Strawberry growing business - in the greenhouse all year round

Strawberries are one of the most favorite berries of the population not only in summer, but also in winter. She is in constant demand. Therefore, the main advantage is its high profitability. The strawberry business does not require a lot of time and money, and the investment pays off quickly.

Features of the strawberry business: description

Many people love strawberries. However, it is only available during the spring and summer period (end of May and June). In this short season, there is a real struggle between large and small farmers. As a result, supply exceeds demand, prices for berries fall and they remain on the shelves, losing their appearance every day.

Meanwhile, you can grow strawberries all year round in a greenhouse. As a business idea, it is used by many entrepreneurs. To obtain a harvest, it is enough to provide the berry with light, moisture and heat in the required quantities. Thus, having a specially equipped medium-sized greenhouse, the farmer can meet the demand for this berry even before the New Year holidays. Given that the winter increase in prices contributes to the return on investment in 1.5 years.

Ways of growing garden strawberries

Experienced gardeners and farmers are constantly looking for ways to reduce the costs of strawberry care and maintenance, as well as increase yields. Today, the most popular cultivation methods include:

• Outdoors. I begin planting the culture in the fall or in the early period. The entire period of growth and development is constantly watered and fertilized. To exclude the contact of berries with the ground, the bushes are mulched with straw, sawdust. Minimal investment, but highly dependent on weather conditions.
• Under the film. Seedlings are planted on beds completely covered with black film or agrofibre. This method not only protects the berries from contact with the ground, but also retains moisture. As a result, strawberries bloom and bear fruit earlier than outdoors.
• In vertical beds. For this, plastic bags or plastic pipes are filled with soil. Hang vertically outdoors or indoors. This method is especially suitable for growing ampelous crops.
• In film tunnels. To protect against adverse weather conditions, a frame of plastic or metal pipes, 1 meter high, is made over the strawberries. Then cover with polyethylene.
• On the shelves. Seedlings are planted in containers or wooden boxes, placed on the shelves of multi-tiered racks. To ensure that each plant has enough space and lighting, the frame of the structure is made in the form of a pyramid. This method is especially useful for saving space in the greenhouse.
• The peculiarity of the hydroponic strawberry business is that this method does not involve the use of soil. Bushes grow in special containers. A solution saturated with fertilizers and nutrients is constantly circulating in them.

Before starting a business, it is necessary to carefully study the potential and profitability of the project, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of open ground and greenhouse growing of berries.

Positive and negative features of greenhouse crop cultivation

Growing strawberries in a greenhouse is a more profitable method than outdoors. The advantages of the greenhouse method include:

• berry fruiting does not stop even in the cold season;
• the harvest is not affected by weather conditions and precipitation (drought, rain, hail, frost);
• damage to the berries by insects and rodents can be avoided;
• new growing technologies reduce the production area;
• special greenhouse varieties yield 4 times a crop in one season;
• goods can be offered through supermarket chains;
• lack of competition in winter allows the farmer to set prices on his own.

The budding gardener should remember that the correct name for strawberries is garden strawberries. Therefore, you should not be surprised if both of these terms appear in the same article.

Strawberry varieties for business on my plot in the village

Chamora Turusi is a very large-fruited variety (up to 80 g), high yield, good sweet taste. This variety is not whimsical in cultivation, is resistant to diseases and pests, drought-resistant, winters well without shelter. Chamora has one significant drawback - not high resistance to transportation. The berry keeps well within one day, on the second day the presentation falls. But for 5 years, all the harvested strawberries were sold on the first day, there were no problems with the sale. At that time, we considered this variety to be the best for the strawberry business. Regular customers have appeared on the market and in the village, to whom we offer discounts and free delivery.

Pros of the variety Large berry size Fruits are sweet, but the taste is rustic Yield

Cons Affected by gray mold (especially in rainy weather) Low transportability

To extend the sale of fresh berries and expand my strawberry business, I brought 4 more varieties to the village and planted: Honey, Clery, Olbia and Albion.

