When to sow strawberries for seedlings: basic growing rules. Growing garden strawberries with seeds

Strawberries are a delicious berry that grows in gardens everywhere. Even in the tiniest plots there is almost always room for a bed of this berry crop.

The love for the plant is evidenced by the many varieties with the most different characteristics, size, taste of berries, timing of fruiting.

Strawberries are propagated using whiskers, or more precisely, by root rosettes that form on them. However, given the characteristics of some varieties, the berry is very often propagated by seeds.

Let's try to figure out when to sow strawberries for seedlings and how to care for them later in order to get good harvest.

Time for sowing strawberries for seedlings

Most often, amateurs plant strawberries with rosettes, which are located on the tendrils of the plant. They take them either from their own plants, or purchase them in nurseries, stores, and markets.

Seedlings of popular or new varieties of strawberries are sometimes unreasonably expensive, much more expensive than the number of berries that one bush will produce.

The seed propagation method is much cheaper, but many people find it labor-intensive and inaccessible.

You can choose varietal seeds at an affordable price in a retail chain or collect them yourself.

In addition, it is worth considering that vineless varieties are now popular, so the skills of growing strawberry seedlings from seeds will be useful to lovers of this berry.

From an economic point of view, self-harvesting seeds is beneficial. To do this, choose bushes of the desired variety from the garden bed, or simply strawberries that you like in taste and size.

A well-ripened berry is removed from the bush and allowed to lie still. After that, use a knife to scrape off the top layer of seeds, spread them on paper and dry. Store dry seeds in paper bags until sowing them for seedlings.

The timing of sowing strawberry seeds depends on whether the seedlings are intended for spring or autumn planting in the ground.

The main difference in these terms is that from seedlings planted in autumn, next summer there will be full harvest berries

From spring planting There will either be no berries at all, or the harvest will be very meager. Only remontant varieties can please you with a sufficient number of berries at the end of summer.

In order for the seedling to become stronger and have developed properties by the time it is planted in the ground. root system, real leaves and the first berries of the current season, then it is better to sow strawberry seeds at the end of January or in the first ten days of February. The difficulty with such sowing is the need for additional lighting.

For planting in the ground before autumn, strawberry seeds are sown for seedlings in April - May. Such seedlings will be ready for transplanting into the garden by the beginning of August.

Thus, we can distinguish two main periods when strawberry seeds are sown for seedlings - these are January, February and April, May. Although depending on climatic conditions There may be deviations from these deadlines.

Video on how to care for strawberry seedlings:

To successfully obtain planting material, you need to know some of the features of growing strawberries from seeds.

Important points in growing strawberry seedlings, varieties

Soil pre-treatment

The land for sowing seeds must be well disinfected with any in an accessible way. You can hold it for half an hour quartz lamp or steam at a temperature of + 150 degrees in the oven for at least half an hour.

In this case, you can start sowing after the soil has cooled.

Seed stratification

To speed up the germination of strawberry seeds, they can be placed for five to six days in a room where the temperature is not higher than + 5 degrees.

The bottom drawer of a refrigerator or a glazed unheated loggia or greenhouse are also suitable for this. If possible, the seeds can be sprinkled with snow.

In addition to stratification, seeds can be soaked for a day in a solution of potassium permanganate or any growth stimulant.

Sowing seeds

You need to sow the seeds into the ground at a distance of 2 - 5 cm. Lay them out on top, without planting them to depth.

This can be done with a toothpick, a sharpened match or small tweezers.

Before the emergence of seedlings, the soil should be sprayed with a spray bottle, not allowing it to dry out.

There is a practice to keep the seeds in a transparent bag in sunlight in a humid environment, and when a seedling appears, plant them in the ground. Sowing on peat tablets has proven itself well.

Emergence, care

The first shoots may appear on days 14-15, but very often strawberry seeds begin to germinate only after three to four weeks. There are known cases of seedlings appearing after 35 - 40 days.

In the first weeks, seedlings need regular watering, but they are so thin that it is better to do this with a small syringe, dripping a few drops next to the sprout.

To maintain the humidity regime, the container must be covered with perforated transparent film. The holes in it are needed to prevent condensation from accumulating.

The film can be removed when the first pair of true leaves appear.

It is optimal to transplant to permanent place seedlings at the stage of three to four true leaves.

