Agrotechnics of greenhouse strawberry and peculiarities of lingonberry cultivation

Maintenance regulations for greenhouse strawberry

Maintenance of young strawberry in a greenhouse starts in early spring to create optimal conditions for the development of root system. The first step is to perform loosening of soil in the inter-rows, which improves air access to the roots and helps retain accumulated moisture. Throughout the summer period, this procedure is repeated regularly, combined with the removal of weeds. Controlling bush development allows for redirecting nutrients to fruit formation rather than the growth of excess green mass.

1. In early spring, dig the soil in the inter-rows to a depth of 10–12 cm.
2. At the beginning of the growing season, clean the plantings of dry and diseased leaves.
3. During the summer, perform additional loosening of the inter-rows 3–4 more times.
4. At the beginning of flowering, spread straw in the inter-rows to prevent the berries from coming into contact with the soil.
5. Regularly remove runners throughout the entire season, as they reduce the overall yield.
6. After harvesting, perform a final pruning of runners and apply humus under the bushes.

The irrigation regime directly determines the marketability and taste of greenhouse strawberries. In dry periods, water is applied along the furrows in the evening to reduce losses from evaporation. During fruit ripening, moisture should be abundant but infrequent to prevent fruit cracking and the appearance of gray rot. After completion of harvesting, irrigation is resumed in a regular mode, combined with top dressing of organic matter under the bushes.

• Depth of spring digging — 10–12 cm
• Irrigation rate per are — 3 m³
• Thickness of humus layer — 2–3 cm
• Frequency of summer loosening — 3–4 times

Biological characteristics of cowberry, blueberry, and cranberry

Cowberry, blueberry, and cranberry have similar biological requirements for growing conditions, which allows for the use of uniform principles in their cultivation. All these crops prefer acidic soil and tolerate deep tillage poorly due to the shallow depth of the root system. When establishing artificial plantations or growing in a greenhouse, it is important to consider the growth characteristics of shoots and the fruiting cycles of each species.

Cowberry begins to produce a harvest only after a period of active vegetative growth. During the first three years of life, the main bush does not flower, but only expands and forms lateral shoots of several orders. Cowberry leaves are leathery, 0.5 to 3 cm long, with characteristic dark glandular dots on the underside. Blueberry is distinguished by its taller bush and significant lifespan. Its small flowers are set on last year's shoots, and the flowering period lasts 10–12 days.

Bog cranberry is represented by five species, of which the small cranberry (Oxycoccus palustris) is the most common in Russia. Shrub development in the first three years is accompanied by intensive shoot formation. It is important for an agronomist to consider that berries form exclusively on upright shoots, while creeping shoots serve to expand the planting area. The crop is extremely sensitive to the water regime: both drying out and excessive waterlogging of the soil are equally dangerous for it.

In natural conditions, these berry crops occupy different ecological niches, which determines the requirements for their cultivation on plantations. Cowberry grows wild in pine forests and peat bogs of Karelia, Yakutia, Siberia, and the Far East, preferring acidic podzolic soil. Blueberry is found in the tundra, forests of the European part of the country, Siberia, the Caucasus, and the Far East on peat-sand and peat-loam substrates. Cranberry prefers open boggy areas and practically does not develop under the forest canopy.