Why Strawberries Need Special Consideration
Not all hydroponic systems suit strawberries equally. The key requirement: the crown (the central growing point where leaves emerge from the root system) must remain dry. Systems that flood the crown cause crown rot — a fungal infection that kills strawberry plants in days.
This rules out pure DWC systems where water level is maintained near the net pot bottom. It rules out systems that spray directly onto the plant base. The ideal strawberry system delivers nutrient solution to the root zone below the crown level, keeping the crown and lower leaves dry.
The best systems for strawberries: NFT channels (roots trail into the flowing film below crown level), Dutch bucket systems (roots in perlite-coco media below crown level), and vertical tower systems where plant sites tilt slightly forward, draining water away from the crown.
Our Australian Testing Conditions
All systems were tested in South-East Queensland conditions (year-round outdoor growing, filtered by shade cloth) using Albion (day-neutral) and Camarosa (short-day) varieties. We tracked yield per plant per week, fruit size, fruit Brix (sugar content), and plant survival rate over a 6-month period.
Temperature management proved critical in our tests. Any system that failed to keep nutrient solution below 24°C during summer saw significantly increased Phytophthora root rot incidence. Systems with good shading or integrated insulation performed markedly better in the Queensland summer months.