When to sow strawberries with seeds for seedlings? Proper planting of strawberries with seeds: the secrets of successful germination and seedling care Preparing strawberry seeds for seedlings

14.11.2019

Growing strawberries from seeds has a number of advantages: seeds can be stored for a long time, fungal and bacterial diseases are not transmitted through them (especially if they are properly pickled with potassium permanganate before sowing), and finally, this method is suitable for those varieties that do not reproduce vegetatively (alpine remontant strawberries, popularly referred to as beardless strawberries). In addition, this method is economical and simple.

Seed collection time

Reproduction of strawberries by seeds begins with the harvesting of these same seeds. The procedure is performed in the summer, when the fruits, and with them the seeds, reach maturity. In the south of Russia, this occurs in late May-early June ( early varieties - in the first half of May). In the middle lane, strawberries ripen a little later - in late June-early July.

I Method

Ripe berries are harvested, after which the pulp is cut from them with a thin layer along with the seeds. This can be done with a razor blade or a sharp knife. Then the pulp with seeds is placed on paper or canvas and dried. Dried strawberry pulp, along with seeds, can be stored until sowing.

II Method

If you need a lot of seeds, and the processing of each berry turns out to be too time-consuming, the collected berries are simply crushed, and then the juice is squeezed through cheesecloth or bandage. The pulp remaining in the gauze, turned into a homogeneous gruel after crushing, is spread on a sheet of paper or canvas and dried, as in the first case.

Storage

Strawberry seeds can be stored in a glass container, paper bag, or matchbox. In a dark, dry and cool place, the seeds will remain viable for two years, after which the percentage of live seeds will begin to decline rapidly.

Video - technology for sowing strawberry seeds for seedlings

Preparation for sowing and sowing

Sowing seeds can be carried out from early February to May, depending on climatic conditions and the goals of the gardener. If there is a desire to get a harvest without fail in the same year when the sowing was done, it is necessary to sow no later than the first decade of February. Those who wish to facilitate the work and minimize the risks prefer to sow in late March or early April, but then the harvest will be only a year later. Late sowing is bad because the planting of young seedlings in the ground may occur during a dry period, and the plants will not have time to develop the root system sufficiently.

Sowing is preceded preparatory work . This includes:

Substrate preparation;
Seed preparation;

As a substrate, you can take a universal soil mixture, which is sold in agricultural stores. The soil must be disinfected with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Some gardeners use ordinary soil from the forest or from the meadow, first frying it on a baking sheet and then treating it with potassium permanganate, but purchased soil is always better.

Seed preparation to sowing starts for three months and reduces to stratification, i.e. simulate the natural conditions in which seeds germinate. To do this, the seeds are soaked and put in the refrigerator. In three months, they will have time to dry out, so you need to monitor the humidity and add water as needed. Every 14 days, the seeds should be mixed, and before sowing, let them dry a little. Then the seeds are sown in a container with pre-prepared soil, evenly distributed over the surface. The earth should be sprinkled with water so that its upper upper layer gets wet, but it can not be heavily flooded. The top of the container must be closed with a transparent lid or film.

Second way stratification consists in covering the seeds with snow. To do this, the seeds are planted in a container filled with soil, located on the surface of moistened (but not completely soaked) soil. Seeds should be sown evenly, not densely, and should not sink deep into the ground. It is also not necessary to cover the earth from above. Instead, they should be covered with 2 cm of snow, covered with a lid and put in the refrigerator. Instead of a lid, a plastic film is also suitable. Stratification in this way lasts 14 days.

Preparing strawberry seeds - soaking and stratifying under snow

Seed germination and development of young plants

A container with stratified seeds is placed on a cold but brightly lit window sill. If the weather is cloudy or there is no window facing the sunny side, you need to do it, because. young plants are very sensitive to lack of light. Usually seedlings appear 10-14 days after the end of stratification, although some varieties require up to a month.

If snow was used during stratification, no watering is required - melt water will last until germination. Those who chose the method without snow will have to spray the soil with water. It is not necessary to pour heavily at this stage, because. it is dangerous for young plants.

As soon as shoots appear, holes should be made in the lid of the container for air exchange with the external environment. Condensation will form on the lid, which can be used to judge the humidity inside the container: if the drops are rare, you should sprinkle the soil, if there are so many of them that plants are not visible behind them, there is an excess of moisture. Young plants should develop at a temperature of 20-25 degrees.

Important point! For watering young plants, it is best to use thawed or rain water, since excess salt is detrimental to strawberries!

