Growing Systems

• Strawberries are routinely grown in any of a number of different hydroponic systems. Two systems that are commonly used, especially by home gardeners, are the ebb-and-flow system and the vertical garden. In an ebb-and-flow system, the container holding the strawberry plants is flooded three to four times a day with a nutrient solution containing everything the plants need. The solution is then drained away, exposing the roots to the air but not for so long that they dry out or are damaged. A vertical system involves pots that are stacked on top of one another. The top pot is flooded with nutrient solution, which filters down to each pot in the stack before returning to the reservoir to await the next cycle.
  
  

Nutrients

• The liquid that is given to the plants is a balanced combination of water and nutrients. The constant supply of readily available nutrients is one reason that hydroponic strawberries are able to grow so fast. Plants don't need to search through the soil to find the different minerals they need to thrive, so they are able to focus all their energy on growing and fruiting instead of putting much of that effort into simple survival.
  
  

Benefits of Hydroponics

• Plants that are grown hydroponically get many benefits from being raised in such systems. They are not as vulnerable to pests as those grown in soil, and diseases and soil-borne problems are almost unknown in properly cared for hydroponic systems. The plants can be grown much more closely together than those planted in soil, because everything the plants need are delivered directly to them, virtually eliminating competition with other plants. The absence of any weeds also helps greatly in this regard.
  
  

Growing Times

• Strawberries grown in hydroponic systems grow much faster than those grown in soil, though exactly how long it takes depends on the variety of strawberries, the climate and the amount of light they get. Properly managed outdoor systems can produce ripe strawberries ready for the table or for market several weeks sooner than strawberries that are grown in soil, even when both are planted at the same time. This is a benefit to both the home grower and the commercial producer and allows for more harvest each year than would otherwise be possible.