For quite some time, gardeners have been experimenting with strawberry cultivation in various vertical structures. This method is perfect for summer residents who own small areas. Our article presents simple ideas regarding how to make an original multi-tiered bed in your own area and without special financial expenses.
Advantages and disadvantages of vertical beds
- The cultivation of garden strawberries above the ground has the following advantages:
- economical use of the territory of the summer cottage;
- ease of care for berry bushes;
- lack of risk of soil overflow;
- reducing the threat of planting diseases;
- ridge models perform an additional decorative function;
- bushes receive more sunshine;
- rarely weed.
- However, high beds also have disadvantages. These include:
- the need for frequent irrigation and feeding of plants;
- limited amount of soil;
- because of the risk of freezing the soil, bushes have to be covered for the period of winter cold;
- a lot of effort is spent on assembling and disassembling the structure.
Plastic vertical beds
To master the method of vertical gardening, you need to know from what and how to correctly build the construction of ridges. A pretty profitable material is plastic.
From the bottles
Nelucidary garage walls and utility block can be decorated with a high bed of bottles. For the composition you will need several bottles with a volume of 1.5–2 liters, a strong rope and 2 washers.
Each plastic bottle has a hole in the side. Then, through holes in the neck and bottom are made through holes and a rope is threaded. Under each gap in the neck you need to tie one knot, and in the bottom - several. Having fully assembled the product, it is attached to the wall. To organize drainage at the bottom, several holes are made and small stones or expanded clay is poured. Each bottle is filled with earth approximately 3/4 of the volume, then plants are planted.
From cans
Another simple option is made from canisters fixed in several levels. (one next to the other) on a vertically located plane.
Plastic canisters are twisted with a lid. A lumen is cut out in the side wall, through which subsequently into the canister the soil mixture is unhindered, and plants are planted.
At the same time, drainage holes are made in the bottom. Fasten the cans upside down. To make the building look more aesthetically pleasing, you can cover the cans with paint. In addition to the decorative function, the paint will protect the rhizome from overheating.
Important! So that strawberries do not absorb toxic compounds, the plastic from which the cans are made must be suitable for storing food products in it.
From containers
The following method is considered the most convenient and simple to execute. Containers make from boards or buy plastic counterparts. Then they are fixed, for example, on a fence or post.
From the pots
The assembly scheme of such a flower bed is also quite simple and cost-effective. All that is needed is to stock up with the right number of plastic pots with a volume of 7–9 liters. After cutting several holes in one pot on the sides, fill it with earth. On top, fix the next container, performing the same steps with it.
For stability of the entire model, you can first drive a steel rod into the ground, then string all the pots on it.
PVC pipe
To implement this option, use 2 PVC pipes of different sections: 120 and 20 mm.
The first pipe will act as a frame - in it you need to make gaps with a diameter of 10-12 cm. It is also important to observe a minimum distance of 30 cm between the slots.
A pipe of a smaller diameter is necessary for irrigation of plantings. Having drilled small gaps in it for water to exit, wrap the pipe in burlap and insert it inside the large pipe. Fill the last with fertile soil. Directly transplant seedlings into the holes in the pipe.
Wooden vertical beds
Summer residents find rational use of boards or wood products that have fallen into disrepair. With a small set of tools, you can easily assemble a tall wooden flowerbed.
Out of the boxes
Such a model is made in the form of a pyramid by installing boxes on top of one another. Boxes can be taken in the form of a triangle or square: each next one should be smaller than the previous one in size. The layers are covered with fertilized soil and proceed to the immediate landing.
From pallets
The pallet is closed on three sides and one large side with a dense waterproof material. Having fixed the material, the box is turned upside down. In the intervals between the boards, soil is poured. Bushes are planted on top and between the boards on the open side.
The box is lifted vertically, installed along the fence, against the wall of the house or against the wall on the balcony.
From the boards
The peculiarity of the model from the boards is that it can have any shape. It is made in the form of a ladder with steps-drawers, whatnots or pyramids.
