How often and how to drip water my strawberries?
Strawberries are crops that require very little attention and give you some great (and delicious) reasons to love them in return.
Drip irrigation of strawberries is the most used system to work with these fruits because it makes it easier for the plant to obtain just the amount of water it needs.
And that is a determining point because strawberries have very shallow root conditions, which means that access to water must be frequent. Now, this does not imply that you have to flood or give them more than they could bear, since it will be counterproductive.
So, since drip irrigation of strawberries is approved by specialists, we want to tell you how to carry it out. Will you join us?
Important points when drip irrigation strawberries:
- Irrigation frequency: when it is newly sown, 1 time a week. At the time of flowering and fruit formation, it will be every 3 or 4 days.
- Irrigation method: drip.
- Optimum time of day for irrigation: in the morning.
- Identify excess water: defoliation, rot.
- Identify lack of water: dry leaves and stems that fall, flowers that do not evolve, small fruits or that fall before ripening.
What irrigation needs do drip strawberries have?
Strawberries are crops that require a high level of humidity in the soil that makes it easier for them to advance with all the internal processes that they must carry out. This is a condition that is maintained from the very moment of planting until the harvest period arrives.
The main reason is that strawberry roots grow shallow, which means that they will absorb water only when they receive it.Not like in other types of crops that the roots are capable of making their way to deeper areas to get moisture.
How can we detect the lack of drip irrigation in strawberries?
The lack of irrigation in strawberries is a condition that will harm all parts of its structure. In the first instance, the foliage will go into a state of weakening and drought, which will cause defoliation.
If the plant is in the process of flowering, it is likely that the flowers will be born in fewer numbers or that they will fall before turning into fruit.
When the flowering process has already passed, the lack of water will not allow the fruits to develop to a good size and sometimes they will fall before ripening.
How often should we drip water strawberries?
The frequency of irrigation of strawberries will be determined by two specific factors: the temperature of the environment and the point of development of the plant.In the first case, it is logical that the higher the environmental heat, the more water the plant will require to survive.
This is because evaporation and perspiration tend to increase and, with them, the need to feel a good amount of humidity. In the case of plant development, strawberries are part of the species that require liquid throughout their process.
That is, from the very moment of sowing until the day of harvesting arrives. However, not in all phases it needs the same, because at first a weekly watering will suffice.While at the time when flowering begins and until the formation of the fruit, it will be necessary to increase the frequency to 3 or 4 weekly.
What is the best way to drip irrigate strawberries?
Drip irrigation is the most recommended method to meet the water needs of strawberries because it helps to locate the water at the base of the plant.This type of operation ensures that it is the roots that take advantage of the irrigation according to the needs for each stage.
In addition, it avoids suffering from diseases when the plant is already in the process of flowering and fruiting due to the lack of humidity in that area. Remember that a strawberry that is subjected to excessive moisture can become a comfortable place for fungus to establish.
How do we detect excess water in drip strawberries?
When strawberries are subjected to more water than they can assimilate and use, it is common for them to express damage at a structural level.It is common for it to begin to defoliate, falling not only the leaves but also the flowers.
These will be the first signs that the irrigation is being excessive or the substrate is not draining the water well. When the problem is not solved, it is possible that the strawberries end up rotting.
If it is a high irrigation frequency, adjust it using the state of the land as a reference. That is, don’t water unless it looks slightly dry. If it is the substrate, transplant as soon as possible or add some element that helps in the drainage task.
If drip irrigation is well established and dosed, it is quite unlikely that excess water will be generated. Take care of your strawberry plants and enjoy the wonderful gift they give in their time.
Bibliographic references
- Automatic drip irrigation system for artisanal strawberry cultivation, OR Muñoz Fuerez – 2014 – repository.utn.edu.ec
- Effect of three frequencies of drip irrigation on the yield of strawberry (fragaria x ananassa) grown in the open field and under a macro tunnel in the cie–Unasam …, WJ Chucchu Ramirez – 2017 – repository.unasam.edu.pe
- Towards sustainability in strawberry cultivation: real demand for irrigation and possibilities for improvement, J García Morillo, P Montensinos … – Actas del XXX…, 2012 – researchgate.net
- Irrigation management in strawberry grown in organoponics, M León, G Hernández, G Sotomayor – Revista Ciencias Técnicas…, 2003 – redalyc.org
- Effect of irrigation frequency on irrigation efficiency and production of a strawberry crop, P Gavilán, N Ruiz, D Lozano, JM Bohórquez… – … DE RIEGOS. Valencia…, 2015 – riunet.upv.es
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