Do-it-yourself multi-tiered pyramid-shaped bed for strawberries

The question of how to plant strawberries in a pyramid requires not only a technical approach. When planting berries using this method, you will have to pay extra attention to them.

One of the most common methods of growing strawberries is a vertical pyramid. This option is very popular all over the world, as it is beautiful and convenient.

You can build a strawberry pyramid bed with your own hands from existing materials. We will look at how to build a pyramid for strawberries on your site in this article. Pyramid ridges rationally occupy a landing plane, which is directed upward, and not along a horizontal surface.

This solution saves land area. This is especially important in small areas.

Pros and cons of multi-tiered beds

Strawberry pyramid beds are built from different materials, but usually from wood. The assembled structure is installed in the place prepared for it, covered with drainage and soil. If everything is done according to the rules, then before filling the soil, an irrigation system is installed on the pyramid.

Let's consider the advantages of a strawberry pyramid bed:

1. Space saving. On a plot of 1 m2 you can plant a lot of strawberries, using the planting area upwards, and not on the sides, taking away land from the garden, which is usually not enough.
2. It’s easier to care for the structure; you don’t have to bend over and squat.
3. Before planting the seedlings, the backfill soil is treated to remove bacteria, fungi, weeds and pests. The soil practically does not need weeding. If healthy seedlings are planted, strawberries are not attacked by insects and diseases, which are often caused by contaminated soil.
4. When watering plants, excess moisture flows down, the root system does not rot.
5. The pyramid is the first to receive the sun's rays on the site. On cold mornings and in spring, the hill warms up faster than horizontal beds.
6. Berries grown on tiers hang from the structure without touching the ground, so they do not rot and remain clean.
7. A pyramid can be built from old scrap materials.
8. A beautiful pyramidal hill with green bushes and bright berries becomes a useful decoration for a personal garden or summer cottage.

The beds, which are built in the form of a pyramid, also have disadvantages. It is better to know about them in advance:

1. It takes time to build a slide. If it is built from new materials, then funds must be invested.
2. Soil that is isolated from the common ground quickly freezes, dries out and becomes depleted. This means that the pyramid bed needs to be irrigated and fed frequently. During the winter, in regions with cold climates, the strawberry hill must be insulated.
3. The problem with soil irrigation can be solved using a drip irrigation system, but this leads to additional time and money costs.

How to build a multi-tiered strawberry bed

Before starting work, you need to decide on the height of the bed and the number of tiers. It takes into account how much space can be allocated for a hill on the site.

Next, they think about what material is available. Do not forget about the drawing if the multi-tiered pyramid is assembled from boards. The plan will help you determine the optimal dimensions and calculate the required amount of material.

Material selection

A garden bed pyramid can be built from many building materials, even brick. True, such designs are rarely resorted to. Wood is most often used for construction. Wood rots faster in the ground, but it is easier to process and more convenient to work with.

A bed made of pine is guaranteed to last 5 years.

If hardwood is additionally treated with a waterproofing solution and an antiseptic, the service life increases to 10 years.

They are building beds for strawberry seedlings from car tires. Finding tires of different diameters is difficult. It is with different tires that you will get a pyramid with a smooth transition of tiers.

One of the advantages of tires is their resistance to destructive factors. The downside is that when heated by the sun's rays, rubber releases toxic substances into the soil. This effect can be reduced by painting the tires.

Another material chosen for the slide is metal, but it has a big disadvantage: rapid corrosion upon contact with damp earth.

Making a wooden pyramid

When wondering how to make a pyramid for strawberries yourself, many, looking at the drawings, remember children's sandboxes. Indeed, a do-it-yourself strawberry pyramid, the drawings of which you can draw up yourself, will resemble a children's playground, albeit in an unusual design. For manufacturing you will need the following materials:

• wooden boards of durable thickness, their dimensions are determined by the original area of ​​the site. Before work, it is important not to forget to saturate them with drying oil. And then sand it with sandpaper and varnish it. This will help smooth the boards and reduce the risk of injury for both the berry and the gardener;
• material for fastening the tiers of the pyramid, with which the boards will be connected to each other;
• hammer with a building level;
• soil, with which after completion of the work it will be necessary to fill the pyramid.

The pyramid construction scheme begins with leveling the prepared area of ​​soil. After the process, the manufacturing of the largest part of the structure begins. It usually requires boards about 30 cm in size. They need to be connected using fasteners, forming a square or rectangle shape. Then deepen the structure about 15 cm deep into the ground. Then you immediately need to fill the bottom layer with soil.