Choosing a strawberry variety

Gums, early
Kokinskaya early
Corrado, mid-early
Festival, medium
Lord, medium
Cardinal, medium late
Bogota, late
Queen Elizabeth, remontant
Yellow miracle, remontant
Snow White, decorative

If the experience of growing strawberries from seeds was successful, then after a year the number of strawberry bushes can be doubled by dividing them after the end of fruiting, and for varieties that produce mustache, it is better to take planting material from the bushes of the third year of life.

Strawberry- a delicious berry that is a rich source of vitamins and microelements. There is no person in the world who has not tried these fragrant bright scarlet, dark red, yellow and even white berries at least once in his life. Every gardener lovingly grows strawberries on his plot, the taste of which is known to everyone since childhood.

Juicy strawberries are a great spring/summer treat containing huge amount vitamin C. Yes, every 100g of berries contains even more of it than required daily norm for humans and in terms of quantity they are second only to black currants.

Strawberries come from America, but for a long time they have been in small and industrial scale grown not only in the USA, but throughout the world: Ukraine, Russia, Great Britain, Germany, France, Israel, etc. A huge number of companies are developing new varieties, crossing it with other species and even other plants. Especially in lately Strawberries have become the leader among all berry crops.

Strawberry - perennial, which is grown both in fields and in greenhouses and even in houses on window sills. Many people create special greenhouse conditions for it, allowing it to produce berries all year round.

In this article I will share with the readers of the House of Knowledge my own experience How to get magnificent strawberry bushes from purchased seeds, which will bring you good harvests of this magnificent berry for many years.

How to choose a strawberry variety to grow.

In horticulture, there are more than two and a half thousand species and hybrids of strawberries. Before purchasing any seeds, I recommend paying attention to the ripening time of the berries, their size, taste, size of the bushes and remontancy (propagation method).

According to the ripening period, strawberries are divided into early, middle and late. To obtain berries for consumption, it is customary to plant early varieties, and the middle and late ones are often used for preparations for the winter in the form of jam, juices, compotes, etc.

Each strawberry variety is unique and requires certain conditions cultivation, so before purchasing seeds you need to know:

Is the variety you like suitable for growing in the soil on your site? Yes, most varieties of strawberries thrive in any soil except acidic and swampy ones, but there are exceptions that require certain soils.
There are varieties that have higher resistance to severe frosts, diseases, as well as high or low humidity.
Strawberry varieties have long been developed that can be grown not only horizontally, but also in vertical position. They are often used as live decorative ornaments, bringing a lot of tasty berries.
Each type of strawberry has its own unique berry flavor: sweet, tart, sour, or even pineapple or banana flavored.

Here are several varieties of strawberries that have proven themselves: Gigantella, Mashenka, Victoria, Desna, Anapolis, Camarosa, Regina, Fragola, etc.

I’ll say a few words about where it’s better to buy strawberries so as not to fall for the bait of criminals. I bought two varieties for myself flower shop close to home, and three more via the Internet.

I think you don’t need to explain how to buy seeds at the market or in a store. But when purchasing via the Internet, be careful and order them only from those online stores where customers leave their positive comments in real time. Also, sites that provide online consultations. From them you can immediately obtain additional information on a particular variety of strawberry. And yet, I recommend buying seeds cash on delivery. In this case, you will pay for the order only upon receipt.

I also recommend purchasing and planting several varieties at once, since based on the results of germination and fruiting, you can choose and keep the ones you like best.

For example, when growing strawberries from seeds, I planted 4 varieties: Regina, Pink Miracle, Italian variety “Fragola” and white strawberries with an unsurpassed taste “White Soul”.

Thus, after experimenting for a year, you will know exactly which variety of strawberries you should keep and which one should be removed.

Planting strawberry seeds for seedlings.

Some sites recommend sowing strawberry seeds for seedlings at the end of February or early March, but I sowed mine in the second half of December, or to be more precise, on December 25th. If you do the same as I did, then by spring the seedlings will already be quite strong with a well-developed root system, which will allow them to more easily transfer the transplant to open ground to a permanent place.

If you ordered strawberry seeds online, then before they arrive you have time to prepare everything for sowing:

Pots or boxes;
soil;

Pots or boxes for growing strawberry seedlings.
As containers for growing strawberries, you can use special pots for seedlings, ordinary flower pots, wooden or plastic boxes.

