Strawberry seedlings from seed characteristics. Technology of growing strawberries from seeds. Soil for sowing garden strawberry seeds

15.11.2019

Growing strawberries from seed has many benefits. That is why this method is loved by both professional gardeners and those who grow small crops for their families. According to gardeners, Chinese seeds germinate well, and the result is a crop of excellent quality.

And if you want to get the most sustainable harvest, then collect the seeds with my own hands, it's very simple, just leave a few berries for the seed.

Firstly, if you grow strawberries from seeds, then you know for sure that the berries of the variety that you chose will grow.

Secondly, this is a fairly common method that you can read about on the Internet or in specialized books. After all, we study the germination of seeds even in biology classes at school.

Thirdly, strawberry seeds are sold everywhere, for example, now they can be ordered in online stores directly from China.

Fourth, strawberry seeds are stored for a long time. They are resistant to various diseases and pests.

Fifth, the material for planting can be chosen in such a way as to obtain berries of certain varieties in different time periods. Thus, you can pick strawberries from your own garden all summer long. The only drawback of this method is that the seeds may have low germination, but this can be dealt with by studying the nuances of planting technology.

Varieties for growing in a greenhouse

To plant strawberries with seeds, you first need to decide where they will grow - in a greenhouse or in open field. Another important point is the choice of variety, which depends on the timing of ripening. The strawberry bushes bear fruit all year round for which remontant varieties are used. It is realistic to get about 1000 berries from one bush, after which this bush is removed and replaced with another. Varieties that are grown in greenhouses are divided into early and mid-early. The most common early varieties for greenhouses are Sonata, Dorenko, Alba, Baron von Solemacher, as well as Octava and Honey (medium early).

The choice of variety for planting in open soil depends on the purpose for which you want to grow strawberries and when you want to harvest. If you want to make blanks from berries for the winter and or store them long time, then it is worth choosing medium and late varieties. And if you need fresh strawberries as a dessert, then early varieties that harvest in May are better suited.

From early varieties experts call Rusalovka, Desna and Dawn the best, from the later ones - Zengana, from the mid-ripening ones Festivalnaya, Pocahontas, Talisman are common.

It is recommended to sow strawberry seeds for seedlings in February or early spring. Perhaps you want to grow seedlings for sale, then you can sow them earlier, but in this case, be sure to use the backlight.

Perhaps the organization of lighting is not included in your plans, then you cannot plant strawberries before March, because they will die from lack of light.

When planning to plant strawberries with seeds, it must be remembered that varieties with large fruits germinate very slowly.

However, the seed sprouts faster after soaking, which must be done.

It is advisable to use a plastic container for this, rather than a glass container. First, holes are made in its lid so that air enters.

After that, it is necessary to moisten the cotton pads with water and lay them in a layer on the bottom of the container, put the seeds on this layer, and cover them with another layer of disks. If you would like to grow several different varieties, then it is better to write the name of the variety on each box.

After that, the containers must be closed with lids and put in heat for 2 days. Further plastic containers must be refrigerated for stratification. The cotton wool layer should be constantly moistened so that not a single seed dries out, and the plastic container should be taken out of the refrigerator every day and ventilated. After about two weeks, the stratification ends, after which the strawberry seeds must be planted in cups (can be peat) or in a common container. Strawberries feel equally comfortable both in individual cups and in a common box. Please note that you can only plant seeds in those containers where there are drainage holes.

Soil preparation

For sowing seeds, you can purchase ready-made soil mixtures or cook them yourself. If you want to make the soil mixture yourself, you can choose one of the options:

humus, sand - 5: 3, respectively
peat, sand, turf land - 1:1:2
sand, vermiculite, peat - 3:4:3

Before sowing, the soil must be disinfected. To do this, it must be heated in the oven at a temperature 150 degrees. If for some reason this is not possible, then the earth can be watered with a solution of manganese or taken out to frost for a while. After this procedure, a container with soil is placed in a warm place for several weeks so that beneficial microorganisms multiply in the ground.

How to plant seeds

First you need to moisten the soil well in a container or in pots by spraying it with a spray bottle. After that, using a toothpick or a match, place each seed on the surface and lightly press it. It is not necessary to bury the seeds in the soil, as they germinate well under the influence of light. Next, the container must be closed with a lid, since strawberries require high humidity, and put in a warm place. There should be holes in the lid of the container so that Fresh air.

Important! Under the direct rays of the sun, the container cannot be exposed, in which case the seeds will dry out and there will be no seedlings.

While the seeds have not yet risen, it is not necessary to remove the lid, since the necessary microclimate is created inside, and condensate forms on the lid, which falls to the ground and provides the seeds with the necessary watering.

Features of seedling care

During the initial period, the temperature should be approximately 20-25°C. You will see the first shoots in 2 weeks (but some varieties germinate in about one month). Once this happens, move the pots to where there is more light, such as a windowsill. The lid of the container must be removed: it is no longer needed. If there are many sprouts, and they grow too densely, then the seedlings must be thinned out.

7 days after shoots appear, the temperature must be reduced up to 15-18 degrees. This provides the plants with hardening, and they do not stretch upwards.

At this stage, you may encounter such a problem as wilting seedlings. To prevent this unpleasant phenomenon, the sprouts need to be planted as soon as the first ones appear on them. 2-3 real leaves. The gaps between plants should be at least 3 cm.

