![]() Using a garden tray, reservoir, water pump, and a few other miscellaneous hydro components, those looking to grow on a budget can get started pretty easily and for a fraction of the cost of a typical system. There are plenty of awesome systems that come ready to grow, but you can also build your own. When first getting started, stick with an ebb and flow, deep water culture (DWC), or hydroponic drip system. So you’ll need to do your due diligence when purchasing your system. These vary greatly in terms of price, plant count, and performance. Obviously the first step is finding a good hydroponic system. This can become tedious if you have many plants to pollinate, but it’s simple and very effective. Use a cotton swab to collect pollen from one flower and transfer it to another, then repeat across all your plants, using the same swab to pollinate them all. Strawberry plants are hermaphroditic, so you don’t need to find male or female flowers. Since hydroponic systems are an indoor growing style, you’ll need to find a supply of beneficial insects such as bees to help pollinate your strawberries. For that matter, pollinating insects like bees may not have access to your plants, so you may need to pollinate to produce fruit. If you are looking to cross-breed certain varieties of strawberries, you’ll want to pollinate your strawberries. They are beginner-friendly, very high quality, and low-priced. These feature easy to follow feeding schedules, so you know exactly what to feed and when throughout your strawberry plants’ lives. One of our favorite lines is General Hydroponics Nutrients. Organics tend to clump and clog hydroponic systems, so it’s easier for beginners to start with synthetics and to move on from there. Your strawberries need an ample supply of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous, along with secondary nutrients and micronutrients. Whether you are growing organically or not, in hydroponics strawberries will need some type of nutrient solution to keep them alive. But, we recommend sticking with something easy and readily-available, like coco coir. There are plenty of hydroponic growing mediums you can choose from, and they all pretty much do the same thing. If you extend below or above this range, you’ll run into nutrient issues, and your plants will suffer. Use a pH meter to make sure your water is between 5.8 and 6.2. You’ll need to make sure your pH is in the proper range. We highly recommend using a water filter to ensure you aren’t feeding your strawberries harmful chloramines or impurities often found in tap water. Your roots are exposed directly to the water, so there is little room for error. When it comes to hydroponics, water quality and pH levels are everything. Otherwise, you will need to add supplemental grow lights to provide them with what they’ll need. If you are growing in a greenhouse, your plants will get their light naturally. ![]() You can keep them on this photoperiod forever. Unlike some plants, there is no need to vary the lighting schedule throughout their life. Strawberries prefer warm temperatures, between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit.įrom a lighting standpoint, you need to make sure your strawberries get between 8-12 hours of light per day. ![]() You need to provide the right lighting and temperature conditions for your berries to thrive. When growing hydroponic strawberries, you’ll often be in a climate-controlled environment. Fill the net pots part way, stick your plant in after rinsing all the soil off its root system, and then fill the rest of the way to hold it in place. Instead, you can find some young strawberry plants and plant those directly into your hydroponic system using a medium of your choice and net pots. Strawberry seeds can take years before they are ready to fruit, so this is a much slower option. ![]() We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s dive in! What Will You Need to Grow Hydroponic Strawberries?īefore getting started, you’ll need to decide if you want to grow from seed or from starts. We’ll cover all this, and then explain exactly how to grow hydroponic strawberries from start to finish. There are tons of reasons you may want to give this style of growing a try, and it’s easier to get started than you think. You may hear the term hydroponics and think it’s an overcomplicated gardening technique, but it can actually be super simple! Growing hydroponic strawberries can be a great and fun new way to grow the juiciest, sweetest berries you’ll ever taste. ![]()
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