The strawberry pyramid is first filled with nutritious compost, humus and coarse sand. Then water the structure generously and leave for half an hour for the soil to settle. Next, if necessary, you can add more soil to the bed so that it reaches the edges of the boards, but does not spill out of them.

Then you need to build the second part of the pyramid. Which, according to average estimates, should be 70 cm smaller than the first plot. Such space is optimal for comfortable germination of strawberries. The second part must be placed strictly in the center on the base of the pyramid, then the process is repeated, similar to the first stage. Then you need to install another tier according to the same principle as the first two.

When wondering how to build a pyramid for strawberries with your own hands, you can pay attention to another way to create a structure.

Dimensions

There are no strict recommendations on this matter, and there cannot be: the conditions in the country are very different, and so are the people. There are sizes that many consider optimal.

On one site there are very high beds and not very...

So, the dimensions of the raised beds are:

• Height - from 20 cm to 50-60 cm. Look here what a difficult task it turns out to be. The higher the bed is raised, the easier it is to process - less bending. But more land and all the other “fillings” will be required. One more point: if a small bed may be covered with snow and will be covered from severe frosts, then a tall one will freeze through: the sides will also be open. For those beds where annuals are sown, this does not play any role, but for perennial strawberries, let’s say, this is a problem. Therefore, the height is chosen based on these considerations. According to the experience of many summer residents, the optimal height for strawberries is 20 cm. Then you can hope that it will not freeze.
• Width - from 60 cm to 1.2 m. Choose a distance so that it is convenient for you to cultivate the bed. A distance of 60-70 cm is chosen if the approach to the bed is only from one side. If you can reach it from both sides, you can make it a meter or more. It is important that the middle is processed without much stress.
• Length. Here everyone chooses based on the configuration of the site or their desire. There are no recommendations at all.

To prevent the bed from being too high, part of it can be buried: bury it 20-30 cm, and then put walls on top. The removed soil will be used for backfilling (there is often simply not enough soil), and the substrate from the lower coarse layers can be made thicker. And to minimize the cost of maintaining such a bed, you can use drip irrigation.

Pyramid made from old tires

In addition to the previous option, you can create a pyramid of tires for strawberries. When wondering how to build such a pyramid, you need to find several tires of different sizes in advance. Anything will do, from multi-ton trucks to small car models. Typically, the bottom tier is a tire from heavy-duty vehicles. Next come smaller diameters, which are selected based on the base.

The place where strawberries will be planted in a pyramid must be thoroughly cleaned and a hole dug. It must match the tire diameter. The top part of the tire with the largest diameter will have to be cut using an electric jigsaw. The remaining part is placed in the prepared hole. It is necessary to pour a 2 cm drainage layer at the bottom of the structure. It usually consists of a soil mixture mixed with expanded clay. The tiers are then made using similar methods.

Drawings and parameters of a pyramid for strawberries

There is no point in making a complex drawing for a slide, since it is a fairly simple design. The pyramid is made up of several boxes stacked on top of each other. If tires are used, then a drawing is not needed at all.

You don’t need a plan if you are building a two- or three-tier pyramid for strawberries.

It’s more difficult to deal with a structure that has 5-7 tiers, because it needs to be watered somehow. To ensure that water is evenly distributed over the soil, the slide is equipped in the center with a perforated pipe into which water is poured.

The above scheme provides for the protection of the bottom of the pyramid with a galvanized mesh. She will not allow rodents to get out of the garden. When a pyramidal bed is installed on asphalt or in the yard on paving slabs, there is no need for reinforced mesh.

Using slate

You can quickly create a neat frame for a bed of any configuration using flat slate. This is an inexpensive and durable material. Its fragility must be taken into account.

1. First, mark and level the perimeter of the bed, making straight lines. It is advisable to check the joints using a square and control all dimensions.
2. Cut slate sheets into strips and dig a trench so that its depth is equal to half the width of the prepared material.
3. The slate panels are installed strictly vertically, fixing them together with metal corners with a protective anti-corrosion layer.
4. Gently sprinkle with soil, compacting each layer. Metal pegs are installed in several places on both sides of the slate fence, securing the structure.
5. All that remains is to fill the internal space with fertile soil, and a neat, aesthetically pleasing garden bed is ready.

Sheets of wavy slate, which give an interesting sound, are no less successfully used to make fences. The combination of two types of slate – flat and wavy – will diversify the decor.

Technology for assembling a pyramidal bed for strawberries

It is easier to form a pyramid of tires. It is difficult to find a large number of tires of different diameters. So many gardeners limit themselves to a pyramid of two or three tiers.

First, use a sharp knife to cut off one flange of the tire from the side.

In its place, a planting area for seedlings is being set up.