Strawberry pick

Strawberries should be planted in separate cups when the third leaf appears on the plants. Dive is carried out in separate cups 5x5 cm or plastic bags of the appropriate size. You can buy special cups or use containers from dairy products. The bags are glued together from the film using an iron (the film is placed on the rubber, and covered with wax paper on top so that the iron does not burn through it.

To avoid rotting and death of strawberries from excess moisture, drainage is needed. To do this, holes must be made in the bottom of cups or bags to drain excess moisture, and pebbles or nutshells should be placed on the bottom, between which an empty space will be maintained.

Important! While the seedlings develop in cups or bags, it should be watered gently under the root. To do this, you can use a spoon or syringe. Beginning with April(in the south from the beginning of the month, in the middle lane - in the second half) seedlings need to be hardened, taking them out for several hours to a greenhouse or veranda with a temperature of +5 - +10 degrees. Gradually, the duration of exposure should be increased from 2-3 hours to the whole night.

Planting in open ground

AT open ground strawberries are usually planted in early autumn. When growing from seeds, this is best done in the spring, in the second half of May. The distance between plants is about 15 cm. Before planting, bent down or diseased leaves are cut off, as well as the tips of the roots. This can be done with regular scissors. As a result of such pruning, lateral roots will grow more actively. The number of leaves when planting in open ground should reach 6. When transplanting, the main thing is that the plants do not experience a lack of moisture, so it is better to transplant on a cloudy day and shed the soil abundantly. AT further care for strawberries is the same as for vegetative propagation.

Conclusion

Thus, growing strawberries from seeds is possible and widely used. For some varieties, this method of reproduction is the only one. The terms of work on growing strawberries can be presented in the form of a table:

Table 1. Work schedule for growing strawberries from seeds

Time	Activity
May-June (depending on variety and climate)	Harvesting and seed preparation
End of October-beginning of November	The beginning of the preparation of seed (for those who chose the first method of stratification)
Mid January	Soil preparation and the beginning of seed preparation (for those who choose the second method),
First decade of February	Sowing seeds
Mid - second half of February	Emergence of seedlings
Mid-late March	Dive
May	Landing in the ground

After planting in the ground, strawberries grown from seeds will develop in the same way as those propagated by mustaches.

Video - how to plant strawberries with seeds

Delicious and useful berry strawberries can grow even on a small plot of land. In your garden, you can grow several varieties at once, differing in terms of ripening fruits and their size. So that the berries ripen on time and there are a lot of them, we invite you to find out when to plant strawberries in 2018 according to lunar calendar.

First you need to prepare the material for planting. The end result will depend on this. It does not matter at all whether you bought expensive seeds or not. Strawberries should be planted only after preparation. First, soak strawberry seeds for 24 hours. There is an opinion that it is worth putting the seeds in the refrigerator for a day before soaking.

Take a piece of fabric, pour all the seeds into it, tie it in a bag and dip it in water for 12 hours. Then take out the fabric, twist it into a sausage and put it in a plastic bag and on the battery or in any other warm place. After a day has passed, you can plant strawberry seeds in a box.

Before buying seeds, decide what you want to get. It is important for someone that the bush bears fruit many times during the season, others like the berries to be sweet, and still others that the berries are large. Consider also your climatic conditions of residence. If it often rains in your region, then choose such varieties as “fairy”, “chamomile”, “grenada”.

Sold today and zoned crops, which were selected specifically for climatic conditions.

Favorable days for planting strawberries for seedlings

To make seedlings grow strong, prepare and plant seedlings in February or March, but if you are late, you can plant them in April.

Advice. In February, according to the lunar calendar, seedlings can be planted on the 3rd, 8th, 13th and 16th. In March, these days will be the 3rd, 7th and 8th, 30th. In April - 8th, 14th and 15th, 16th, 30th.

There is an opinion of astrologers that the seeds of berry crops will grow much better if the moon is in the constellation Pisces or Gemini.

Experienced gardeners say that strawberries, like any other berry, love the warmth of sunlight, so the harvest will be successful when planted in March. Of course, it will be good if you plant strawberry seeds collected from your garden. Then you can not think about the origin of these seeds. If you have to buy them in a store, then keep in mind that small berries are easy to care for, they calmly tolerate frost and adverse conditions. But large-fruited strawberries need special conditions and are quite tender.

AT winter time year, the planted seedlings will need additional lighting with the help of lamps, preferably phytolamps, which most favorably affect the germination of berry crops.

Unfavorable days for planting strawberries

According to the lunar calendar, the unfavorable days for planting seedlings in 2018 will be as follows. In February it will be the 4th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 26th and 27th. March 11th, 13th, 20th, 25th, 28th. In April it is the 10th, 12th, 20th and 21st, 25th and 26th. These days there will be a waning moon, which gives a slow growth of crops. Also on some of these days there will be a new moon, in which crops cannot be planted either. It will also not be possible to transplant bushes from the beds.