For watering, it is most convenient to use a medical syringe, which allows you to water the plants very carefully, under the root of each sprout. Excess moisture should not be allowed as this can lead to fungus (so-called blackleg). But too long interruptions in watering should also not be allowed, as the seedlings can dry out. Try not to get water on the leaves: this can lead to the appearance sunburn and spots. It is best to water with settled water at room temperature.

Lighting Rules

If you grow seedlings in winter, then they need additional highlighting. For this purpose, you can use:

LED bulbs
special phytolamps
fluorescent lamps

Daily artificial lighting time should be from 12 to 13 hours, that is, approximately 6:00 am to 11:00 pm. Thanks to this, the plants do not stretch, and beautiful and strong leaves are formed.

How to prepare strawberries for planting in the soil

Plant seedlings in the ground only after it has formed 5 true leaves. The choice of a place where strawberries will grow is also very important. Perfect option- These are shaded areas - where plants can easily adapt without suffering from direct sunlight. The following rules must be observed:

you need to water the plants with the help of water heated in the sun using a watering can
the distance between the bushes should be at least 10 cm
the growing point does not need to be deepened, it should be located at the level of the soil

How to Get Your Garden Strawberry Seeds

You can get strawberry seeds yourself. To do this, you need to select a few large berries and let them overripe a little, that is, leave them for seed. Next, they need to cut off the top layer with grains. It must be put on a piece of cloth and also covered with a cloth on top. After that, gently rub the two layers of fabric apart so that the seeds separate from the film, but not a single seed is damaged. After that it is necessary rinse seeds in water and dry a little. Now they can be stored for several years, and planted in the spring to grow seedlings. Gardeners note that the germination of their own seeds is usually noticeably better than the germination of purchased material.

Thus, strawberries can be grown in a variety of ways. The seed method is considered the easiest and most grateful, so you should definitely try it out!

Seedlings of strawberries in a seed way are painstaking and require constant attention. This berry is very sensitive and capricious, but with the right approach to planting it gives good and juicy fruits. In this article, we will tell you how to grow healthy seedlings of strawberries from seeds in stages and correctly in a house or apartment.

Growing garden strawberries at home - choosing a seed variety

Experienced gardeners know that The best way growing strawberries in greenhouses or open ground - vegetative, from the tendrils of young plants. However, this method cannot be applied at home, therefore, a more convenient seed method is used for the home. Unlike vegetative cultivation, seeds can be stored longer and transported over any distance. In addition, young seeds have an excellent effect on soil renewal.

To receive good harvest from healthy berries, before planting at home, you need to correctly determine the variety of garden strawberries. We do not recommend using hybrid varieties, since it is almost impossible to grow them at home, hybrids grow only if they are planted vegetatively.

Remontant varieties of greenhouse strawberries are well suited for growing at home. Among them, one can distinguish such as Albion, Montana, Selva, Maestro, Flamenco, etc. These are varieties of garden strawberries that give medium-sized, but sweet and juicy fruits with a wonderful aroma already in the month of May. They are also resistant to various diseases and have a strong root system.

Strawberry seedlings from seeds for home or greenhouse cultivation are well obtained precisely from early ripening varieties, since later varieties (Talisman, Honey, Festivalnaya, Harvest, etc.) are more suitable for summer cultivation in open ground on garden plot. Varieties of medium maturity produce fruits in late June-early July, late varieties, such as Florence or Wima Tarda, bear fruit in late summer, but they need more careful care.

Sowing dates and proper seed preparation

You can grow seedlings of strawberries and strawberries at home at any time of the year. It all depends on the variety and the conditions created for the growth and development of the berry. Seeds are usually sown in early spring, late summer or autumn. In the first case, when using the early varieties recommended above, the first harvest will come in late May or early June. Summer or late autumn sowing greenhouse varieties will bear fruit next year.

For the proper development of seedlings at home, it is necessary to carefully prepare the seeds, harden them and germinate, otherwise they will take root for a long time or not take root at all. First, the seeds are carefully laid out on a dense natural fabric or between two cotton pads. Next, the fabric needs to be moistened (it is better to use melted or rain water), place in plastic utensils(special food containers are perfect), cover with a lid and make a few holes in it for constant ventilation.

Next, we place the seeds in a lighted place, but not in the sun, and leave them for several days, while making sure that the fabric is always slightly moistened. The temperature in the room should be 18-20 degrees. After 3-4 days of soaking, place the moistened seeds in the refrigerator, and let them stand there for about a week. We periodically check the condition of the grains, as soon as they hatch, we proceed to plant them.

The choice of soil for strawberry seeds - what should it be?

For sowing seeds of garden strawberries are used peat tablets(the easiest option) or a specially prepared nutrient substrate. The soil for alpine strawberries or large-fruited strawberries should be loose, sifted and rich in minerals and organic matter.

To provide good food and seed growth, we recommend using such combinations of components as:

garden soil, peat mixture and wood ash;
sand, sod land, peat and mineral substrate;
humus, fine sand, coconut fibers, garden soil;
earth, vermiculite, biohumus, sand, peat.