To plant my seeds, I used ordinary plastic boxes designed for storing and transporting vegetables or fruits.

I put plastic film on the bottom of the boxes and made it drainage holes to drain excess moisture, and also placed small trays under each of them as a tray.

You can also use wooden boxes or ordinary flower pots. The main thing is that there are holes to drain excess moisture, otherwise the seeds or seedlings may rot.

Soil for planting strawberry seeds.
You can use it as soil for sowing strawberry seeds. good black soil. It should be “fluffy” and allow air and moisture to pass through well.

If you have the opportunity and desire, you can make the soil mixture yourself. To do this you need to mix:

Sod land (1 part);
Peat (1 part);
Pure coarse river sand(1 part).

Strawberry seeds require a clean and disinfected soil mixture. Therefore, in order to destroy pests and their eggs, as well as bacteria and fungi, the soil must be calcined in the oven for about 30 minutes at a temperature of 150 0 C. I once disinfected the soil using this method and therefore I recommend doing this only in a well-ventilated area.

You can also purchase soil for growing strawberry seedlings at a flower shop. A fruit and berry soil mixture intended for seedlings is perfect for this. It is also great for strawberry seedlings.

Place for growing strawberry seedlings.

To obtain good strawberry seedlings from seeds, you need a warm and well-lit place, but direct sun rays Under no circumstances should they fall on seeds or seedlings. In other words, the light should be bright, but diffused. Western and eastern window sills are well suited for this. It is better not to grow strawberries on northern windowsills, since due to lack of lighting, the seedlings will grow slowly, and the plants themselves will be weak and pale.

It is also very important not to place pots or boxes with future strawberries in drafts, especially in winter, so as not to freeze the plants. During the period of germination and growth, they need a warm (18-20 0 C) place with high humidity.

Once you have prepared all of the above, start planting strawberry seeds.

Sowing strawberry seeds to obtain seedlings.

There are two ways to sow strawberries: soaking or directly into the ground.

Soaking strawberry seeds and hardening them.
Many people recommend soaking the seeds for swelling for a couple of days before planting, but do not completely cover them with water, otherwise they will swell. literally words will choke. It is best to place strawberry seeds on a damp cloth or cotton wool, which must be constantly moistened and not allowed to dry out. Some even recommend placing a moistened cotton wool or cloth with seeds in the warmest place of the refrigerator 2-4 0 C. It is believed that in this way the seeds will harden a little and the plants will be easier to endure winter. After two days, they are removed from the cotton wool or cloth, placed on top of moist soil and lightly pressed into the ground. And under no circumstances should you cover the seeds with soil, as young sprouts will not be able to break through the thick layer of soil.

This method is not necessary, so I planted my strawberry seeds directly in boxes.

Step by step instructions planting strawberry seeds directly into the ground.
I planted strawberry seeds directly into the ground, as a result of which I got a strong and strong seedlings strawberries But let's take things in order.

1. Place plastic wrap with holes for drainage on the bottom of the boxes.

2. Fill the boxes with soil to about 10cm.

3. Place any trays under the boxes that will drain excess moisture. As I said before, I used small trays for this.

4. Moisten the soil well with water.

5. There are very few strawberry seeds in bags, often about 5 pieces, so open them very carefully so as not to spill or lose a single piece.

6. Place the seeds evenly throughout the entire pot on top of the soil and then lightly press them into the soil or sprinkle them with a very thin layer of soil (up to 5mm). This must be done so that the seeds do not spread across the surface of the soil during watering. In general, strawberry seeds are not naturally buried in the ground, so they are very weak and if they are buried deep, they will simply die.

7. Now, in order not to forget where each strawberry is, attach tags with the name of the varieties, after which to create greenhouse conditions I covered the boxes with seeds plastic film. To prevent the top film from falling off, I pressed it with a regular elastic band tied into a ring.

8. Place the boxes in a warm (18-22 0 C) and well-lit place, for example, on a windowsill or a warm balcony.

Caring for strawberry seedlings grown from seeds.

After planting strawberry seeds, the top film (ukratie) can be removed only to moisten the soil, and when sprouts appear, it is necessary to do daily ventilation for 20-30 minutes.

