The best covering materials for strawberries

For strawberries, a black covering non-woven material is used — it does not let in sunlight, and weeds cannot grow without it. And since there are no weeds, then cultivated plants have no competitors that take away water and nutrients. As a result, strawberries give higher yields. A plantation covered with such a geofabric always looks tidy and saves a lot of time for the gardener — there is no need to constantly weed the beds. But it is important to choose the right covering material so that it lasts a long time.

Rating of the top 5 best covering materials for strawberries according to KP

All black covering materials are non-woven fiber. They differ in density, the presence of various additives, are produced in different widths and lengths and therefore differ in price.

1. Spandbond №60 black

Synthetic non-woven material made of polypropylene. Reliably protects from weeds, protects strawberries from diseases, since there is no direct contact of berries with the soil. Reduces the number of pests on the plantation — they cannot go to winter in the soil.

Perfectly passes moisture, but prevents its rapid evaporation from the soil. Makes the soil loose and structured. In the spring, the beds warm up much faster.

Characteristics

Pros and cons

2. Agrospan mulch 60

Ideal for covering beds with strawberries, but it can also be used for other plants — in the garden, in the garden, in flower beds and decorative plantings.

Agrospan mulch 60 prevents weeds from germinating. Easily passes air and water to the roots, but at the same time does not allow it to quickly evaporate from the soil. It makes the soil loose — a dense crust does not form on its surface, the earth always remains structured.

In spring, the beds covered with Agrospan warm up much faster — on average two weeks earlier, which means that strawberries begin to develop faster, bloom earlier and yield earlier.

Due to the fact that the covering material excludes the contact of the berries with the soil, they practically do not rot — they always remain clean and dry. And there are much fewer pests in the beds covered with Agrospan — many of them winter in the soil, but they cannot burrow into the ground, they are prevented by non-woven fabric.

Characteristics

Pros and cons

3. Luck 60

Covering non-woven material made of polypropylene. Reliably protects beds from weeds. It passes water well, but delays its evaporation from the soil. In addition, under such shelter, the soil always remains loose and porous.

In spring, the soil covered with Luck 60 warms up faster, which means that the vegetation of plants begins earlier, the crop ripens faster.

Protects the strawberry crop from rotting — the berries do not come into contact with the soil, they remain clean. Protects from pests — they are not able to penetrate the canvas in order to go to the ground for the winter.

Characteristics

Pros and cons

4. Agrosuf black

Protects beds from weeds. Perfectly passes water to the soil, but at the same time does not allow it to evaporate quickly. The soil covered with Agrosuf retains its porous structure, does not compact, and does not form a crust on the surface.

In spring, the soil under such a shelter warms up 2 weeks earlier, which means that the crop will ripen faster.

The berries always remain dry and clean, do not rot — they do not have contact with the soil in which pathogens live. The material also protects against pests.

Characteristics

Pros and cons

5. Mulching film «Svetlitsa soil»

Polyethylene two-layer film. There are two color options — black and red-brown.

Perfectly protects the beds from weeds — the site does not have to be weeded. Retains moisture in the soil for a long time. And it helps to save on fertilizers — rains do not wash them out of the ground.

Protects the crop from rot — the berries do not come into contact with the soil. It helps to fight pests — they cannot get out, and those that are on plants cannot burrow into the ground in the fall for wintering.

In the spring, it reliably protects the roots of plants from frost — the temperature of the soil under the film is 5-10 ° C higher.

Characteristics

Pros and cons

How to choose a covering material for strawberries

Film for covering beds is always cheaper, but it has a lot of drawbacks, so it is better to give preference to non-woven materials.

“Basically, all nonwovens are the same,” says agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova. — They come in different densities, for example, the same black Spunbond is produced with a density of 150 g / sq. m, but it is too thick to cover the beds — the best option is exactly 60 g / sq. m. Many non-woven fabrics have UV protection — it extends the life of the fabric, and such materials are preferable.

Well, of course, you need to choose a non-woven fabric that is optimal in width — if the beds are narrow, it will fit tightly with a width of 0.8 — 1.6 m. For wide ones, it is better to take 2.1 m or 3.2 m.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about how to properly use covering material for strawberries with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.