As you can see, the options can be very different, it is important that the main element is good, fertile land (at least 50% in the composition), the remaining components can be mixed with it in various proportions. If sand is used, then its share in the composition should not exceed 15-20%. The selected mixture must first be sieved and then steamed for 30–45 minutes.

Then we spray the earth mixture with a small amount of potassium permanganate solution, you can also add a certain amount of fungicides or garden antiseptics. After that, the earth should stand indoors for a week with optimal temperature to restore biological properties after steaming and disinfection. Strawberries are a very demanding berry, so we carry out such preparation of the soil composition without fail.

Planting seeds and caring for them - we do everything in order

As a container for soil, you can use ordinary plastic garden pots. If you want to plant seeds of several varieties at the same time, use a wooden box that can be grooved to delimit the sowing areas. Moisten the soil before planting seeds warm water, but do not overdo it so that it does not become unnecessarily wet.

Next, use a match or cotton swab to make small holes in the ground (1.5–2 cm), the distance between them is about the same. In them, you need to carefully sow the hatched seeds, 2-3 grains per recess, and gently sprinkle them with earth. In no case do not tamp the sowing places, this will only complicate the emergence of young shoots. Water the soil again, while using a spray bottle or sprayer, as regular watering can erode the soil, which will negatively affect your plantings.

After that, cover the container with seedlings with plastic wrap or paper, but so as not to block access to oxygen, and place it in a warm and bright place for several weeks. Make sure that the soil under the film is always moderately moist. In addition to proper watering, you need to take care of lighting. Garden strawberries are very warm and light-loving berries, the more light, especially in winter, the better it will affect seed germination.

Arrange additional lighting with phytolamps to provide strawberries with at least 12 hours of light every day.

As soon as the seeds give the first green leaves, it is mandatory to pick the seedlings. To do this, we water the ground, carefully dig up the tender roots, loosening the ground with a non-rough tool. We take out the seedlings not by the stem, but by the leaves, the stems are very fragile, they can be easily damaged. We pinch long roots, then dive the sprouts into a new container with a fresh, but similar to the previous soil composition. We plant the roots at a distance of 8–10 centimeters from each other or each separately in its own container (you can use plastic cups with holes for drainage) and water it.

For top dressing, we use fertilizers on a water-soluble basis with a high content of nitrogen compounds and iron. The procedure is carried out every 10 days after picking the seedlings in the proportions indicated in the instructions for the preparations. 1–1.5 months after spring planting, garden strawberry seedlings can be planted in open ground. To do this, we first harden the container with sprouts by putting them outside a week before planting. With the right approach to spring sowing, strawberries grown at home will please with their juicy harvest in the first decade of June.

From seed is a very exciting process. In order not to be disappointed, it is better to purchase them from reputable manufacturers. It is worth purchasing seeds that are more than 12 months old at the time of planting.

Seeds of remontant small-fruited beardless strawberries germinate best, for example, strawberries of the Baron Solimakher variety, as well as Alpine, Ali Baba, etc. There are a lot of seeds of these varieties in a pack, the price of packing seeds is a little more than 10 rubles.

Large-fruited strawberries are more difficult to grow from seeds. But how much joy and pride you will experience if you succeed! There are few seeds in a pack, usually 10 pieces, and it is not cheap - more than 50 rubles. It makes sense to try to grow small-fruited strawberries, gain experience and skills in growing them, and then try to grow large-fruited ones.

For seeds, it is better to purchase a universal soil or soil for Saintpaulia. Whichever one you use, it must be disinfected. The easiest way to disinfect the soil in microwave oven. It must be placed in a container, sprinkled with water and steamed at maximum microwave power for 5 minutes. The soil must be completely dry before sowing.

The optimal time for planting strawberries for seedlings is from February to April. If it is possible to create additional lighting, then strawberries from seeds can be planted as early as January. If this is not possible, then you should not rush into planting, as you will get weak elongated seedlings.

Stratification is necessary to improve strawberries. In the process of stratification, inhibitors that inhibit the growth of embryos are destroyed in seeds. Strawberries from seeds germinate better if a layer of snow about 1 cm thick is laid on the ground and the seeds are evenly spread on top of it (if there is no snow at the time of planting, you can scrape frost from the freezer). The container should be placed in a plastic bag or covered with glass and put in the refrigerator for several days, about a week. In the process of snow melting, the seeds will fall to a depth that is optimal for germination. Crops must be ventilated daily, removing the condensate accumulated on the glass (film).

After the expiration of the stratification period, the seed container must be taken out and placed in a well-lit place with diffused light. Strawberries from seeds after stratification sprout relatively quickly. The first shoots appear in a week. The remaining seeds can germinate within a month. During this period, ventilation with the removal of condensate is mandatory. When the top layer of the soil dries out, it is necessary to water carefully, you can use a pipette or a teaspoon, you can spray it from a spray bottle. The soil in which strawberries grow from seeds should be moist, but not waterlogged.

When the sprouts develop 3-4 true leaves, you need to pick (seat young plants according to individual containers). When picking, you can not deepen the heart of strawberries. It should be at ground level, not above and not below. When planting plants, it is advisable not to disturb the earthen lump of the root system, then the engraftment process will be easier. Picked plants can be put in an impromptu greenhouse or covered with foil. They need to be kept in shading for several days, and then put in a bright place so that the seedlings do not stretch.

