Strawberry plants produce hermaphrodite flowers, making them self-pollinators. Natural fertilization occurs in three ways. Find out here which pollination allows the best strawberries to thrive. In this way you can have a positive influence on the process.

Gravity, wind and insects pollinate the flowers

The particular advantage of hermaphrodite flowers is that no second strawberry variety needs to be planted. The inflorescence within the plant is sufficient for fertilization and thus for the growth of the desired fruit. How the pollen is distributed:

  • gravity causes the pollen to fall onto other flower stalks
  • the wind distributes the pollen in the strawberry bed
  • Busy bees and bumblebees carry the pollen to the flower

Curious botanists now want to know which form of pollination allows the best strawberries to thrive. In a dedicated field trial, it turned out that bees and bumblebees carry out the most efficient fertilization. The insects carry a lot more pollen with them and distribute it better because they are constantly crawling on the flowers. The result is a rich harvest of harmoniously shaped, voluminous fruits.

Attract hard-working pollinators in a targeted manner

If the yield and fruit size leave something to be desired despite loving care, the solution to the puzzle often lies in the lack of bees and bumblebees in the garden. The following tips will show you how to attract pollinators:

  • specifically settle honeycomb plants with plenty of nectar and pollen, such as lilac or dead nettle
  • Avoid plants with double flowers because they rarely carry pollen
  • water copiously during dry, hot summer days to keep the blooms in bloom
  • offer the insects places of retreat, such as dry stone walls, rotten tree trunks and flowering hedges
  • consistently avoid the use of insecticides

The hard-working helpers in the garden can hardly resist a cozy bee hotel. Specialist shops offer ready-made insect hotels. Experienced hobby gardeners build the quarter themselves. The middle is cut out of a tree disc. You put a brick in it and fill the honeycomb with grass and straw. Suspended in a sheltered place, the hotel does not remain uninhabited for long.

tips and tricks

Resourceful breeders have recently come up with a strawberry variety that thrives on the windowsill. Since a natural pollinator seldom gets lost in this place, knowledgeable hobby gardeners help out manually. As soon as the flowers open, stroke the stigma with a fine brush. This procedure should be repeated regularly throughout the flowering period.

Category:

Vegetable garden