Many summer residents argue that you should not be determined by favorable and bad days for sowing. The main thing is to follow the rules of planting, to feed the plants. But still, planting plants on the new moon gives favorable growth. But when landing on a full moon, sprouts can behave differently. On the full moon and the days before and after it, it is highly not recommended for crops, since then the seedlings will grow very slowly, and part of it will die.

How to plant strawberries for seedlings

Take containers of different sizes, usually a box or a large bowl is suitable for this. The main thing is that there are drainage holes at the bottom at the bottom. Then properly prepare the soil. Place expanded clay pebbles, 3-4 cm thick, in boxes. If there are no such pebbles at hand, then you can take foam plastic or small gravel. Then we will need fertile soil mixed with sand and peat in a ratio of 3 to 1 to 1. You can additionally add perlite or sod, compost, biohumus, river sand, coconut fibers, humus to the soil. If none of this is at hand, then use ordinary soil from your land.

Try planting seeds in a large plastic bottle. Take one and a half or two-liter container.

Cut it so that a cap comes out along the entire length of the bottle that can be opened. Do not touch the lid, leave the bottom alone. Open the lid and fill the bottle with earth to the brim. Pour snow on the top layer of soil, if it is on the street. If not, then you can take it from the freezer. Pour the seeds into the snow so you can see them. You don't need to dig anything. Close the lid, you can press it a little with tape. Do not touch the earth anymore, do not loosen. Water moderately with a syringe, drip. Regular watering from a watering can will simply kill the sprouts.

If you sowed seedlings in a box, then cover it with a film to create a greenhouse effect. Place the box in the brightest and warmest place until the first leaves appear from it. In large containers, seedlings are watered by spraying from a spray bottle.

Every day for a short time, slightly open the film so that the seedlings are slightly ventilated. If condensation has formed on the covering material, then it should be removed. Otherwise, the seedlings will be susceptible to mold or begin to rot. If this has already happened, then the blackened sprouts are eliminated, and the healthy ones are treated with a disinfectant solution.

As soon as the first pair of leaves becomes strong, strawberry shoots dive into separate containers, 10 cm in diameter. If the roots are quite oblong, then you pinch them. After watering the plants with care, without washing out the soil and without exposing the roots. Use top dressing once a month.

Gradually, starting in March, take the seedling box outside for hardening. If it is still cold outside, you can take it out to the balcony. Lower temperatures will have a good effect on the subsequent growth of strawberries. Place the plants so that they are not in direct sun. Plant plants outdoors at the end of June.

When to plant seedlings in open ground?

Formed bushes are planted from seedlings before the appearance of antennae, when strong leaves have already formed on the stems. Strawberries are planted late, in late May or early June. If you are late with landing, then you can land it in mid-June. The main thing is that it is not cold outside. And if spring comes early in your region, and the soil warms up well and for a long time, then plant seedlings in April.

Strawberries can also be planted in autumn, taking already formed bushes. But you need to do this before September 15, otherwise the plants may not be accepted later.

If you live in Siberia or in the northern regions, then the grown seedlings are planted in open ground from mid-May to mid-June, since summer is short there. It only takes 45 days. The first harvest will appear only by July.

Preparing the site for planting

Arrange the beds reserved for seedlings of strawberries from north to south. Try to keep crops protected from the north wind. In winter, they need to be covered with snow 20 cm thick. If you plant whimsical elite varieties with large berries, then you need them to be under the sun all summer. If the strawberry variety is small, then it can be planted in partial shade. Level the plot of land, it is desirable to make it a slope to the southwest.

During the selection of land for berries, find out what grew there before this, last year. It will be good if vegetables grew there before: carrots, beets, onions, garlic; may be legumes such as oats or rye.

But if before that cabbage, cucumbers, representatives of nightshade crops grew, then it will be possible to plant strawberries here, like other berries, only after a couple of years.

Important. Consider and level ground water at the landing site of future strawberries. Water should be located at least 1 m to the top of the soil.

So that the strawberry sprouts do not beat the frost, cover the bed with a film. Otherwise, the leaves of the bushes will turn black, and you will not collect the first crop of berries.

Most best harvest strawberries will give bushes that are 3-5 years old. After five years, the old bushes are dug up and replaced with new ones. You can not plant a young bush instead of the whole old one, but dig a strong shoot with earth, a mustache from a large bush. But of course, then the big bush will lose its strength. Whiskers are usually removed to increase the strength of the main bush, and he gave more berries.