It is possible to plant seedlings of strawberries in the garden at a time when there is confidence that there will be no more frosts. By this time, as a rule, 5-6 true leaves have already been formed on the bushes.

Among the many varieties, I would especially like to note the variety of strawberries "Elizabeth II". This is a large-fruited culture that bears fruit without pauses. Strawberry "Elizabeth II" forms berries weighing up to 40 g, not only on the mother specimen, but also on the mustache. This variety can be planted in containers. The benefit is double - tasty large berries and an excellent decoration of the site. In adverse weather conditions, it is easy to move the container indoors.

Most varieties of strawberries (garden strawberries) reproduce vegetatively - with a mustache, less often by dividing the bush. But there comes a time when these methods of reproduction become ineffective. Together with the vegetative planting material, the accumulated diseases are also transmitted to the young plant, strawberry seedlings become smaller, change (and not in better side) taste qualities berries. The way out of this situation is the acquisition of a healthy planting material. It can be seedlings from a nursery or seed propagation. However, the purchased strawberry seedlings do not always meet our expectations.

Seedling of strawberries. © Tanya

If strawberries are running (heavily affected by fungal, bacterial and viral diseases), then the best way out of this situation is to switch to alternative propagation by seeds, and for 100% certainty that this is the strawberry variety you have chosen, you can prepare the seeds for sowing and grow seedlings on your own. The work is very exciting and in the first half of the year it will reward you with unusually tasty berries.

Comment. In this article, we call strawberries garden strawberries, or large-fruited strawberries, which is not entirely true from a botanical point of view, but is universally accepted in everyday life.

Content:

Step-by-step technology for growing strawberry seedlings from seeds

Buying Strawberry Seeds

Seeds can be purchased at a specialized store. Buy better seeds, the keeping quality of which exceeds 12 months. For beginner gardeners, varieties of small remontant beardless strawberries are more acceptable: Ali Baba, Baron Solimakher, Alpine. They have high germination and germination energy, which facilitates care, especially when germination and picking.

Of the other varieties capable of forming the first crop of berries when planted permanently in 3-4 months, you can use the varieties Queen Elizabeth, Alexandria, Moscow Debut, World Debut, Picnic, Temptation and others.

Isolation of strawberry seeds from berries

You can collect the seeds yourself. To do this, you need to ask for a few especially large, healthy, well-ripened strawberries from friends, neighbors, or take them from your own berry. If there are several varieties, then number each bag with berries, and write down the name of the variety and the date of selection of berries in the garden diary.

After picking the berries with a sharp blade, carefully cut off the top layer of pulp with seeds above the middle part of the fruit. The cut layer must be very thin, otherwise it will start to rot and the strawberry seeds will die. We place cut strips on gauze folded in several layers or cotton wool, another material with good liquid absorption.

Each variety of strawberries (if there are several) is numbered or signed by the name and laid out in a warm, dry place without direct sunlight. After a few days, the layer of pulp will dry out. Carefully fold the seed pad and rub it between your fingers or palms. Dry husks will release strawberry seeds. Sort them out and arrange them in thick paper bags or in glass jars. Seed material is stored in a dry place.

Shoots of strawberries. © Matty Ring

Preparation of soil mixture for sowing strawberry seeds

The composition of the soil mixture

To grow seedlings of any crop, a special soil mixture is needed, especially for small-seeded crops. For strawberries, you can offer several compositions of the soil mixture:

Mix 3 parts of high-moor peat with sand and biohumus, taken in 1 part,
sheet or sod land mix with sand and peat in a ratio of 2:1:1. Instead of peat, you can add mature humus or biohumus to the mixture,
mature humus and sand (5:3).

Instead of soil mixtures, some gardeners use peat tablets and you can buy a universal substrate for cassettes, pots and other containers. Suggested soil mixtures are optional. Experienced gardeners have many other options in their developments.

Soil disinfection

In any soil mixture there are fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens, pests and their eggs. Therefore, the soil mixture must be disinfected in one of the following ways:

spill the soil with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate;
scatter on a tray and bake in the oven for 1-2 hours at a temperature of +40..+45 °C;
in areas with frosty winters, the soil mixture is harvested from autumn and left in bags on the street to freeze.

Revitalization of the soil mixture

The disinfected soil mixture is filled with useful microflora. To do this, it is treated with biological products containing living beneficial microflora: Emochki-Bokashi, Baikal EM-1, Mikosan-M, Trichodermin, Planriz, Fitosporin and bioinsecticides - Boverin, Fitoverm, Aktofit.

For processing, you can use one or a tank mixture of biological products. After wet treatment, the soil mixture is kept wet for 7-10 days and dried to flowability at room temperature. In the prepared mixture, you can add some mineral fertilizers used for flower crops. Some novice gardeners, in order to reduce the amount preparatory work they simply buy ready-made substrate for strawberries or soil mixture for saintpaulias in flower shops.

Preparing strawberry seeds for sowing

About a week before sowing, strawberry seeds are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate, placing gauze knots with seeds in a dark pink solution for 6-12 hours, then in a growth stimulator solution (Novosil, Narcissus, Kornevin and others) for 3-4 hours. Seeds are pressed and sent for hardening. To do this, 2 layers of bandage are moistened, the seeds are laid out and rolled up with a sausage.