Water Strawberry seeds are necessary as the soil dries out, but you shouldn’t over-water them either, since the seeds and young shoots can simply rot and die.

IN good conditions The first strawberry sprouts will begin to appear in about 1-2 weeks. They will be very tender and with only two small round leaves.

Temperature, at which I grew my strawberry seedlings, was about 20-21 0 C.

Lighting - daytime diffused light. As I said above, direct sunlight is not permissible, so if it hits the plants, be sure to shade the strawberries during these periods. And if there is not enough light (especially in winter, when daylight hours are short), then make additional artificial lighting, setting, for example, table lamp or a special phyto lamp for plants.

The third, as they say “real” leaf, will appear about a month after planting. I noticed leaves similar to strawberry leaves on my sprouts on January 22.

In March you will have small, but full-fledged bushes with several leaves.

During this period, I already had entire strawberry “thickets” consisting of miniature plants.

If desired, and so that the roots of young strawberry bushes do not have time to become too intertwined, they can be transplanted into separate pots. This is done simply. First, water the strawberry boxes thoroughly to soften the soil and make it easier to separate the plants from each other. Then prepare the pots, lay expanded clay or gravel drainage on the bottom, and pour a few centimeters of soil on top of the same composition as when sowing the seeds. Then carefully separate 1-3 strawberry bushes and place them on the ground in new pot, then sprinkle the roots with soil. The ground should not be higher than the rosette from which the leaves grow. Then water the bushes generously and place them in a well-lit, warm place, but not in the sun, even if it is spring, otherwise burns will appear on the leaves. Also, do not forget to attach a tag with the name of the variety to each pot.

I sowed strawberries that do not sprout and can be grown at home, so by the end of April, I planted several bushes in separate pots made from 6-liter plastic eggplants.

Strawberry bushes grown from seeds in early May, when average daily temperature will be 15-20 0 C, you can plant it in open ground, after which you will receive the first berries in the same year. Read how this is done in my next article.

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Even experienced gardeners It is difficult to plant strawberries with seeds for seedlings. The berry does not sprout for a long time, it is very capricious, and with an excess or even a short-term lack of moisture, it immediately dies. But its reproduction by seed method sometimes necessary. What are the advantages of growing strawberries from seeds, and what difficulties will you have to overcome?

Choosing a strawberry variety for seedlings

Growing strawberry seedlings yourself begins with choosing your preferred varieties. Gardeners must choose strawberry varieties that are suitable for certain climate conditions and soils. Information about these features is usually placed by manufacturers on seed packages.

When choosing, it is also important to consider the difficulty of growing the variety. Currently in garden centers a huge number of seeds are sold different varieties strawberries It is best for beginning gardeners to pay attention to unpretentious varieties with medium berries that do not differ in complex agricultural technology and can be successfully grown by a person who does not have solid knowledge in the field of agriculture.

Experienced summer residents who are familiar with the intricacies of how to plant strawberry seeds for seedlings from scratch can master the production of planting material of large remontant varieties and capricious hybrids.

Preparing strawberry seeds for seedlings

Thanks to seed germination, you will be able to further control the germination process. To do this, soak the seeds in rain or melt water for about 2-3 days and change it twice daily. Because of this, germination inhibitors in seed material, which slow down the growth of the embryo, will be destroyed. After this period, spread the swollen seeds on damp toilet or filter paper, previously laid on a saucer, in a thin layer. Then place it all in a plastic bag and move it to a warm, lit place (but away from direct sunlight, otherwise you will need frequent watering). There is another preparatory procedure - stratification. It helps to obtain stronger, more friendly and healthy seedlings. To carry out stratification, take a container with wet sown seeds, place it in the refrigerator and keep it there for 21-28 days, then put it in a warm place for subsequent germination.

Soil for strawberry seedlings at home

The soil used for adult plants is categorically unsuitable for seeds. If you take the soil used for seedlings for planting, you will not be able to get seedlings. The composition of the soil for seeds differs significantly.

You can make soil for strawberries with your own hands using two basic recipes. In the first case, it is recommended to combine the following components in a 1:1:2 ratio:

peat;
river sand;
turf land.