Refresh a bed with strawberries every 4-5 years. Remove the old ones, and leave the buried mustache. If you want to grow new ones instead of old bushes, then stock up on seedlings in the spring. It will germinate after sowing seeds in 30-45 days. And you will need to have time to grow it before landing in open ground. Therefore, read our tips for growing strawberries for seedlings from seeds in 2018.

Strawberries are one of the crops that can grow under snow. If in spring the snow still lies, then in the gardens you can see how its greenery breaks through. Heat is required for strawberry bushes so that all the berries are ripe and sweet.

By the way, now you can enjoy the taste of strawberries from your windowsill or loggia. Scientists have developed special breeding varieties for this, which can bear fruit up to several times a year. Of these grow most often, large, sprawling bushes.

But low, squat bushes grow up to 30 cm from the ground in an open area. Of course, they will produce a crop only twice a year, instead of five, but these berries are much sweeter. The cold is nothing to them.

Strawberry bushes are divided into female and male. If there are few fruits on the bushes, then this is a male bush. A female rosette gives not only a lot of strawberries, but also rosettes. When sowing berries from seeds, it will be impossible to guess whether male or female will be rosettes.

In order for the harvest to be plentiful every year, bushes one year old should be freed from male outlets. Male bushes will also differ from female bushes in that they produce intertwined mustaches, and not tied berries. Twist the mustache to keep the roots intact. Over time, they will reappear. Unnecessary parts of the plant should be removed several times during the summer and autumn.

Of course, growing strawberries on your own from scratch is troublesome, especially if you have never done it. But you need to try, especially since for the family budget it will be cheaper than buying ready-made berries. You will adapt, and you will grow exactly the varieties that you will give bountiful harvest. For the experiment, you can plant several varieties of strawberries at once and see which ones are tastier and larger. It is unlikely that you will find on the market the variety of types of strawberries that you can grow with your own hands.

Propagation of strawberries by seeds is a troublesome and time-consuming task. Not every even an experienced gardener will decide to do this process. But it has its advantages. With the help of seeds, you can try to grow new varieties of berries or simply improve the health of plants.

True, you will have to be patient. The germination of strawberry seeds does not always please with the expected result. Seeds germinate for a very long time, and may not sprout at all. The sprouts that appear will also cause a lot of trouble. They are so fragile and small in size that they can only be taken with tweezers. Yes, and watering rules must be observed very strictly.

And yet, if you decide to do this, then start with small-fruited strawberries. Choose varieties that can bear fruit several times per season (remontant). This variety of strawberries gives good yields, is less demanding in care and has a low price. On such varieties, you can gain experience, and then take into account all the minuses and mistakes and move on to breeding large-fruited varieties.

Sowing seeds of strawberries for seedlings

Strawberry seeds can be sown in any month from February to April. Seedlings need a lot of light to grow. In February and March, natural light is clearly not enough, so you will have to highlight the seedlings artificially (about twelve hours a day). But on the other hand, the seeds sown in February will give their harvest in the coming summer.

Seeds that will be planted in April will have better luck with natural light. Only now the fruits on these bushes will not appear this season. Will have to wait until next year.

The soil for growing strawberry seedlings must be carefully prepared. The preparation includes spilling it with a manganese solution or using other methods of disinfection from pests and diseases.

To make the soil as light as possible, it should be sieved through a sieve. In this crushed form, it will easily pass air and water, which is very important for the plant. For seedlings of this berry, there are several options for different soil mixtures.

Blend #1. It consists of ordinary soil from the garden (three parts), humus (three parts) and 0.5 parts of ash.
Blend #2. It consists of peat and sand (three parts each) and vermiculite (four parts).
Blend #3. It consists of equal parts of humus and coconut fiber.
Blend #4. It consists of sand and humus (three and five parts, respectively).
Blend #5. It consists of peat and sand (one part each) and sod land (two parts).
Blend #6. It consists of humus and garden soil (one part each) and sand (three parts).

The seeds of the plant are as if in hibernation. Such "sleeping" seeds themselves will not be able to germinate due to growth blockers. They need to artificially create conditions that are similar to those in nature. This process is called stratification. You can't do without it. Stratification will help wake up the seeds and provide future seedlings with normal further growth and development.

Since stratification itself is considered a troublesome process, you can try to combine it with sowing. Traditionally, the seeds are laid out on a damp cloth or on cotton pads and kept for some time in the refrigerator. Only after that - they are transferred to the ground (sown). But you can kill two birds with one stone and save a little time and effort.

