Trickle Irrigation & Strawberries

Strawberries

• Despite their name, strawberries aren't really berries. Strawberry plants are a member of the rose family, and the strawberry is a fruit that wears its seeds on the outside. Each luscious, red fruit might contain 200 or more seeds. Strawberries are low in calories but pack a nutritional wallop. They are rich in fiber, folic acid, niacin and potassium and contain 18 amino acids. One cup provides about 140 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement but has only 46 calories.

Growing Environment

• Strawberries are a great choice for home gardens, regardless of how much room you have. They expand to fill up a large plot, or you can corral them into a small space. They even grow well in containers. Because they are perennials, each plant keeps producing fruit for up to five years. Strawberries are sun-loving plants, so choose a site that gets at least six hours of sunlight each day. While strawberries can grow in a variety of soils, they tend to prefer well-draining sandy loam. Strawberries grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 1 to 11, although plants should be mulched to protect them during extreme cold in USDA zone 6 and below. Moisture is critical, so if your area doesn't get at least 1 inch of rainfall each week, irrigate your strawberry bed.

Trickle Irrigation

• Trickle irrigation, sometimes referred to as drip irrigation, is a good option for watering your strawberry plants, because it keeps the roots moist without saturating the leaves or fruits. Trickle irrigation uses a system of trickle tubes or drip tape laid on either side of the plant rows, which allows water under low pressure to slowly drip or trickle out.

Pros and Cons

• One of the major benefits of trickle irrigation for your strawberry beds is water conservation. Drip irrigation on major strawberry farms reduced water consumption by up to 50 percent compared with overhead watering methods, according to the University of Florida Extension. Trickle irrigation typically results in fewer leaf diseases, less fruit rot, fewer weeds and less damage to the soil from falling water and runoff. On the downside, trickle irrigation systems are more expensive than traditional overhead sprinkler systems, and they require more planning time. Trickle irrigation systems are also more maintenance intensive than traditional sprinklers.