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To provide future plants with high-quality nutrition, the soil must be enriched with complex mineral fertilizer. If it is not available, you can use a mixture of wood ash and rotted manure. It will provide the seedlings with all the necessary nutrition. The second soil option is a mixture in a 1:3:1 ratio of the following components:

vermicompost;
peat;
coarse river sand.

As a last resort, it is possible to use a two-component soil consisting of 4 parts peat and 1 part coarse sand, but such a composition is undesirable.

An important indicator when growing strawberries from seeds is the acidity of the soil in which the material will be initially sown. It must be neutral. Knowing how to prepare an enriched substrate for strawberries, it is not difficult to meet this criterion.

When to sow strawberry seedlings at home

The process of planting strawberries is not too complicated and differs little from sowing any other crops:

If sowing occurs in a box, then the distance between the seeds should be from 2 to 5 cm.
Sowing is carried out superficially; the seeds are not buried in the ground. You can use a toothpick or small tweezers to place them on the surface of the soil.
It is important to constantly maintain soil moisture by regularly spraying crops before emergence.
The container with the seeds must be covered with glass, placed in a bag or placed in a greenhouse, since strawberries are demanding of air humidity.
Before the first shoots appear, the box with the sown seeds can be kept in a dark place, but after the sprouts appear they will need a lot of light.

It is important to air the seeds daily to avoid rotting and excessive condensation. Gradually, the time outside the greenhouse can be increased. At a temperature of about +18 degrees, the first shoots will appear within two weeks. However, there is a very high probability that the seeds will not germinate evenly - some may sprout only after a month. When most of the seeds have germinated, the cover is removed from the box.

Caring for strawberry seedlings at home

If strawberry seeds are planted in one container, then after the first three or four true leaves appear, the seedlings must be planted in separate containers, these can be: plastic glasses, tetra-packs, etc. Be sure to make drainage holes in each container.

Seedlings must be separated carefully so as not to damage the roots. When there are two to three weeks left before planting in open ground, the seedlings need to be hardened, that is, accustomed to sunlight, wind, and rain. If there is a balcony or veranda, you need to take the seedlings there, starting at two o’clock, gradually increasing the time. During this time, the seedlings will get used to fresh air, will get stronger.

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Watering strawberry seedlings

Watering depends on weather conditions, i.e. its frequency is determined by soil moisture. It is preferable to water strawberry seedlings in the morning so that the plants have time to dry out by night. Before flowering, you can use the sprinkling method; in this case, the leaves are better cleared of dust and develop faster. From the moment of flowering and then fruiting, water only the soil, avoiding water getting on the plants.
You should not water frequently, and even in small doses, as such watering leads to the proliferation of diseases ( powdery mildew, gray mold). In dry, warm weather, water no more than once a week. Before flowering, water consumption per 1 sq. m about 10 -12 liters, with the onset of fruiting it doubles. Do not water with cold water optimal temperature for watering - 18-22 degrees C.

Picking strawberry seedlings

Picking is carried out when the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves. The sprouts are transplanted into separate small containers (50–100 ml each). For the successful development of the strawberry root system, it must be protected from light. Therefore, containers are taken opaque (dark plastic). You can use regular transparent water cups, but they should be placed in a dark, tall tray. Drainage holes are made in the bottom of the containers. They should be large enough for the sprouts to absorb water from the pan. By watering seedlings through a tray, the development of a powerful root system is accelerated.

In the soil where the plant is transplanted, make a depression with a stick or pencil. It should be deep enough so that the spine does not bend. A solution of “Kornevin” or another stimulant for root formation is dripped into the hole. The sprout is taken by the leaf and lowered into the prepared hole. The rosette from which the leaves grow should not be buried in the soil, but should not stick out from it either. On the first day after picking, it is advisable to cover the seedlings with film.

Before planting in the ground, caring for seedlings consists of periodic watering, spraying the leaves every 2–3 days, for which they use melt water. Fertilizing is carried out once with liquid complex fertilizer in half the dose 2 weeks before transplanting into the ground.

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Conventional varieties must be planted in soil previously fertilized with rotted manure. It must be applied a month before planting. Apply 1 bucket per 1 sq m of beds. If the soil is prepared well enough, then throughout the year only add nitrogen compost, 50 g. phosphate fertilizers and about 100 g of potash fertilizers.