First you need to prepare plastic containers (preferably with a lid), at the bottom of which there must be drainage holes. Then these containers need to be filled with special soil, without filling the last two centimeters from the top. The soil is lightly sprayed and then the seeds are sown evenly. Instead of soil, the seeds are covered with snow from above to the very top of the container. Then tightly cover with a lid and put in the refrigerator for fifteen days.

Further, everything will proceed in the same way as it would have happened in natural conditions. The snow will melt gradually, and the water that appears will carry the seeds into the soil. After about two weeks, the containers from the refrigerator are transferred to the windowsill. The lid remains closed for now. Seeds do not need additional watering yet, but the missing lighting will have to be taken care of. During this period, light is vital for the plant.

The first shoots appear at different times in different varieties. For some, after ten days, and for others, after thirty.

As soon as the first sprouts appear, the plant needs additional air exchange. To do this, the lid on the container will have to be opened regularly for a short time. One of the most important points in growing seedlings is constant and moderate soil moisture. Drying and waterlogging for this plant is simply fatal. If the lid on the container is removed, the moisture will evaporate very quickly, which is very undesirable.

transparent plastic container with a cover for germinating seeds in this case was not chosen by chance. It is a kind of device for monitoring the level of humidity inside itself. A slightly misted lid indicates normal humidity. Drops inside the lid - a signal of excess moisture, plants need urgent ventilation. A dry cover indicates the need for watering.

For irrigation, it is better to stock up on melt water. It is the most favorable for this seedling. To avoid fungal diseases, the Fitosporin preparation is added to the irrigation water. The instructions on the package will help you correct proportions mix it with water.

Watering strawberry seedlings is carried out carefully. You can not use watering from an ordinary garden watering can - this will destroy the tender sprouts. The most optimal tool for watering is a medical syringe or a fine-jet sprayer. After three days after the appearance of young sprouts, the lid is removed from the container. It won't be needed anymore.

Seedling picking can be carried out when three full-fledged leaves appear on each plant. For convenience, experienced gardeners advise using tweezers when picking. This procedure will require endurance and patience, as the plants are very fragile and thin. Planting seedlings in separate container, make sure that the spine does not bend, but is sprinkled with earth. But the growth point cannot be sprinkled, it must remain above the ground.

With the right picking, the seedlings take root well in an individual container, and its stem quickly grows. If the stem is sprinkled with earth, then new roots will appear very soon.

Further care for strawberry seedlings is to maintain moderate soil moisture and hardening. The plant does not need top dressing before transplanting into open ground.

Growing strawberries from seeds at home is carried out as experienced gardeners as well as newcomers. The fact is that the seedling method is considered simpler and more convenient than the seedless method. With a seedless method, seeds should be sown in the fall to wait for the first shoots the next year. At home, strawberries can be planted for seedlings at the end of winter, so that in June, as a seedling, they will already move into open ground. We will talk about how to grow strong and healthy seedlings that will calmly survive the landing on the site.

The sowing time for strawberry seeds directly depends on the variety you choose. There are early, middle and late varieties, each with a different approximate planting date. When growing strawberries at home, you should focus on February or early March. Seeds planted during this period will have time to sprout by the time they need to be moved to the garden.

The timing of sowing strawberries depends on the availability of lighting equipment

If you prefer to plant seeds earlier, in the first half of winter, then you should take care of buying fluorescent lamps in advance so that the seedlings have enough light in the absence of sun. Theoretically, with artificial lighting, you can grow strawberries in any season.

Seed preparation

Seed preparation is an optional step, but it will simplify the further cultivation of seedlings and save you from many unpleasant surprises. In order for strawberry seeds to quickly adapt to the soil and begin to grow, it is necessary to start germinating them in advance. Germination is carried out in several stages:

There are several ways to germinate seeds. The one above is just one of many. As an alternative method, moistened gauze and a plastic bag can be used. Seeds are placed in gauze, placed in a bag and also placed in a warm room for a couple of days.

The main thing is to provide a moist warm environment that will contribute to the speedy spitting of seeds. Stratification, in turn, involves the immersion of seeds in a wet state in low temperatures.

How to select seeds?

You can get seeds in two ways - by buying them in a store or by collecting them from your own strawberries. When buying seeds, focus on trusted manufacturers to avoid low-quality goods. If you select the seeds yourself, then the following tips may be useful to you:

Choose for sowing only those seeds that were collected from bushes that were distinguished by their rich harvest and good health;
Most best seeds ripe strawberries are in the middle part, as well as at the base. These seeds have the most developed germ and most likely will not cause you any problems when placed in the ground;
In order to make it more convenient to extract the seeds, cut the layer of pulp you need from the berry and dry it by laying it on a piece of paper. The dried pulp will easily separate from the seeds if you rub it a little in your hands;
Seeds should preferably be stored in a glass container.