The inside of the tires can be painted in any color. The paint acts as a protective layer. The outside of tires is painted in multi-colored shades to decorate the garden bed.

Further actions:

1. The largest wheel is placed on the ground.
2. If necessary, galvanized mesh is placed under the wheel.
3. The tire is filled with a drainage sand layer and prepared soil.
4. A smaller second wheel is placed on top. Do the same actions.
5. Subsequent tiers are arranged similarly.
6. When there are only two tires, a plastic basin is placed as the third tier.

Wooden pyramids are more difficult to assemble.

1. First, edged boards are prepared: thickness 4 cm, width 25 cm. It is easier to make a pyramid in a square shape. If the bed is high, the size of the lower tier is 2.2 × 2.2 m.
2. To create the lower tier, a board 2.2 m long is cut. The sides of the second tier pyramid should be 30-35 cm smaller.
3. The square boxes of all subsequent tiers are reduced in this proportion.

A pyramid of ready-made boxes is assembled in the same way as from tires. An exception is the installation of a perforated plastic pipe with a diameter of 10 cm in the center of the bed. It is closed at the bottom with a plug.

The walls of the pipe are drilled with a drill with a diameter of 1 cm.

The pipe is wrapped with geotextile. This way soil will not get inside. The pipe is installed simultaneously with the lower tier box. During powdering, it is pressed down by the soil.

In the photo the design is more complicated, but quite doable:

Advice ! You can protect wood from moisture by treating it with an antiseptic or drying oil. Pieces of roofing felt can be laid out inside the boxes.

How to make from pipes

Pipe beds are an excellent option for saving space and also for good plant development. They are made as simple as shelling pears, so even an inexperienced summer resident can cope with such work. We considered making vertical beds, but horizontal structures can also be made from PVC pipe.

Most often, a frame is prepared for them, preferably metal, on which the beds will subsequently be attached. You will need wide pipes, which are usually used for sewage, as well as thin ones. Don't forget to purchase plugs for them. Such beds are made according to the vertical principle, with the only difference being that the plugs are installed on both sides, and the bed itself is attached to the frame.

Metal fences

Fences made of metal parts have a long service life. It is necessary to select options with corrosion protection.

A good option is an aesthetically pleasing profiled sheet of galvanized steel with a polymer surface coating.

These types of fencing for garden beds will be quite expensive, but their cost will be offset by durability. The advantages of corrugated sheets include reliable protection against corrosion, a wide range of colors, and light weight.

Planting strawberry seedlings in pyramidal beds

Planting strawberries in a hill is the same as in a regular garden bed.

1. A soil mixture is prepared, consisting of garden soil, peat and leaf compost.
2. Perlite with sand acts as drainage.
3. If the soil is heavy, you can add sand and perlite to the soil itself.
4. Strawberries are planted in spring or September, but not later. Otherwise, the seedlings will not have time to take root in the pyramid bed.
5. Planting is done from the top level so that during planting the soil does not cover the strawberries planted below.

The number of seedlings on each tier depends on the size of each box. But the plantings should not be thickened; the distance between seedlings is maintained at 20-25 cm.

After planting, the plants are watered with warm water and shaded from the sun.

Many gardeners mulch seedlings.

Advice from professionals

Each technology for growing a certain crop has its own secrets. To get a good harvest of strawberries from the garden, you should listen to the advice of experienced people:

• place the bed in a sunny, bright area, further from apple trees and other trees that suppress strawberries;
• planting seedlings begins a week after filling the pyramid so that the soil settles;
• for high beds, specially bred varieties are chosen, usually they are ampelous or low-growing;
• maintain a distance of 20-25 cm between seedlings in a row;
• the root of the plant must be developed and maintain a vertical position during planting;
• It is unacceptable to let the garden bed dry out in the heat.

Optimal fruiting of strawberries is observed in a sunny area.
Over time, a novice gardener will gain experience. New secrets for better growing strawberries will appear.

Soil requirements and preparatory activities

We have already figured out how to make a bed for plants, and now let’s talk about the soil. In order to grow a really good strawberry crop, you need to choose soils similar in composition to loamy and sandy loam.

Loamy soil perfectly passes and retains moisture, breathes and warms up easily. Sandy loam has a lot of sand in its composition, due to which it also has excellent throughput. When it dries, a dense crust does not form on its surface.

Strawberries just don’t like sandy and clay soils. Sand quickly heats up and cools down, losing its beneficial properties. Clay slows down the growth of the plant, since it does not contain enough oxygen and moisture.

Acidity is considered an important characteristic. Acidic and alkaline soil types are unsuitable for strawberries. Neutral soil compositions or with a normal/slightly acidic reaction, when the pH level is not higher than 5.5, are best suited.

