Grow Hydroponic Strawberries
The best thing about growing strawberries hydroponically is that you can harvest them all year long. And if your strawberry plant produces more fresh fruit than you can eat, you can freeze the excess production or make jams and jellies.
Contents
Steps
- Buy a strawberry plant and a hydroponic nutrient mixture from your local nursery. (Plants grown hydroponically require a special mix of mineral salts in order to get enough nutrients for proper growth).
- Select (or purchase) a 5 gallon (20 L) food-grade plastic container with drainage holes in the bottom.
- Thoroughly clean and dry your container.
- Fill the container about 2/3 full with vermiculite.
- Saturate the vermiculite with water to hydrate it. This will prevent the strawberries’ runner roots from dehydrating when they are transplanted.
- Select a temperate, well-lighted location for your planter. Hydroponic strawberries need a temperature range of 57° to 70° F (13.8 to 21.1 C).
- Fill a separate bucket with cold water.
- Carefully remove a strawberry plant from its container. Clean the soil from the roots by gently shaking. You can also lightly tap the dirt clinging to the roots with your fingers.
- Immerse the entire root system in your bucket of water for at least 10 minutes.
- Take the roots from the bucket and rinse them under a light stream of cold running water to make sure all the soil is removed.
- Remove any dry, brittle or dead leaves.
- Carefully place your strawberry plant in the pot. Hold the crown of the plant and arrange the roots so that they are splayed over the vermiculite.
- Add more vermiculite to the container to cover the roots, but don’t cover the crown; it must have light and air.
- Place your strawberry planter in a sunny or well-lighted location.
- Put waterproof material underneath the container, such as plastic sheeting, to protect the surface the strawberry planter will be sitting on.
- Mix your hydroponic nutrients with water according to the package directions.
- Thoroughly water your strawberries with the nutrient solution.
- Check the water level daily and add water as needed so that the roots are always kept moist.
Tips
- Strawberries, unlike some other fruits, will not continue to ripen after they are picked. Don’t harvest your strawberries until they are completely ripe. When ripe, they will be red and somewhat firm to the touch.
- You must provide lots of light for your strawberry planter. If you don’t have a sunny window, you will have to place your container underneath grow lights.
- Mist your strawberries with water from a spray bottle to increase humidity levels. Strawberries fare better with high humidity, and the increased moisture will also discourage foliage pests.
Warnings
- Temperature levels are very important. If it is too hot, your strawberries will slow down or stop flowering and producing fruit; if it is too cold, they won’t grow at all.
- Be extremely careful when you are rinsing the soil from the roots. If you break too many of the root hairs, your plant won’t produce as much fruit.
Things You’ll Need
- Strawberry plant(s)
- Hydroponic nutrient mix
- Five gallon (20 L) plastic container
- Bucket
- Vermiculite
- Waterproof sheet (optional)
- Spray bottle
Other methods for growing hydroponic strawberries
- Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) is a system where the roots of the plants are suspended in a trickle of nutrient solution. NFT is commonly used in larger commercial systems.
- Flood and drain - Nutrients are pumped into a tray containing the strawberries, the tray contains holes allowing the nutrient to drain back into the reservoir.
Related Articles
- Identify and Treat Strawberry Diseases
- Plant Strawberries Indoors
- Grow Organic Strawberries
- Prepare the Soil for Strawberries
Sources and Citations
Charles E. Sherman and Hap Brenizer, Hydro-Story, The Complete Manual of Hydroponic Gardening at Home, (Berkeley, CA: Nolo Press, 1976)