The sausage is placed standing in a container and sent to the refrigerator for the night, and during the day the workpiece is kept at room temperature +18..+22 °C. And so repeat 3 days. It is not necessary to extend the hardening period. Seeds may germinate and die.

It is possible, without hardening, to place the seeds for stratification.

Mini greenhouse for seed germination. © Kristina Bliss

Stratification of strawberry seeds

The seeds of every crop that needs a rest period must be stratified. The duration of stratification depends on the requirements of the culture. Stratification is an artificial winter. During such a “winter”, the seeds go through several stages of development, as a result of which the dormancy period is reduced. Seeds germinate several times faster. So, strawberries germinate for more than 30-40 days, and after stratification in a warm room, the first shoots appear on the 4-5th day and massive after 1-2 weeks.

It is more convenient to carry out the stratification of strawberry seeds after sowing. Containers with seeded material are placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, where they are kept at a temperature of +2..+4 °C for the entire period of stratification. Containers are periodically opened for ventilation and humidification. The substrate must not dry out.

In cold areas, containers with seeded material are covered with a lid or film and placed outside under the snow. After such a natural stratification, the container is transferred to a warm room. For large-fruited strawberry varieties, stratification should be long and take a period of time of at least 2-2.5 months.

You can stratify the seeds separately before sowing. In this case, the seeds are laid for stratification approximately in November-January. The laying time for stratification is counted from the time of sowing for seedlings. For stratification, strawberry seeds are laid out on moistened cotton swabs (round), covered with the same ones (also wet) on top and placed in a container on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator at a temperature of +4 .. + 5 ° С.

Tampons periodically moisturize. At the end of stratification, the seeds are dried a little and sown in prepared containers.

Preparing containers for sowing strawberry seeds

At the bottom of a box or other container, a drainage layer of coarse sand or fine gravel is laid with a layer of 2-3 cm. The prepared container is filled with a layer of soil mixture of 5-10 cm from above, not reaching the top of 1.5-2.0 cm. The soil mixture is slightly compacted with the palm of your hand, moisturize. If there is snow, then scatter a 1-2 cm layer of snow. You can use the frost from the refrigerator. On a flat snowy surface, after 3-4 cm, with a light pressure of the ruler, grooves are made up to 0.2-0.3 cm deep with row spacing of 3 cm. The container is ready for sowing.

Sowing strawberry seeds

Sowing strawberry seeds in prepared containers is carried out in late March-early April. Some gardeners sow in February, but in this case, after germination, the seedlings need additional illumination to ensure the length of the day is 15-16 hours. With a lack of lighting, the seedlings are drawn out, become frail, prone to disease and loss.

Strawberry seeds are laid out in a prepared container on the surface of the snow. Snow (hoarfrost) gradually melts and pulls the seeds to the desired depth. Cover with a lid or light film. With several holes pricked (to provide oxygen).

If sowing was carried out before stratification, then (if necessary) the container with sowing is sent for stratification for 2-2.5 months under the snow on the street or in the refrigerator on the lower shelf before being moved to a warm room. If stratification is carried out before sowing, then the sowing is covered, imitating a mini-greenhouse, and exposed to a warm place with an air temperature of +18..+20 °C.

Alpine strawberry seedling. © gardengal82

Care for strawberry seedlings

The first shoots after the passed stratification may appear on the 4-5th day, and mass shoots after 2-3 weeks. As soon as the first shoots appear, provide the air temperature +23 .. +25 ° С in the first week, which will contribute to a more friendly emergence of shoots. Then transfer the containers with strawberry seedlings to a cool place, with an air temperature of no more than +15 .. +18 ° С (to colder window sills or to other places).

This is necessary so that the seedlings do not stretch. Both during and after germination, the substrate must be kept moist (not wet). Wipe or turn the glass and film daily to prevent condensation from getting on the seedlings.

When the first leaves of the strawberry shoots straighten out, the coating is gradually removed, accustoming young seedlings to increased light and temperature. During this period, the optimum air temperature will be +18..+20 °C. Watering is not needed. At lower temperatures and high humidity weak sprouts can rot. With the full development of 1-2 true leaves, the cover from the seedlings is removed and the young seedlings are transferred to a lighted place, but not under direct sunlight. The air temperature is reduced to +10..+15 °С.

Further care for strawberry seedlings

Further care for seedlings includes moistening the soil, fertilizing, adding soil to the growing seedlings, picking. At first, strawberry seedlings are watered under the root literally from a pipette in the aisle once a week. To avoid a fungal infection, you can carry out 1-2 irrigations with a gap of 2-3 weeks with a solution of biofungicides - planriz, trichodermin, trichopol and others according to the instructions.

If a grown strawberry seedling leaned to one side under a load of leaves, sand or a mixture of sand with fine humus is poured under the base of the stalk, but so as not to cover the central part (heart) of the seedlings. With this addition, young plants quickly form additional roots.

Picking strawberry seedlings

Picking is best done in the phase of 3-4 developed leaves. Some gardeners dive plants during the formation of 2-3 leaves and sometimes carry out 2 dives: in phases of 2-3 and 4-5 leaves, especially if the seedlings have grown and the weather is cold outside. You choose the number of picks yourself according to weather conditions.