Top dressing remontant strawberries varies significantly. Since these varieties are distinguished by strong yield and intensive growth, it is necessary to apply up to 5 buckets organic fertilizer. Also add up to 100 g of complex fertilizers and 5 buckets of peat. Subsequently add slurry or any other complex fertilizers. Before applying fertilizer, be sure to water the berries. To prepare slurry, cow dung is mixed with water in a ratio of 1:5; if chicken poop is used, then the proportions are 1:10. For each meter of bed, 10 liters of solution are required.

Strawberries are considered a wild berry that grows in the shade; their berries are small and very tasty. Most often we grow strawberries in our gardens and vegetable gardens. It is much easier to collect a good harvest of strawberries from the garden than wild strawberries. However, strawberries are so tasty that my mother grows them in the shade, under a currant bush, just to eat.

We grew it ourselves at home from seeds. Fortunately now in garden stores, you can buy strawberry seeds, and growing strawberry seedlings at home is quite easy. The main thing is to know when to plant strawberries. But, if you have lamps for supplementary illumination of plants, you won’t even need to worry about planting dates garden plants. Just check the lunar calendar to ensure your landing day is favorable.

When to plant strawberries for seedlings- it is best if strawberries are planted with seeds for seedlings in February - early March. During this time, fill small bowls, such as egg containers, with soil. Place a layer of snow on top and compact it with a teaspoon. Then place one strawberry seed on the snow, cover the containers with film or glass and place on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 2 - 3 weeks. Then place it in a bright place. When the snow melts, it will pull the seed halfway into the soil. Small seeds require light to germinate, so they should not be covered with soil. The seedlings are tiny, like two green dots on the soil.

The most important thing is not to nail the cotyledons to the soil during watering, so you need to water with a pipette, without getting on the plants, preferably along the edges of the container. When the strawberry seedlings grow a little, they can be planted with soil.

After they pass spring frosts, strawberries can be planted in a shkolka (in a specially prepared small bed, free of weeds), if by this time it already has 3 - 4 true leaves. In August you can plant the bushes in place.

Please note that when sowing strawberries with seeds for seedlings, splitting occurs, that is, not all bushes will have maternal properties.

When to sow strawberries for seedlings in 2019

By lunar calendar, better days To sow strawberry seeds for seedlings in 2019, the following:

in January It is best to sow strawberries on the 2nd, 14th, 17th, 18th, 20th. January 6 and 21 will be unfavorable for planting seeds;
when to sow strawberries for seedlings in February: the best days for sowing strawberries are 9 - 12, 14, but sowing is also possible on the 16th - 18th, and it is better not to sow strawberry seeds on February 5 and 19;
sowing strawberries for seedlings in March the most successful will be March 7 - 10, you can also do planting work March 15, 16. Unfavorable days for sowing strawberry seedlings will be March 6 and 21.

Traditionally, garden strawberries are propagated by rooted rosettes and dividing the bush. But in cases of growing beardless varieties in the best possible way propagation is the growing of seedlings from seeds. This is not an entirely simple matter - it has certain nuances and subtleties, without which it will not be possible to obtain plants. Let us dwell in detail on the rules and methods of sowing strawberry seeds.

Collection and preparation of strawberry seeds for sowing

Strawberry seeds can be purchased in the store, but their germination rate may be very poor, since this crop retains it for no more than one year. To avoid this problem and obtain a sufficient amount of seed, you can collect the seeds yourself. In any case, before sowing, they must be prepared in a certain way.

How to collect seeds correctly

Hybrids cannot be used for sowing strawberries, since they do not retain their properties using this method. varietal characteristics. Therefore, seeds are collected only from varietal plants. This can be done in different ways - we will describe two methods of collecting seeds. The first one is older:

The ripest and largest berries are selected from healthy and productive bushes.
Using a scalpel or sharp blade, carefully cut off a thin layer of skin with seeds.
The resulting sections are dried for several days, spreading them evenly on a plate. Do this in a well-ventilated place warmed by the sun.
When the sections are dry, collect the seeds from the plate; if they stick, scrape them off with a knife.

Method of collecting seeds using a blender:

The collected berries are placed in kitchen blender and pour a large number water.
The collected berries are placed in a kitchen blender and filled with plenty of water.
Turn on the blender for 1-2 minutes.
Strain the resulting mixture through a fine strainer.
To collect the seeds, strain the resulting mixture through a fine strainer.
The seeds are transferred from the strainer onto a napkin to dry.
Seeds from the strainer are transferred to a napkin to dry.
The remaining mixture is placed again in a blender glass, allowed to settle and filtered again. The procedure is repeated several times until all the seeds are collected.