Before proceeding with the selection of seeds, the gardener must understand that different varieties of strawberries differ in the method of fruiting and, accordingly, the amount of yield. There are non-repairable and remontant varieties of strawberries, as well as varieties of the neutral day. Each of these groups is described below.

Also, you can read more about the features of its cultivation on our portal.

Soil preparation

Strawberries can be attributed to unpretentious plants that are ready to bear crops even on not the most nutritious and “friendly” soil. But if you want to grow large and juicy berries, you need to take care of good composition future soil mixture. The finished soil must have the following characteristics:

Sod land is included in the "recipe" for most mixtures for strawberry seedlings

In order to prepare the soil mixture for growing seedlings, you will need the following ingredients:

Soddy soil;
Sawdust;
ground dolomite;
Ash;
Humus.

For ten liters of peat, there are three tablespoons of dolomite and one glass of ash. It is also allowed to add rotted manure. All described components are thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous mass.

Disinfection

One of the most simple ways soil disinfection is steaming. In order to steam the soil, take a large pot, fill it a quarter with water and put it on fire. Place a colander filled with soil on top and cover the pot with a lid. As soon as the water begins to boil, hot steam will appear, which will rid the earth of any pathogenic bacteria, algae and fungal spores. The duration of the procedure is one hour.

You can also warm the earth in the oven and in the microwave, but the last two options roughly affect the soil and destroy not only harmful, but also beneficial bacteria. Steaming is considered one of the most gentle methods of disinfection.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

When the soil and seeds have undergone comprehensive processing, it is time to proceed to the most important thing - planting. If you have already had the opportunity to sow other seeds, then the process of sowing strawberries will not surprise you with anything new:

Take a container and disinfect it. As a container, you can use seedling trays, wooden boxes or individual pots. If you are not going to pick, immediately use separate containers so that the roots of the growing strawberries subsequently have enough soil;
At the bottom of the container, pour expanded clay or crushed brick with a two-centimeter layer. Drainage will output excess liquid from the soil and protect the strawberry roots from rotting. Please note that drainage will not be effective if there are no holes in the bottom of the container;
Fill in the soil and tamp it down with a shovel. Since you will later be covering the seeds with another layer of earth, the soil should not completely fill the container. Measure a couple of centimeters from the upper border and focus on this mark when filling out;
Dig several narrow rows in the soil, half a centimeter deep and moisten them with a spray gun;
Using tweezers, arrange the seeds in the dug rows and cover them with a layer of soil one centimeter thick;
Cover the seedlings with glass or place in a plastic bag and place in a warm place where the temperature does not drop below twenty-five degrees to speed up seed germination.

As soon as the first shoots appear (after 20-25 days), the glass or bag can be removed and the temperature lowered by a few degrees. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to treat seedlings once every two weeks with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

By the way! If you are planting strawberries of different varieties, do not forget to make nameplates. This little thing will be very useful to you later, when you transplant seedlings to the garden, and will not allow you to get confused in the varieties.

Peat tablets

For growing strawberry seeds, you can also use peat tablets, which are compressed peat. In order for the tablets to straighten out, you need to place them in a container, fill them with water and let them get their real sizes (they should swell, soaked in moisture). There is one seed per peat tablet. For convenience, you can place the tablets on a pallet and also cover with a lid or put in a plastic bag for speedy germination.

By the way! The advantage of peat tablets is that you can transplant strawberries into the garden without removing the roots from the tablet. At first, peat will serve as additional fertilizer for the plant.

picking

Picking is carried out when at least two or three true leaves appear on the seedlings. At earlier stages of plant development, picking can lead to the death of strawberries, since it is a difficult and stressful event. As a new "place of residence" for strawberries, both pots and simple plastic cups are suitable. The main condition is that the diameter of the container must be at least five centimeters.

As in the case of wooden boxes, holes will also need to be made in the new container, and the bottom will be covered with a drainage layer. The soil mixture should have the same composition as before, then the adaptation of the plant will be most painless for strawberries. Seedlings should be carefully planted in pre-moistened soil.

Video - Picking strawberries

Planting strawberries in open ground

The timing of planting strawberries in open ground depends both on the chosen variety and on the climatic conditions of your region. It is necessary to take into account in advance the time that strawberries will need to ripen and the time of the autumn temperature drop. Many gardeners prefer to transplant seedlings between mid-April and early May.