You can make several boxes yourself and set them on top of each other. So that the boards do not part, it is desirable to connect them with hoops.
Important! Before use, the tree must be treated with protective impregnation.
From the drawers
Under the beds you can use the old chest of drawers by simply pulling out its drawersthat will originally decorate any summer cottage. Before use, the wood should be painted with varnish, so that the dresser-bed additionally improves the decorative appearance of the territory near the country house.
Iron vertical beds
The following are options for iron high beds.
From a construction grid
You will need a mesh of metal, straw, substrate. The mesh must be bent in the form of a pipe with an approximate diameter of 90 cm, then fixed. Lay straw on each side. Fill the pipe with compost.
The first level of seedlings is laid at a distance of 0.5 m from the ground. The distance between the bushes should be approximately 10 cm. After moistening the first layer, lay 50 cm of the substrate and plant the bushes again. The height of the tower can be selected individually.
From the barrel
An ordinary barrel of iron can serve as the basis for a high garden. To do this, make longitudinal slots in an old 200 liter barrel. Then the metal bends inward. The barrel should be filled with fertilized earth, and in its center, install a pipe with holes for watering and feeding bushes from the inside.
Vertical beds from bags
Bags can be polyethylene or from dense fabric. The sides and bottom of each bag are recommended to be sewn several times with a strong thread. The bags need to be filled with soil, then make 15 cm gaps in them - then plants will be planted in them. In the upper part of each bag, a strong loop is sewn, for which it will be attached to the support.
Vertical beds of old car tires
For this option, you need to prepare old tires, fertilized earth and a chisel.Using the chisel, cut out the desired number of holes in the tire with a diameter of 7–10 cm in increments of 15–20 cm.
The same procedure is performed for each tire. Prepared tires are built in several levels. As a result, when the tower rises to the desired height, the substrate is poured, and berry bushes are also planted.
Important! Used tires are a material with a low environmental friendliness indicator - rubber releases toxic substances into the ground.
Pyramids of boards or tires
Pyramids can be made of boards or tires.
To build the first version of the pyramid, follow the proven technique:
- Make a box of convenient size, fill it with a substrate, tamp.
- Inside, install another smaller box, remembering to fill it with earth.
- Similarly, install 3-5 tiers in sequence.
- Leave 15–20 cm of unallocated space around the perimeter of each level. In these free zones and plant seedlings.
Block constructor from blocks
The building blocks available to many in the country can be advantageously used to organize an alternative type of beds. Like the elements of the designer, structures of different models are constructed from hollow blocks. The voids of the blocks are filled with berry seedlings.
Vertical landing in boxes
Planting garden strawberries vertically in boxes, fixed on special posts, similar to decorative flowerpots with flowers, performed as follows:
- The bottom of the first level is covered with sawdust, small branches and dry grass.
- A layer of earth fertilized with humus is poured on top.
- The soil is watered with settled water and the missing layer is added.
- The next step is to form depressions in which you need to plant bushes. The distance between them should be up to 10 cm.
Each subsequent level is collected in a similar way. It is not recommended to build more than 3-4 tiers.
Did you know? The first documented records of strawberries date back to 230 years BC. e., when the Italians began to cultivate this berry.
Hanging vertical beds
You can make a hanging flowerbed from the materials discussed above - for example, from a plastic pipe: cutting it along and closing the ends with plugs, you will get a chute where you can fill the soil mixture and plant garden strawberries. The gutter can be mounted on a tree or on the roof of the veranda. Its length can be selected at your discretion. A variant of several tiers of such gutters is also possible.
Warm beds
The principle of functioning of a warm garden is simple: decaying organics produce heat and methane, which contributes to better growth of berry bushes.
All models of warm ridges should include the following layers:
- Drainage from the branches.
- Carefully rammed natural heat-generating layer (grass, foliage, sawdust, vegetable humus and other waste).
- Hot or warm water.
- Top fertilized soil.
- Seedlings.
Placement Selection
Having seriously approached the choice of the installation site of an unusual structure, you will get a rich harvest of the berry in question.