Honeoye is an American variety, one of the most popular early varieties. Ripens at the end of May, the fully ripe berry has a good taste, gives a lot of whiskers. The berries are medium, up to 40 g. One of the most transportable varieties, which makes it attractive for the strawberry business.

Klery is an early Italian variety. Berries of the correct conical shape, uniform size. Fruits of the Clery variety do not lose their presentation during transportation. Provides a large number of whiskers for breeding, which makes it interesting for home business - selling strawberry seedlings.

Olvia is a new early large-fruited domestic variety. Resistant to diseases, winter-hardy and drought-resistant. The berry is juicy, fragrant, harmonious sweet and sour taste, shiny, very effective in a container.

Olvia strawberries are my favorite among the early varieties. Ripens a few days earlier than Honey and Clery. Olvia also slightly surpasses these varieties in taste. In my opinion, this variety is one of the best for small business in the strawberry village. Transportability is lower than that of Honey and Clery, but suitable for direct sales in small volumes in the markets. For sale, it is better to collect the berries immediately in plastic trays with a capacity of 0.5-1 kg.

Albion is a new remontant variety of American selection. Albion bears fruit from late May until frost. It has a unique pronounced aroma and a very interesting sweet taste. The berries are very dense and highly transportable. Ort Albion produces very few whiskers for breeding. I do not recommend starting your strawberry business with this variety. At least until you gain enough experience. As an alternative to Albion, I recommend Portola (25% higher yield and more mustache).

For planting strawberries, it is better to choose a well-lit area. Planting in the aisles of a young garden is permissible. Seedlings are taken from plantations of the 1st and 2nd year of plant life. It is recommended to grow strawberries after black steam or cereals, corn, beets, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers.

It is not recommended to grow strawberries after raspberries, tomatoes or potatoes (common diseases, pests), as well as return strawberries to the same area earlier than after 4-5 years. You can plant strawberries in spring or autumn. According to my observations, the best survival rate of seedlings of autumn planting (September-early October). It is very good when the weather is cloudy or rainy during the transplanting period.

At the planting site with a bayonet with a shovel or glanders, holes are made of such a size that the root system of the plant is freely located in it. Very long roots in seedlings should be slightly shortened before planting (up to 5 - 7 cm), since long roots will bend, which will entail poor growth and development of plants. Straighten the roots and fill the hole so that the base of the apical bud (heart) is flush with the ground. Immediately after planting, the plant is well watered. In dry weather, watering should be done every other day for 7-10 days, until the strawberry seedlings take root.

Is it possible to provide yourself with fresh strawberries all year round?

Yes, you can! And not only provide for themselves, but also make good money at the same time.

In order to get significant profits, you don't need so much - to work out a business plan, decide on a growing place, choose the best seeds or seedlings, grow a crop and, of course, realize it.

So, we open a business on strawberries.

Business plan or calculating the costs and profitability of growing strawberries

First, you need to decide how and where the plants will be grown, the level of costs directly depends on this moment.

There are two options:

• Open ground.
• Greenhouse.

An open field strawberry business is the least costly option, but it is only suitable for traditional, summer harvesting of berries and is not suitable for achieving stable, year-round income.

It is believed that growing strawberries at home is not as profitable business as, for example, in open areas or in a greenhouse. This opinion is not entirely correct, it all depends on individual conditions, the availability of free space for planting, as well as the choice of the right varieties.

Greenhouse costs

If you don’t want to cultivate strawberries the traditional way - in boxes, containers or in the beds, try growing them in large plastic bags. This method does not require large areas, which increases the profitability of growing strawberries, and it is much easier to care for the plants.

Today, agricultural business is developing rapidly in Russia and other CIS countries. And everyone who owns at least a small piece of land can find a sphere in this type of activity. For example, the business of growing strawberries in a greenhouse all year round is a profitable business, although it requires a lot of investment in the first stages.

