Soilless Strawberry Basics

A typical soilless strawberry operation will operate in a greenhouse or indoor farm, using outsourced strawberry planting transplanted into pots or troughs containing a soilless substrate mixture.

PLANTING DENSITY

In commercial soilless strawberry cultivation, strawberries are typically grown in rows of 8-10 plants per square meter.

PLANTING SYSTEM/SUBSTRATE

Most greenhouse strawberry production utilizes steel troughs filled a coco-based soilless substrate mixture. These mixtures, often consisting of coco coir blends with high porosity, are suspended above the ground in steel gutters. A synthetic liquid fertilizer blend is applied to the substrate in small quantities using pressure-compensated drip emitters connected to a main irrigation line to ensure the substrate remains appropriately wet over the course of the day.

SOILLESS STRAWBERRY YIELD

During the typical 6-month off-season for open-field cultivation, greenhouse strawberry production can range from 5 to 10 kg per square meter—significantly higher than the 3 kg per square meter yield in the field. It's important to note that yield is heavily influenced by the choice of strawberry cultivar, as some varieties are better suited to greenhouse conditions than others.

While most soilless strawberry production systems will be far more consistent and productive than a traditional outdoor system, the resulting efficiency, reliability, and productivity will largely depend upon the level of technology being used to operate the space.