strawberry shake is my favorite one. The favorite flavor of jam, of many people, is strawberry. This aromatic, healthy, and beneficial fruit will be surprised if you give them a chance to grow in your indoor area. Important factors for Growing Strawberries 1: Location Location is not a problem for growing strawberries indoor because you can easily grow them on flower rack with other decorative plants because it can be placed with them due to having looks of like a decorative plant. If you have a vertical growing system on the wall then you can’t face the problem about location. It can be hung from the ceiling. But one thing keeps in your mind which is, don’t overcrowd the plants so you can prevent them from diseases and rot. 2: Temperature The temperature of the room must be between 20° to 25°C (between 68° to 77° F) for growing of strawberries. Warmer and colder both temperature is adequate for them. Their vegetation period commences from the spring and continues to the late Autumn. For the vegetation of strawberries, the temperature should adequate as described above otherwise it will affect their growth. 3: Sunlight Strawberry has the ability to endure the sunlight in summer. Strength of direct sunlight between 32.000 – 130.000 lux, even 180.000 in summer. Strawberries need at least six hours of sun per day. It relies on the season and location of the area, in which you are living. They can grow in both shade or sunlight, but sunlight is best for them. If you are growing them indoor then you have to manage some artificial lighting, that can provide light for growing plants. For this purpose, you cause LED lights or small fluorescent tubes, if you are using this artificial lighting, then, there is no need to place them near the window or glass doors, but High-Tech systems obviously cost some handsome amount. Hand Pollination Pollination is done very easily when you grow them outside. But for indoor plants, it is a big issue. This can be done with the help of hand pollination. Don’t worry, it is not difficult, you can do it very skillfully and it will not take your too much time. The pollination process starts when the petals of strawberry are fully opened. The female part of the flower is pistil and its color is yellow-greenish while the male part is stamen and its color is brownish. You can use a makeup brush for the process of hand pollination – gently brush the pollen from the stamen to the pistil and do this process one by one with all flowers. When you finished the whole work try the same procedure more. In this way never missed any flower and the whole pistil is pollinated. It can be done on a daily basis, once the strawberry flower is pollinated, the white petals will start to die, leaving green sepal which soon becomes a strawberry. Hand pollinators are available in markets. You can operate it with small batteries and use them easily but the method described above is free of cost. It needs your little time but your time will never be wasted as you get the result in the form growth of your strawberry plants. Which Type of Strawberry You Can Grow indoor? There are basically three types of strawberries you can grow at home. • June bearing strawberries(give fruit in June) • Ever-bearing strawberries( give fruit twice a year) • Day-neutral strawberry(give fruit thrice in a year) When we talk about, which type of strawberry is best to grow inside is Alpine strawberries which belong to the Day-neutral and an incredible cultivar adequate for indoor. These strawberries look like wild strawberries and there are different names that are used for them. If the conditions of your location are favorable for them, then they will not disappoint you and give you fruits all year long. The size of the fruit that Alpine strawberries bear is very small. How to meet needs for the growing strawberries? The amount of soil that strawberry plant needs, are about 0.5 to 2 inches (dm3) of soil. Alpine strawberries need a large space to grow. You should provide them correct with soil, water, and soil, besides that once a month, they need fertilizer. If you decide to grow strawberries, get a vertical container having 4-6 positions per row, the height of the container must be 3 feet or one meter, keep it near a glass door and use two fluorescent tubes or use equal source for proper lighting. If your plan is to grow them on the windowsill in that case you can use rectangular containers or round pots. One thing, you should understand that round pots are a better option for this because you can rotate them easily but not when you use the container. You should check the daily need of water. The soil you need for this purpose is slightly acidic with a pH level between 6.0 to 6.5. You can check the pH level of the soil by using small test kits. Take a small amount of soil and mix it with the chemical provided and compare the color with the chart provided with the kit. You should keep a balance of nutrients like potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. For example, if you use too much nitrogen then the plants will grow bigger and it will affect the production of fruit. You should use compost, humus, manure, and fertilizer. You can make compost at home which will reduce your expenses. High-quality soil is required for better output. Also Read: How To Make Compost At Home Using Kitchen And Garden Wastes How To Make Potting Soil At Home For Container Gardening How to Plant Strawberries? • You need a fresh strawberry but keep in mind that it should not be squishy but are ripe • You can use a toothpick to extract its seeds. Use the toothpick very gently on the skin of strawberries. • Collect the seeds on a plate. The number of seeds must be between 20 to 30. • Fill the container or jar or if you have a round pot with the soil. • Fill one-third of the cup with water and add two-thirds hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a natural oxidizer. It will help the plant to grow fast. Dip the toothpick in that water but not dripping wet. Take the tip of the toothpick and poke a couple of your seeds, they will be stuck onto the toothpick without falling off. • There will be six to seven seeds stuck to a toothpick. Flick it on the surface of your container. Repeat this process, several times. • Keep the soil moist but not wet. You can water it about once or a weak. • Place the container where there is sufficient sunlight for the seeds is available. • After a few days of waiting, you can see the little plants coming out from the soil. If they are large in number, you can transplant them after a few weeks, into separate pots or containers. Also Read: 10 Best DIY & Cheap Container Vegetable Gardening Ideas Anyone Can Use Garden Tower System For Indoor Strawberries You can also use this beautiful system to grow strawberries indoor without any garden. 50 plants of strawberries can be grown at the same time in one tower. This tower is the most advanced form of container garden available in the market. Click here to check the full review of garden tower project. Strawberry Harvest When the plants grow large enough, the fruit will form and you will get the chance to eat your self-grown strawberries at home. You can pick up on a daily basis and consumed it right away. The red color of strawberry fascinating the eyes and there is no word for their taste. It is good if you pick the fruit a day later if you are testing a new variety. How to Control Pests and Disease If you are growing plants indoor then you will get the advantage of preventing your plants from mice and birds. In this way, you can grow a healthy plant. If you keep birds as a pet then you should take care of this that never left your bird whether it is a parrot or sparrow, unattended. Because they can make a mess not only by eating ripe fruit but damage the plants and dig the soil out. Insects and diseases are another major threat to your indoor plants. If your soil contains methyl bromide -chloropicrin mixture of SMDC. This soil will help you to reduce the harm caused by viruses, nematodes, red steel, and other insects, pests, and diseases. Sometimes, the use of fungicides is essential but use it carefully according to the instructions. Last but not least you have to wait until the required period of time, before picking the strawberries for consumption. It is very easy to grow strawberries at home, just a little care and attention is needed, consequently, you can discover the rich and tasty crop. You should try different types and varieties of strawberries, because after doing that you can find the perfect strawberry for you.