Important! A couple of weeks before transplanting seedlings to the garden, it is advisable to start hardening them, taking them out to Fresh air. As the transplant date approaches, strawberries should feel confident outdoors, both in the shade and in the sun.

Soil preparation

Both seedling and garden soil needs preliminary preparation. In order to put the soil in order before planting seedlings, you need to carry out a few simple steps:

Fertilize the soil with mineral fertilizers a few days before transplanting strawberries;
Dig up the area intended for sowing on a spade bayonet;
After digging, add humus to the soil. One bucket of humus falls on 1 m 2.

Important! In no case do not use fresh manure for fertilizer - it will easily burn the roots of a fragile seedling.

A cloudy day is best for transplanting seedlings. If cloudy days are not expected, schedule sowing in the evening.

seedling dipping

Step 1. Make several small holes corresponding to the number of seedlings. It is advisable to observe the grouping by variety when planting strawberries.

Step 2 When planting seedlings, make sure that the root system is not crowded or excessively ruined. So that the planting material does not stop growing, the base of the heart must be flush with the ground.

Step 3 To make sure the seedling has been transplanted correctly, gently pull on one of the leaves. If the strawberries remain in their place and do not pull out of the soil, then the planting was successful.

Step 4 So that the soil settles and wraps around the roots of the seedlings, water it immediately after planting the strawberries (regardless of current weather conditions). Watering is carried out under the root, it is recommended not to touch the aerial part of the plant.

Step 5 Mulch the soil, covering it with a two-centimeter layer of humus.

Strawberry pests

Table 1. Strawberry pests

Disease	Description	Fighting methods
	The dimensions of these worms do not exceed one millimeter, so it is not so easy to consider them. It is easier to recognize their presence by the changes in strawberries - its young leaves begin to curl, the cuttings are deformed. The stems thicken when affected by a nematode. Strawberries become excessively brittle, eventually resulting in no harvest.	After the discovery of nematodes, all that remains for the gardener is to dispose of the plant as quickly as possible. It is possible to prevent the appearance of this pest only by preliminary disinfection of seeds before planting.
	Strawberry mites are very agile and quickly move through all the bushes if they are not identified in time. They are able to overwinter at the bases of leaf petioles and become active by the beginning of the growing season. As a result, strawberry leaves shrivel and acquire an oily sheen. The berries ripen very small.	To avoid meeting with a tick, seeds should be disinfected before planting. Infected bushes are treated first with colloidal sulfur (at the stage of green leaves), then with Neoron - one and a half weeks before flowering
	The mite wraps strawberry leaves in a barely visible garden cobweb, as a result of which the leaves quickly acquire a yellow tint and rapidly lose moisture.	In order to get rid of spider mite, you need to treat the infected bushes with Karbofos. Spraying is done after harvest. At the end of the treatment, cover the strawberries with a film (so that the solution is better absorbed) and remove after three hours
	Aphids are the type of pest that can be seen with the naked eye. Beetles, about two millimeters in size, are usually localized on the lower parts of the leaves and stems. The main harm from aphids is that the honey finger secreted by it clogs the leaves, increasing the likelihood of fungal diseases.	In the fight against aphids, garlic proved to be excellent. To prepare a garlic solution, dip a few heads into three liters cold water and insist for a week. Pour the resulting composition into a spray bottle and treat the affected bushes

Growing strawberries is interesting for many summer residents, because there are many ways to provide good harvest and significant ease of care. But it often happens that, due to various reasons, strawberries grow poorly, bring small crops, and even reproduce poorly. Naturally, this leaves a negative imprint on us, and the desire to grow strawberries from seeds or a regular transplant is gradually disappearing. But you should not despair, because you only need to improve your knowledge and put into practice the recommendations of specialists, how the situation can improve.

Today we want to answer the question posed and tell you how to grow seedlings. garden strawberries from seeds with their own hands. In fact, it is not so difficult, but there are factors that affect germination.

We grow strawberry seedlings with our own hands

We want to prepare you for the process right away, since the correct algorithm will require some attention and patience. If you're ready, you can get started!

When to sow strawberry seeds?

Seeds should be sown at the end of February, it is possible at the beginning of March in order to transfer seedlings to open ground even before the start of the heat.

Later crops are also possible, but in this case, the seedlings may not have time to get stronger and then it will not be practical to transplant it into the ground, you will have to keep it in boxes until next spring.

A great way to grow - at home, in the same peat tablets!

What strawberry seeds to plant?

For sowing, select quality material, which can be bought in specialized stores, on the market or online.

often chosen hybrid varieties large-fruited strawberries, from which there is an excellent opportunity to obtain strong and healthy plants, the performance of which is even much higher than those that are propagated vegetatively. But often we use our own seeds, which is also good. Here you only need to select them from the best varieties, from healthy plants and large, shaped fruits.