We divide the soil mixture in the container into squares with sides of 8x8 or 10x10 cm. In the middle of the square, with a picking peg, we make holes sufficient to freely accommodate the roots of the strawberry seedling. We pre-water the seedlings so that they are easily removed from the parent soil by the cotyledon leaves.

The stem must not be touched when picking! Having taken out the strawberry seedling, we pinch the central root and place the plant in a new place. Gently fall asleep and squeeze the soil around and water in a thin stream so as not to flood the growing point of the seedlings.

Seedling of strawberries. © John and Annie Winings

Feeding strawberry seedlings

After picking, strawberry seedlings can be fed. We carry out top dressing every 10-12 days with fertilizers containing mainly phosphorus and potassium and little nitrogen. Water-soluble fertilizers are optimal - solute, kemira with the addition of a 2% solution of iron chelate and trace elements.

Planting seedlings of strawberries in open ground

Before planting in open ground, we harden strawberry seedlings. Approximately 7-10 days before planting, we gradually (starting from 2-4 hours and up to round-the-clock maintenance) take the seedlings to unheated premises. 1-2 days before transplanting, we leave the seedlings indoors (on the balcony, attic) at a temperature of +10 ° C around the clock.

In the south, we plant seedlings in open ground in the middle or last decade of May, later in the northern regions. We choose the period when the soil warms up to +12 ° C and the threat of return frosts passes. Further care is normal. You can propagate this strawberry in the next 2-5 years with a mustache, layering, dividing the bush. Then again you need to heal the variety through seed propagation.

Growing strawberries from seeds is not easy, but exciting. It is important to follow a few rules in order to get a flowering and fruiting bush.

Growing strawberries from seeds

For a long time, strawberries migrated from gardens and orchards to window sills and loggias in ordinary apartments. Most often, remontant garden strawberries are grown at home (often called strawberries). You can choose plants for almost every taste and color, and seedlings are obtained by growing from seeds.

Seeds from proven agricultural firms can be bought in stores. Another option is to collect seeds from the fruits of your beds, however, after free pollination between several varieties, you will get a hybrid plant with special qualities.

Strawberries are often planted in planters or hanging pots.

Seed collection

You can collect strawberry seeds only from varietal bushes, not from hybrids. Otherwise, your young plants will not retain maternal qualities.

Video: how to collect strawberry seeds

Soil preparation for seedlings

Most often, strawberry seedlings are grown at home, much less often - right in the garden. Seedlings appear small and tender, in open ground they may die.

For strawberry seedlings, the easiest way is to use ready-made universal soil from the store. Usually there is no pathogenic microflora in it, and the composition of the soil is quite suitable for growing strawberries.

There are special soil mixtures for strawberries on sale, but you can use universal peat-based soils.

Proportions of components for self-preparation of soil:

1/2 of the sod land;
1/4 of peat;
1/4 of the sand.

It is useful to add a little wood ash and biohumus to this mixture. The soil must be steamed in an oven or on a steam bath for about 30 minutes to destroy weed seeds, eggs or insect larvae. Sterile soil must be “rested” for about 3 weeks, it is advisable to add beneficial bacteria to it by watering it with Baikal EM1 or Radiance preparations.

Baikal EM1 contains beneficial bacteria that help the plant absorb nutrients from the soil

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Strawberry seeds are tight. On the bags, manufacturers indicate the germination period from 1 week to 2 months. This process can be accelerated by pre-soaking or stratifying the seeds.

The seeds collected or bought in the store are soaked in rain or melted snow water for 3 days. You will have to change the water 2 times a day. During this time, the seeds will swell. They are laid out in plates on wet paper napkins, wrapped in a plastic bag and placed in a warm place, making sure that the napkins do not dry out. Hatching seeds can be planted in individual peat tablets or in rows in boxes.

When germinating, the seeds must be constantly in a humid environment.

Stratification is the long-term keeping of plant seeds at a certain temperature to accelerate their germination. Strawberry seeds can be stratified both soaked and already planted in boxes.

Stratification of soaked seeds

Wet seeds are poured into small saucers and covered with a film, then they are placed in a cool place with a temperature of 2–4 0 C, perfect option- refrigerator shelf Once a week, the seeds need to be checked: ventilate and add water if necessary. Seeds can be stratified in this state from 3 weeks to 3 months.

For stratification, the seeds are placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Stratification of planted seeds

The planted seeds are moistened and, covered with a film, are also put in the refrigerator. The box can be kept at a temperature of 2–4 0 C for about a month, and then transferred to a warm place. Usually after this shoots appear together.

Seed sparging

Another way to increase seed germination is bubbling. This is the process by which the seeds are in warm water with air. The most simple circuit- lower the tube from the aquarium compressor into a liter jar with warm melt (rain) water. Seeds should be placed in a gauze bag or poured immediately into a jar (if one variety), turn on the compressor for 2 days. It is important that the water temperature is around 25°C. After bubbling, the seeds are slightly dried and sown as usual.

Hard-to-growth strawberry seeds are barbored for 2 days

Sowing seeds in boxes

You can sow strawberries both in boxes and in peat tablets.

Sowing seeds in the snow

Sowing seeds in the snow is one of the most simple ways getting seedlings.

When the snow melts, the seeds are slightly pulled into the soil, it is no longer necessary to sprinkle them.