Video: collecting strawberry seeds using a blender

Sowing time

Strawberry seeds have poor germination. Without preliminary preparation, seedlings may appear in 1-2 months. In total, it takes up to six months to grow seedlings ready for transplanting. Therefore, to obtain a harvest this year, seeds should be sown no later than February - March. If you plan to grow strawberries in a heated greenhouse to obtain winter harvest, then you can sow seeds for seedlings in June - July.

Soil preparation

Growing strawberry seedlings requires special soil, which is easy to prepare yourself. To do this, just mix three components:

turf soil - 2 parts;
peat - 1 part;
coarse river sand - 1 part.

It’s also good to add to this mixture wood ash(one glass per bucket of mixture) and vermicompost (one liter per bucket of mixture). For the purpose of destruction possible pests and pathogens, the soil mixture should be subjected to heat treatment, for example, bake in the oven for half an hour. And of course you can buy ready mixture in the store.

Ready-to-use soils for wild strawberries and strawberries are available for sale.

Preparing seeds for sowing

Strawberry seeds that have undergone special preparation can sprout within a week after sowing. The germination percentage also increases.

Stratification

In botany, stratification refers to the long-term keeping of seeds at a certain temperature in order to increase their germination.

This process is usually combined with seed hardening, which consists of alternately holding them at low temperatures and in room conditions. The duration of stratification can range from two weeks to three months. Usually, the seeds are evenly scattered in a thin layer onto a moistened cotton pad and covered with the same disc on top. Place the resulting structure in plastic container and placed in the refrigerator. Periodically (at least every other day) the seeds should be ventilated by opening the lid of the container for a few minutes, and also about once a week by leaving it for a day at room temperature. Throughout the entire process, constantly monitor the maintenance of humidity, adding water to the bottom of the container if necessary.

Throughout the entire stratification process, they constantly monitor the maintenance of humidity, adding water to the bottom of the container if necessary.

Bubbling

A good way to increase the percentage of germination and accelerate the emergence of seedlings is to bubble the seeds in warm (+25-27 °C) water for 2-3 days. For this purpose, pour the seeds into a container with water, lower the end of the hose from the aquarium compressor into it and turn it on. After bubbling is completed, the seeds are dried and used for sowing.

Seed bubbling is carried out in warm (+25-27 °C) water for 2-3 days

Soak

If there is no compressor, then before sowing the seeds can simply be soaked in water (rain or melt water should be used) for several days. The same design is suitable for this as for stratification. Only in this case the container is placed in a warm place, for example, on a radiator. You can improve the method by replacing water with a solution of one tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide in 500 ml of water. In this case, the soaking period is reduced to two days.

Germination

Sowing germinated seeds significantly reduces the time of germination. To germinate strawberry seeds, simply increase the soaking time (if the soaking was carried out in hydrogen peroxide, then after two days the seeds are washed and continue to germinate in clean water) until they begin to hatch. After this, they are planted using one of the methods described below.

After the strawberry seeds begin to hatch, they are planted in the soil.

Methods of sowing seeds

Every gardener has his own favorite way to sow strawberry seeds. Let's look at the most popular ones.

Sowing on toilet paper

There are two options for this method, and both of them are not recommended for use, since they cannot be used to grow ready-made seedlings, but only small sprouts that require further replanting.

Into the bottle

For this option take plastic bottle and cut it lengthwise into two halves. The inside of the bottle is covered with several layers toilet paper and moisturize it well. Then the seeds are laid out on paper at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other. Place a bag over the bottle and place it in a warm place. When the seeds germinate, roots and first leaves form, the sprouts are transplanted into tablets or soil.

The inside of the bottle is covered with several layers of toilet paper, which is well moistened and seeds are sown on it.

Into the snail

A strip 10-12 cm wide is cut out of the film, laid out on the table and 3-4 layers of toilet paper are laid on top. Her moisten abundantly and place seeds two centimeters from the top edge at intervals of 2-3 cm. After this, the strip is rolled up and secured with tape. The finished snail is placed in a container with a small amount of water at the bottom. Next proceed in the same way as in the first option.

