Strawberries are grown in almost every summer cottage. Its taste and aroma leave no one indifferent. Typically, the crop is propagated using tendrils or by dividing the mother bush. Germinating strawberry seeds at home from seeds is a rather labor-intensive process. But with its help you can improve the health of plantings, learn new varieties and always be sure that exactly the species you need is being grown.
Sprouting strawberries at home - where to start?
For sowing seeds, experts recommend choosing small-fruited, remontant varieties. They are not very capricious, but the chances of getting seedlings capable of bearing fruit are much greater. If, when growing seedlings, it is possible to place the containers in a light, sunny place, or illuminate the plantings with a lamp for 12-14 hours, then the seeds for seedlings can be planted in February. The first harvest of berries will be available this season. If this is not possible, then sowing is carried out in late March - early April.
When planting seeds, you must follow the following rules:
1. Seed preparation. The seeds are placed on a damp cotton pad and covered with another, also moistened with water. Disks with seeds are placed in a transparent plastic container with a lid in which small holes need to be pierced to allow air to enter. The container is placed in a warm place for two weeks. After this, they are put in the refrigerator for another 14 days for certification. Every day, it is necessary to ventilate the container and ensure that the discs do not dry out.
2. Soil preparation. The soil should be light, crumbly, but not too fertilized. You can use garden soil harvested in the fall and add sand to it. In order to disinfect the soil, it needs to be heated in the oven for 15-20 minutes. This will help get rid of flies and insects hibernating in the ground. After warming up, the soil should lie for two weeks.
3. Sowing seeds. Soil is poured into the container, lightly compacted and moistened with water from a spray bottle. The seeds are laid out on the surface using tweezers or a match (toothpick). Then, they are lightly pressed to the soil, but not covered. The container is closed with a lid with holes and placed in a warm, bright place, but so that no direct contact occurs. Sun rays, otherwise the seeds may burn. Before the seeds germinate, you should not open the container, as this may disrupt the created greenhouse effect. If, upon inspection of the container, it is noticed that the lid is dry, it means that there is not enough moisture and watering is needed. If, on the contrary, there are too many drops on the lid and the shoots are not visible, there is an excess of moisture. It is necessary to open the container and ventilate the plantings.
4. Picks. After three true leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted. They are planted in separate peat or plastic cups, no less than 5*5 centimeters in size. You need to make holes at the bottom of the containers, put drainage (walnut shells, sand, small pebbles) and add soil. The soil should be moistened and a small depression made. Carefully transplant the sprouts using a match or toothpick. The heart and leaves should remain on the surface. Since strawberry seedlings are very tender, in order not to pick and injure the plantings, the seeds can be sown immediately in separate containers.
Sometimes the sprouts can grow high above the ground so that the root is visible. You need to add soil under it. Watering the plantings is best done from a spoon, pouring water under the root. IN open ground seedlings are planted in late May - June. In order for the seedlings to develop better and become stronger for future wintering, it is recommended to remove the first flowers and obtain the harvest in next year. Germinating strawberry seeds at home – effective method obtaining high-quality, healthy seedlings.
See also video:
These strawberries have many advantages. She initially does not have diseases that are usually inherited during reproduction by whiskers, huge selection varieties for every taste, the ability to order seeds of any varieties by mail, the ability to improve varieties and create your own. There is only one downside to growing strawberries from seeds - it is several times more difficult to do than other common ones. horticultural crops. The main difficulty is the difficulty of germination of strawberry seeds and the long germination time (up to 40 days). All this time, the ground should be moist, and these are ideal conditions for the development of fungi and mold, which will strive to destroy your crops. But let's take things in order. The optimal time for sowing strawberry seeds is from the 20th of January to the end of February. In general, of course, seedlings can be grown at least all year round, but strawberries sown in mid-January will already have gained enough weight and root system for planting by May, which will allow them to begin bearing fruit at the end of June.
Soil preparation
Particular attention should be paid to the soil - it must be disinfected from harmful microorganisms. This can be done in the following ways:
Calcination of soil for seedlings in the oven. Its essence is as follows - you need to take an iron pan or a deep baking sheet, pour soil into it, after sifting it from organic components (sticks, twigs, etc.) and put it in the oven at a temperature of 200-300 degrees for 2 hours.