When to sow strawberries

Strawberries from seeds require warmth and sun. In addition, it grows for a long time - it needs about 5 months before the development of flower stalks, so it should be sown in February. good seedling strawberries will grow only at an air temperature of more than 23 0 C and a day length of 12–14 hours. Therefore, in February, she definitely needs lighting with phytolamps. If there are no such conditions, then plant strawberries in March - April.

Care after landing

Boxes with planted strawberries should be kept in a warm place, the seeds can germinate both in the light and in the dark. Check and ventilate the greenhouses at least once a day, removing drops of condensate from the film. Depending on the freshness of the seeds, the manufacturer and pre-treatment, seedlings may appear in a week or a month.

Seedling care

After the appearance of the first shoots, the boxes must be transferred to the brightest place, under the phytolamps or to the south window. It is better not to remove the film yet - too dry air of the apartment will destroy young tender sprouts in a few hours. Therefore, it is better to take trays with transparent lids. You need to water from a syringe or spraying with a spray bottle, because young seedlings only slightly cling to the soil with roots.

Strawberry shoots are very tender, it is better to leave shelter for the first time

Seedling picking

It is advisable to pick seedlings after 2-3 true leaves appear. A week before this, seedlings need to be accustomed to room air, for this, the greenhouse lid begins to open slightly for a few minutes or leaving a slightly noticeable crack. Every day the gap is increased and then the cover is removed completely. Be sure to watch the soil: if it dries out, the plants will die.

Seedlings ready for picking should have 2-3 true leaves.

For pickled seedlings, individual pots with a volume of 200–250 ml are suitable, you can take universal soil, but add 0.5 l of biohumus to 10 liters of substrate.

The first time after picking, you need to carefully monitor the seedlings. If the room is dry and hot, it is necessary to spray the leaves with warm water.

To relieve stress in plants, you can add HB 101 to the water (1 drop per 0.5 l).

Seedling feeding

2 weeks after picking, you can start feeding strawberry seedlings. At this time, the seedlings should actively grow, so it is better to use fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen. Both liquid and water-soluble dry mineral fertilizers can be used. Frequency of use - 1 time in 7-10 days.

Fasco - fertilizer for young plants, nitrogen predominates in the composition

strawberry seedling care

The main care for strawberries before planting in the ground or pots is watering, fertilizing, spraying.

Strawberries should be watered so that the earthen ball does not dry out, but is not waterlogged either. You need to focus on the condition of the soil. For example, seedlings standing on a southern window under the sun's rays will dry out much more often than seedlings standing under lamps in the back of the room.
Periodically, plants need to be sprayed with water to maintain optimal humidity, because in dry and hot air, strawberries can be attacked by pests: spider mite, thrips.
It is not advisable to loosen the seedlings, since the strawberry root system is superficial and can be damaged.
The length of the day for the best growth should be about 12-14 hours.

Good strawberry seedlings have powerful leaves and developed roots.

Planting seedlings in open ground

3-4 months after germination, seedlings can be planted in open ground or in a permanent place in a flower pot - for indoor cultivation. Plants are planted in open ground from mid-May, or after the temperature during the day is about 20 o C and at night 15 o C. 0.5 hours during the day, then for 1–1.5 hours, then left for a longer period).

If it is not possible to harden, then strawberry seedlings can be placed in a greenhouse or greenhouse. It is very important to harden plants that have grown without access to sunlight. After planting unprepared seedlings in the garden, tender leaves can burn under the bright sun.

Transplant process:

Seedlings are well watered before planting in the ground.
On the prepared bed, holes are made at a distance of 30 to 50 cm between plants (depending on the variety).
Seedlings are taken out of the pot. If the roots are twisted into a spiral, then they need to be straightened, and if they are too long, they should be cut.
A lump is placed in the hole so that the plant is at the same level of the ground as in the pot.
The earth around the strawberries is crushed and watered.

It is not for nothing that garden strawberries are called strawberries. To prevent rapid evaporation of moisture from the soil, the bushes are mulched with chopped straw. It also helps keep the crop from rot.

Video: planting seedlings of strawberries in the ground

Alternative ways to plant strawberry seeds

In addition to planting in pots, strawberry seeds can be grown in peat tablets and in a snail.

Video: planting strawberries in a snail

Video: planting strawberries in peat tablets

What varieties are best to take for growing from seeds

Before the start of the season, ask yourself the question: where and why will you plant strawberries.

container growing at home or on a balcony: remontant varieties and hybrids with different berry sizes will be needed;
cultivation in open ground: varieties or hybrids of ordinary large-fruited strawberries;
growing in a greenhouse for sale: varieties of large-fruited high-yielding remontant strawberries.

In addition, there are varieties that do not produce whiskers or give them little. Some varieties bear fruit not only on the mother plant, but also on rosettes formed on the mustache.

Alpine varieties and hybrids of strawberries

Alpine varieties are distinguished by small berries, mainly with the aroma of wild strawberries. Most often - beardless, but varieties have appeared that give a small amount of mustache. Alpine strawberry blooms and bears fruit all season, it is more adapted to shady places and is successfully grown on loggias, balconies, apartments, as well as on alpine slides in open ground.