Optimal size
The optimal height of the sides of the structure ranges from 15 to 50 cm. The optimal width of the beds is considered to be a distance from 90 to 120 cm.
You can choose the dimensions of the future flowerbed yourself, since there are no clearly defined sizes.
As for the length, compact and neat models from 1.5 to 3 meters are more common.
Did you know? The leader in the production of strawberries in the world is the state of California (USA), where each year they receive up to 1 billion tons of this berry. The best quality red berry is grown in the UK.
Landform
It is preferable that the area where the bed will be exposed be smooth, without deep holes, steep slopes, or bumps. This issue is very important because in the presence of bevels, the water will be distributed unevenly: some plant roots will receive an excess of moisture, others will dry out faster.
Wind protection
When choosing a site, one must take into account the fact that strawberries do not tolerate cold winds and drafts. In addition, the wind in winter can blow away the snow cover that protects the bushes from freezing. Accordingly, it is important to consider protection against strong airflow. If there is no natural protection, you can arrange artificial plantings of sunflower or corn.
Soil composition and structure
A mandatory component of the soil for multi-tiered beds are small pieces of foam. They remain virtually unchanged for many years and do not allow compaction and caking of the soil. You can use a special substrate marked "for berries" or a universal mixture.
Arrangement of drainage and timely landing
In the arrangement of the vertical garden an important role is played by high-quality drainage. The best choice is hydrogel - a polymer substance whose granules accumulate and retain moisture. In this case, the bushes are able to constantly use moisture.
It is preferable to plant strawberries from August to mid-September, but spring planting is also acceptable - from mid-April to early May.
Important! Late September, planting is not recommended - berry bushes will not have time to prepare for the winter season, which will negatively affect their further development. Even the death of plants is not ruled out.
Soil preparation
The soil mixture for growing strawberries on multi-tiered beds is prepared in advance.
Disinfection
For land collected from the site, disinfection is an important preparation step.: garden soil often stores weed seeds, larvae of harmful insects, fungal spores and other pathogens characteristic of strawberries. For processing, use the tool "Roundup" or ammonia water (1 liter per 5 m² of area).
Acidity control
The considered culture prefers soils with slightly acidic or neutral reaction. To adjust the level of acidity, the soil must be enriched with lime. Ash is also an effective deoxidizing agent. In addition to the fact that wood ash reduces acidity, it acts as a source of valuable chemical elements.
Fertilizer
Fertilize the soil with nutrients in advance (in 2 weeks). To grow and bear fruit normally, garden strawberries need a whole complex of fertilizers, which includes both organic and minerals. Manure is introduced in the amount of 5-6 kg per m² during the process of digging the soil. A universal complex fertilizer is poured over the dug up earth.
Mulching
The main advantage of inorganic mulch is its durability. Mulching with black film and agrofibre is carried out during the planting period. Having laid out the material on the bed, the earth is covered with soil from above. Then you need to make a cruciform cut and through it to form a hole in the ground to plant a plant there. Each number of slots is determined individually.
Organic mulch helps increase yields and at the same time reduces the time spent on strawberry care. The most popular organic materials are straw, sluggish grass, rotted sawdust. Pour organic matter with a layer of 4-8 cm.
Compost can be a good mulch - it perfectly nourishes and saturates the soil, reliably protects it from drying out, prevents weeds from growing, and reduces the likelihood of damage to the berry by diseases. However, compost requires frequent updates.
Did you know? Strawberries are one of the few crops in which the seeds are not inside the fruit, but outside. Each berry has about 200 seeds.
Vertical Bed Care
Cultivation of strawberries above the ground involves the observance of a number of simple measures:
- both for irrigation and feeding use a drip system;
- as necessary, weed the protected ground;
- Do not forget about preventive inspections of plantings for the presence of parasitic insects.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that almost all of the above models of ridges are easy to implement and allow you to plant more seedlings in the same area. Taking into account the fact that strawberries bear fruit several times a season, more than 5 kg of sweet berries can be collected from one high bed, which cannot be achieved on a horizontal counterpart.