In order to increase soil fertility, it is necessary to regularly feed the plantings with organic matter. This fertilizer is prepared mainly from bird droppings in a ratio of 1:10. It infuses for several weeks. Mullein can also be used.

Compost is prepared in late spring. We take garbage bags with a volume of about 120 liters and prepare chamomile, nettles, weeds and clover. We chop everything thoroughly and then put it in bags in layers, topping each layer with wood ash. Next, we place the bags in the sun. By the end of summer the compost will be ready. It is perfect for digging up the ground in the fall or as mulching around a bush.

In autumn, when preparing the soil, you can add mineral fertilizers to it:

1. phosphorus;
2. potassium;
3. nitrogen.

But when using this type of fertilizer, you must follow the dosage regimen. They can be used both dry and dissolved.

Also, before digging the soil in the fall, ammonium sulfate is used. It looks like small white crystals. For 1 sq.m. it will require no more than 40 g.

Important! Ammonium sulfate will allow strawberries to grow green mass.

Cleaning the soil from weeds and insects

Before planting, the land must be carefully prepared. It is recommended to dig it up, then check for the presence of roots of perennial weeds, as well as wintering reserves of the pest. It is best to thoroughly steam it with boiling water after cleaning the soil. But this method is suitable for small quantities.

On a large area we do this:

• in the spring we remove a layer of earth 10 cm thick;
• We dig a hole 1x1 m and put the removed layers there;
• Place the last layer with the roots facing up;
• pour warm water over everything and cover with film;
• leave air gaps at ground level.

Over the course of several months, the soil will be steamed under the film. Afterwards the soil needs to be sifted. Done, ready to use.

In addition, garden soil may be full of harmful insect larvae and spores of various fungal diseases. They can be eliminated using special preparations for soil treatment. Among them are Fitosporin, Intavir, Aktara and Quadris.

As you can see, preparatory and planting work can be time-consuming. But the right location, well-formed beds, ideal soil and timely fertilizing can be the key to an excellent harvest in the future. And already next season you will be able to pamper yourself with delicious berries grown on your own plot, equipped with your own hands.

Caring for strawberries in vertical beds

Strawberries should be maintained in the same way as those growing in horizontal beds.

There are nuances of care, we will consider them.

1. Watering. Since there is little soil in the boxes, it dries out faster. The frequency of irrigation will need to be determined experimentally, examining the soil every day. Water carefully from a bottle or watering can. It is best to arrange drip irrigation with adjustable droppers. Then the plants will receive a certain portion of water.
2. Feeding. Soil depletion in vertical beds occurs faster. Therefore, fertilizers must be applied frequently. Liquid solutions are combined with watering and applied once a week. The nutrient solution is diluted with organic water in a ratio of 10:1. Mineral fertilizers are diluted according to the instructions.
3. Pyramid beds do not require weeding.

A vertical bed with strawberries is installed in a sunny place, away from trees.

Optimal designs

The pyramid can look different, for example:

1. The classic variation, the base of which is a square, the beds with a tendency to decrease are located in the upward direction.
2. The cone-shaped pyramid has a round shape. Tiers represent floors.
3. Design with shelves and drawers.
4. An offset pyramid, which is characterized by the placement of each subsequent tier with an offset relative to the previous one.

Also, ordinary stairs, like a stepladder, are often considered as a pyramid structure. Flowerpots with plants are placed on their steps. It is convenient to see the options in the photo.

Covering vertical strawberry beds for the winter

You can’t just leave a pyramid with seedlings over the winter. A thin layer of soil will freeze and the strawberries will die.

Before frost, the bed is covered with agrofibre and spruce branches on top.

Craftsmen build a vertical bed on wheels. Then such a structure is simply rolled into an outbuilding until spring.

Over time, the novice gardener will gain his own experience. And he will have his own methods and secrets of growing strawberries in a pyramid-bed.

Watch the video: multi-tiered strawberry bed

You may also find the following materials useful:

• What to put in the hole when planting strawberries?
• Everything you need to know about watering grapes in the summer
• Why doesn't apricot bear fruit? Basic ways to solve the problem
• Formative pruning of the currant crown will provide all parts of the plant with sunlight
• Fertilizing strawberries: from bud formation to fruiting

Border tape

Plastic curb tape is easy to install without requiring any special skills. Considering the variety of colors, this material looks very decent.

Thanks to its flexibility, it allows you to frame beds of any configuration.

This material is frost-resistant and durable. Withstands shock loads and does not fade for a long time. To ensure the strength of such a fence, the tape is installed in a shallow trench, soil is sprinkled, compacted with palms, and plastic pegs are installed on both sides.