The ideal location
Strawberries are real sun children. The more rays of the sun hit the fruits, the more delicious their taste. The herbaceous plants thrive on a south-facing balcony. In a partially shaded location, you don't have to do without strawberry fun, because wild strawberries or monthly strawberries can be found here.
also read
- Planting strawberries in pots - the ideal solution on the balcony
- Properly care for and overwinter strawberries in the garden
- Plant strawberries correctly in the raised bed
Recommended substrate - suitable planters
Strawberry plants are among the typical heavy consumers. This assignment already indicates that they need a nutrient-rich substrate. At the same time, this should be loose so that the roots can establish themselves well. The following qualities are recommended:
- high-quality compost-based potted plant soil, enriched with perlite (32.90 € at Amazon *) or expanded clay
- alternatively good garden soil mixed with compost, horse manure or rotted stable manure
- ideally add some peat, bog soil or rhododendron soil for the acidic component
Balcony boxes (€ 106.25 at Amazon *) are the perfect planters for almost all types of strawberries. For the traffic light, hanging strawberries are the ideal candidates, while the climbing varieties are preferably grown in boxes with an integrated trellis.
Planting strawberries on the balcony is that easy
From spring onwards, every garden center has a large selection of pre-grown young plants. So that you can nibble on refreshing strawberries all summer long, we recommend growing mixed varieties with divergent harvest times. The following scheme is always used for planting:
- Use potsherds or gravel to create a drainage system in the planter above the opening in the floor
- Fill in the substrate and drill a hollow in it with twice the volume of the root ball
- Plant the young plant so deep that the heart bud is not covered with soil
- Maintain a planting distance of 20 to 25 centimeters
Finally, water the strawberry plants well and spread a layer of mulch. Suitable materials are straw, compost, leaves or pine needles.
Uncomplicated care program
If the location and the nature of the soil are correct, strawberries on the balcony do not require any particularly laborious maintenance. The focus is on an adequate supply of water and nutrients. The substrate must neither dry out nor be completely soaked. Since strawberries appreciate a slightly acidic environment, collected rainwater is preferred.
We recommend natural materials such as compost, horse manure or bracken as fertilizer. Artificial fertilizers transport substances into the strawberries that nobody would like to consume. Hobby gardeners without their own compost fall back on adequate commercial products that are now available as pellets or liquid fertilizers.
Tips & Tricks
The crop yield, the taste and the shelf life of strawberries are significantly improved by potassium. A natural source of this nutrient is comfrey, also called bee weed. If you use the leaves of comfrey in the bed and in the planter on the balcony as mulch, the cell tissue strengthens, the fruits ripen better and the plant is more resistant to diseases and pests.