Soil for sowing garden strawberry seeds

For crops, you can prepare two soil options, and here you already have to choose which one is more convenient for you.

The first option is biohumus, coarse sand and non-acidic peat, 1:1:3.

The second option is sod land, sand and peat, 2:1:1. It does not hurt to add a little rotted manure and wood ash to the soil, which will positively affect the quality of the mixture.

Due to the presence in the ground, and in manure, of numerous microorganisms, as well as insect eggs, and some infections, it will be necessary to steam it for about half an hour on hot steam, for example, even over boiling water in a saucepan. After steaming, the earth will need to recover, and this will take several weeks. Therefore, we recommend that you start the preparation process in advance in order to meet the deadlines.

Preparing Strawberry Seeds

To increase the chances of germination, special preparation of garden strawberry seeds is necessary. To do this, the seeds are soaked in natural - rain or snow water, for three days. After soaking, seeds with destroyed germination inhibitors are laid out on a layer of filtered paper, slightly moistened, placed on a plate and placed in a plastic bag, which must be placed in a bright and warm place, but not in the sun. Soon the seeds will hatch, and then they will need to be transferred to a box with soil, very carefully, you can use a toothpick or a match.

Planting strawberries in the soil and care

The prepared soil is poured into a small wooden box and leveled, small grooves are made in it to place the seeds. Seeds are laid out in grooves in 2 cm increments, for which a match or small tweezers is used. If you plant different seeds, install a beacon with the name of the variety in front of each groove so that in the future you will know where and what you are growing.

Now the seeds should be moistened with a spray bottle and covered with a film.

Sowing strawberries in the snow

Another interesting way which is close to natural. It significantly reduces the risk of seed penetration, which is not recommended, and also has a positive effect on germination.

Snow is laid on the finished substrate, with a layer of only 1-1.5 cm, and already on top of it are the seeds themselves. The snow melts, and the seeds evenly fall onto the soil, after which they do not need to be corrected. It is only necessary to cover the seeds with plastic wrap or glass, open daily for airing and moistening, if necessary.

How to care for strawberry seedlings at home?

Strawberry shoots need light and uniform, moderate watering so that the topsoil does not dry out.

Also, soon you will need a pick, when two leaves appear, and pinching the long roots of young plants.

Planting takes place in pots or boxes, according to the 8x8 cm pattern. Next, again, careful watering, which will not destroy the topsoil.

Landing in open ground

After the emergence of seedlings, it is necessary to wait 6-7 weeks and transfer the plants to open ground. But before that, young plants should be hardened by taking them outside for a couple of hours every day and placing boxes in the shade. Thus, the seedlings will get used to the sun, light gusts of wind, and a change in the general climate.

Seedlings, forcing which took place in early spring, may give some harvest after planting in open ground. If the seedlings were grown in summer time, it should be planted in the ground before the end of August, and the crop will give the next year. Such seedlings will need to be insulated for the winter.

Why the seeds of garden strawberries do not germinate

It also happens that when planting seeds, only partial shoots appear, or they do not exist at all. There are a lot of reasons for this, but the main ones are improper care.

For good germination, stratification, soil prevention, and the selection of high-quality seeds are necessary. But what happens next is also important.
Boxes with crops must be kept under glass, slightly moistening the topsoil. Before germination, you need to keep the boxes in the dark, and only after germination put them in a lighter and warmer place.
Optimum temperature for seed germination - about + 18 ° C, but if it is warmer, germination will slow down, and some seeds will not give results at all.
Do not panic if not all seedlings break through at once. It is common for a part to germinate after 2 weeks and the rest of the seeds to germinate to the surface after a month. At this point, you need to remove the film from the boxes and install them in a well-lit, but cool place, with a temperature of about + 15 ° C.
It should be remembered that dense plantings also interfere with normal development, and therefore it is necessary to dive young plants in time and plant them strictly according to the scheme.

Growing garden strawberries with seeds (video)

Proper agricultural technology of strawberries is the main factor in a positive result, but site experts are sure that quality plays a significant role planting material and soil, as well as the regional affiliation of the site where the finished seedlings will be grown.

Reviews and comments

Oksana Dmitrievna 23.10.2014

Hello! I share my interesting experience of getting a rich harvest. I got it interview with Mikhail Chursin, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences and inspired by the article, I decided to use his recommendations, and you know, I made the right decision .. All summer we ate cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden, and prepared a seam for myself and my family for the winter. For anyone interested, here