A strip 10-12 cm wide is cut out of the film, laid out on the table and 3-4 layers of toilet paper are laid on top.

Into the snail with soil

This method has found quite widespread use when growing seedlings. different cultures. It is as follows:

As a base for the snail, strips of vinyl backing for the laminate are cut. Optimal thickness such a substrate - 2 mm. The width of the strips is usually 15 cm, and the length can be up to 4 m.
Lay out the strip on a flat surface and pour a layer of damp soil mixture two centimeters thick on it.
Carefully roll the strip into a snail and secure with tape. This process is conveniently carried out using a device that can be easily made from scrap materials. It is a box with a width equal to the width of the strip and a length of 50-60 cm. The height of the sides of the box can be 5-10 cm.
With this homemade device convenient to roll large diameter snails
The finished snail is placed vertically and part of the soil is removed from its upper part, forming a groove 1-2 cm deep.
The finished snail is placed vertically and part of the soil is removed from its upper part, forming a groove 1-2 cm deep
Seeds are sown in the resulting groove and moistened.
Place the snail in a suitable tray or deep plate and pour water into it to a height of 2-3 cm.
Snails with seeds sown in them are placed in trays with water
The snail is covered with a bag and placed in a warm place. The package will need to be removed after shoots appear.
Satisfied additional lighting using lamps daylight or special phytolamps. The duration of daylight hours should be 12-13 hours.

Video: device for rolling snails

In peat tablets

With this progressive method, special peat tablets are used for planting, which can be bought in the store. They are made from compressed peat, soaked nutrients and microelements. To maintain their shape, the tablets are placed in a mesh. The diameter of the product varies from 23 to 72 mm, and the height is about 2 cm. In the center of the upper end there is a recess intended for sowing seeds. The main advantage and advantage of the method is that the plant lives in it from the moment the seed is sown until the finished seedlings are planted in the ground. Moreover, the seedlings are planted together with the tablet, which eliminates injury to the roots and ensures 100% survival rate of the plants. The sowing order is as follows:

After soaking, peat tablets swell and increase in height to 7-8 cm

Place the tablets in suitable trays or in special containers into which water is poured to a height of 1-2 cm.

Three seeds are placed in tablets, after which they are moistened with a spray bottle.

After sowing the seeds in peat tablets, the container is tightly closed with a transparent lid.

Then take care as usual.

In coconut tablets

Such tablets, made from coconut peat (70%) and coconut fiber with shavings (30%) and impregnated with nutrient solutions, are an even more advanced means for growing seedlings. Unlike peat tablets, coconut:

do not sag and keep their shape better;
absorb moisture faster;
do not form a crust on the surface:
have better breathability;
long time do not decompose and can be used several times.

The procedure for sowing in coconut tablets is no different from sowing in peat tablets.

Video: review of peat and coconut tablets

Into boiling water

Of course, you don't actually plant seeds in boiling water. When they say this, they mean sowing seeds in soil watered with very hot (about 80 °C) water. It looks like this:

The container is filled with nutrient soil.
Water it generously hot water from a small watering can.
Strawberry seeds are planted immediately.
Cover them with black film.
Close the container with a lid and wrap it in warm things (plaid, blanket, etc.).
After 1-2 hours, the container is freed from insulating materials and placed in a warm place for seed germination.

High temperature helps to soften the hard shell of seeds, which accelerates their germination and increases the percentage of germination. Stratification and soaking are not necessary with this method.

In hydrogel

This is new polymer material, which has recently begun to be used for growing seedlings. Its main feature is its ability to hold large number moisture. Hydrogel granules are capable of absorbing water weighing 300 times their own. This allows you to maintain the required level of moisture in the germinated seeds for a long time. To grow strawberry seedlings, it is better to combine the use of hydrogel with nutritious soil. To sow seeds, soaked hydrogel granules are poured into a layer of 3-4 cm at the bottom of the container, a layer of soil mixture 0.5-1 cm thick is poured on top and the seeds are sown in the usual way.

Video: sowing strawberry seeds in hydrogel

Growing strawberry seedlings, although not entirely easy, is quite accessible to a novice gardener. Having mastered one of his favorite methods, he will always be able to provide for himself planting material in the required quantities.