Business Idea Advantage

Everyone loves strawberries, and the demand for it is growing from year to year, so the finished product will be in demand at any time, especially in the winter months. And there is no such tough competition as the producers of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, because strawberries are a delicate culture and require a lot of attention. At the same time, the cost of one kilogram of berries is much higher than that of other green crops, which makes it commercially attractive.

By the way, we also talked about how to make money on growing greenery!

How to start organizing a business of growing and selling greenhouse strawberries at home? First of all, drawing up a detailed business plan and implementing it exactly point by point.

Sample Business Plan

To make money on growing strawberries in a greenhouse, the first step is to draw up a business plan, an example of which we have provided you:

• Sizing and building a greenhouse for growing remontant strawberries.
• Selection and purchase of seedlings, planting and care of plants.
• Preparation and receipt of documentation for registration of individual entrepreneurship, certification of finished products.
• Organization of sales of grown berries.
• Allocation of funds for the payment of state taxes, utilities and staff salaries.
• Determination of the amount of monthly income and deductions for business development.

After the business plan is drawn up, you can proceed to the implementation of the idea of ​​growing strawberries all year round at home.

Greenhouse requirements

The first point of the plan is the construction of a greenhouse, the size of which cannot be less than 100 square meters, which is the minimum when starting a business. And do not forget that if you want to make money from growing strawberries all year round, the greenhouse must function in winter, which means additional costs for heating and water supply systems. The material for the manufacture of a greenhouse must be selected based on the characteristics of the climate in your region. For example, a film coating will not be able to protect against low temperatures. The highest quality is considered to be the erection of a polycarbonate greenhouse on a personal plot; it not only preserves the microclimate of the room, but is also durable, which is important for a strawberry home business.

Purchase of seedlings

Strawberry seedlings for planting in greenhouses should be for industrial purposes, it is best to purchase them at breeding stations. It will be more profitable for business, and you can be sure that the acquired seedlings are healthy and strong. There, at the station, you will be given a certificate of conformity based on varietal characteristics. This document will be needed in the future for the sale of the resulting crop. The best varieties for industrial cultivation today are "Queen Elizabeth", "Alba", "Gigantella". The yield of these varieties is from 12 to 50 kilograms per month per square meter, and the weight of the berry reaches 70 grams.

The strawberry business is profitable and profitable. It is possible to recoup the initial investment in a short time and achieve a good profitability. At first, you can grow a berry right at your summer cottage. In the future, you can rent a larger plot.

Description of the strawberry business

Strawberries are one of the most favorite berries for adults and children. With the right business organization, you can make good profits all year round.

Growing strawberries as a business is profitable because, according to statistics, its consumption is increasing by about 30% annually. The berry is demanding, but with proper care, your own business gives a good result.

Relevance

Strawberries as a business always remain relevant. The most profitable business will be if you are selling in winter. It is after the onset of cold weather that the lack of tasty berries is felt most of all, and stores often offer only frozen products. Growing strawberries is easy all year round. The main thing is to study the technology in advance. Competition also decreases in winter.

The case is relevant due to the constant growth in demand for berries. The main thing is to take a responsible approach to its organization.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of growing in a greenhouse

It is much easier to grow in a greenhouse than in an open field. The strawberry greenhouse business has the following benefits:

• the ability to grow strawberries all year round;
• no weather influences;
• the need for a minimum amount of land;
• the opportunity to recoup the costs for 1 season;
• the possibility of cooperation with large stores;
• up to 100% profitability.

If there is a desire to use technology to grow strawberries in a greenhouse every year, then you need to take into account that construction costs will be several times higher than when using soil. The disadvantages include the need for artificial pollination of the culture. Also, the taste cannot be compared to summer berries grown in the sun. Additionally, an artificial increase in daylight hours will be required.