Table: popular varieties of alpine strawberries

Name	Description
Alexandria	The mass of the berry is from 3 to 5 g, very fragrant, juicy, dark red. The bushes are dense, not giving a mustache.
Ali Baba	Beardless strawberries, berries are fragrant, can grow up to 5 g, the color is bright pink. The plant is wide due to the ability to quickly bush.
Baron Solemacher	Bushes up to 20 cm high, not giving a mustache. The berry is sweet, fragrant, weighing up to 4 g.
Snow White	Strawberries with an unusual color of berries - white, with the smell and taste of pineapple. Bushes do not give mustaches, densely leafy, but small.
forest fairy tale	A medium-sized shrub that does not give a mustache. very different abundant flowering and fruitfulness. Berries weight - 4 g. Color - red.
Ruyana	A beardless strawberry with tall peduncles. Berries from 2 to 5 g, red, fragrant, very tasty.
White Soul	Compact shrub, no more than 15 cm high, with creamy white conical berries. Ripe fruits have a pineapple flavor.
alpine dream	Suitable for both open ground and pot culture. Very early, bears fruit throughout the warm season. The berries are fragrant, rather large, up to 3 cm in diameter.
Regina	Early remontant strawberry, ready to bear fruit all summer without a break. From one bush you can get up to 500 berries.
yellow miracle	Remontant variety of beardless strawberry. Berries yellow color, fragrant, weighing up to 3 g. The bushes are very compact, no more than 25 cm high.
Fragrant Surprise	Under this name, a mixture of beardless remontant varieties of alpine strawberries is sold. In a pack, both red and white berries come across, not inferior to each other in taste.

Photo gallery: Alpine strawberry varieties

Strawberries Yellow Miracle - a remontant variety of beardless strawberries Strawberries Alexandria have juicy fragrant berries Strawberries Regina bears fruit all summer Strawberries bush Baron Solemacher does not give a mustache Strawberries Snow White have an unusual color for culture - white Strawberries Ruyan are distinguished by high peduncles

Varieties of ampelous strawberries

Ampel strawberries are distinguished by the presence of a mustache. In addition, each tendril is immediately ready to bear fruit. If you plant such a strawberry in a high hanging planter, then hanging mustaches, with berries and flowers, give the impression of curly. Such varieties are very demanding on nutrition, especially in a limited pot space - they need fertile soil and constant feeding.

Many varieties of ampelous strawberries have pink petals, which is very unusual and beautiful.

Table: varieties of ampel remontant strawberries

Name	Description
Elizabeth, Elizabeth 2	A remontant variety, the bush is very large, wide, can grow up to 50 cm in open ground. The berries are large, up to 40 g, red. The variety is productive.
Temptation F1	Strawberries of Italian selection, remontant, large-fruited, can be grown in open and closed ground. The berries are large, weighing up to 35 g, tasty. During the season, the bush gives up to 20 peduncles, from one plant at good conditions collect up to 1.5 kg of berries.
Flavor of Summer F1	Remontant variety with a large number of mustaches that bloom even without rooting. A bush up to 30 cm high. Up to 1.3 kg of berries can be collected per season from a plant.

Large-fruited strawberries

Garden large-fruited strawberries (strawberries) are also perfectly grown from seed. Many varieties are brought from abroad, but it is important to take into account their winter hardiness.

Table: varieties of large-fruited strawberries for growing from seeds

Name	Description
Dawn	Remontant variety of beardless strawberry. Berries can grow up to 18 g, beautiful egg-shaped. Bush up to 25 cm high, insensitive to changes in the length of daylight hours.
Gigantella	Dutch variety with huge, up to 100 g, berries. The color of the fruit is bright scarlet, the taste is sweet, with hints of pineapple. The bush is large, reaching a height of 50 cm. Not remontant.
holiday	American variety, spreading bushes, berries up to 30 g, round-conical shape, red. Not repairable.
Cinderella	Variety of domestic selection, bush compact, vigorous, fruitful. The first berries are up to 40 g, the next - up to 23 g. The variety is not remontant.
Lyubasha	Large-fruited remontant strawberry. Bushes are powerful, sprawling. Berries are conical in shape, weighing up to 22 g. Sweet, red. Mustache does not give.
Tristar	Remontant large-fruited variety. Berries weighing up to 30 g, cone-shaped, dark red, very sweet. The bush is compact. Requires a lot of food.
Yoke	Remontant variety of large-fruited beardless strawberries. Bush up to 20 cm high, compact. Berries up to 25 g, red, sweet, fragrant.
Geneva	Large-fruited remontant strawberry, forms little whiskers. The first berries can weigh up to 50 g.
Zephyr	Non-remontant high-yielding variety, bred in Denmark. Differs in tall and strong peduncles that do not lie on the ground under the weight of berries. The average fruit weight is 20 g, but there are also larger ones. One adult bush per season is able to produce 1 kg of berries.
Lizonka F1	Large-fruited, early, high-yielding hybrid. Flowers of an unusual bright pink color, berries are red, weighing up to 30 g.
Scarlet Light F1	A large-fruited remontant strawberry that can be grown in a pot. Plant height up to 35 cm. Red berries with nutmeg aroma.

Photo gallery: varieties of large-fruited strawberries grown from seeds

Dawn - remontant strawberry Gigantella gives berries of 100 g
The first strawberries Geneva gain weight of 50 g One adult bush of strawberries Zephyr can produce 1 kg of berries per season Strawberry Tristar requires quality nutrition