Steaming soil for seedlings. Take a large saucepan or bucket and place a colander on it. Pour enough water so that it does not reach the bottom edge of the colander. Line the inside of the colander with gauze, and pour soil into the gauze. Thus, you need to boil the soil for 40-50 minutes.
Warming up the soil in the microwave. This is the most modern way and the fastest - it only takes 4-5 minutes to warm up. Just remember that iron utensils cannot be placed in the microwave, and thin plastic melts easily
Soaking strawberry seeds
You can pre-soak the seeds in growth stimulants.
Seed stratification
Stratification is a kind of push for seeds to germinate in order to bring them out of hibernation. For strawberries, the most common method of stratification is as follows: Fill the mold with lightly compacted soil, leaving 1-2 cm short of the edges. Snow is densely poured on top, compacting it a little. Strawberry seeds are spread over the surface of the snow and placed on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator. They should stay there for 2-3 days. During this time, the melting snow (it’s cold in the refrigerator, but the temperature is still above zero, so don’t be alarmed that the snow is melting) will draw the strawberry seeds into the soil to the required depth - not too deep, but also prevent them from moving when watered with a sprayer. After 3 days, we take the containers with seeds out of the refrigerator and put them in a warm place.
Germinating strawberry seeds
This stage is one of the most exciting. Within 7-30 days we will have to expect roots to break through, rushing deep into the earth and sprouts to reach the light. We place the containers with soil and seeds that we took out of the refrigerator in a warm and well-lit place, covering the seedlings with film. (We left 2 cm above the surface, as I wrote above? This should be enough). Boxes can be used as greenhouses plastic canisters, five-liter bottles, cling film or regular film will be suitable as a greenhouse roof plastic bag. We create as airtight a structure as possible so that the inside is warm and humid. The optimal humidity inside the greenhouse is when fog forms on the transparent lid or glass. But mostly you will see drops there that need to be removed both from the lid and from the walls. In general, we will need to wipe off all excess moisture with paper towels or toilet paper, and also be sure to ventilate the greenhouse once or twice a day, opening it for 1-2 minutes. If direct sunlight falls on the tray with the crops, drops will form on the lid even if the soil is completely dry, this should not be allowed (you can diffuse the sunlight with a piece of paper on the glass). Usually, additional watering is not required during this germination period, but if the temperature inside the greenhouse is 22-25 degrees, and drops and fog do not form, you still need to additionally moisten the soil (preferably using antifungal drugs) and restore the tightness of the structure. If the temperature is too low (less than 20 degrees), you will most likely not grow anything except mold.
Additional illumination of seedlings
Strawberry seeds germinate in the light - this rule needs to be remembered. Daylight in winter is usually not enough - either snow clouds will cover the sky, or the days are simply short. Therefore, it is very desirable to supplement the seedlings with fluorescent or gas-discharge lamps. Additionally, it is advisable to purchase a timer-socket that automatically turns on the light at 6:00 and turns off at 23:00. Supplemental lighting for strawberries for 12-14 hours is quite enough; you can also use the “8 hours light / 4 hours darkness” scheme (then the strawberries will have two days and they will grow faster).
Monitoring the condition of strawberry seedlings and fighting fungi
If the first signs of fungi appear on the ground - the soil turns green/black or cobwebby fibers of white mold begin to form, you need to get rid of the fungi urgently. The first thing you need to do is remove the foci of fungus using soft paper or cotton wool moistened with potassium permanganate. After this, it is advisable to “shed” the soil antifungal agents(for example, “Previkur” or an analogue) and continue to monitor ventilation more carefully. After the sprouts emerge and 2-3 pairs of true leaves appear, the film can be removed - at this time the plants should already have developed a small root that allows the sprout to stay in the ground with careful watering. I advise you to water the baby strawberries from a spoon, very carefully, trying not to touch the sprouts. You can also use plastic bottle with holes in the lid, but again, very carefully. When watering, it is very important not to over-moisten the soil, as this can lead to the development of a lot of unpleasant diseases, the key of which is “blackleg”. Therefore, before watering, test the soil with your finger both outside and a little deeper. It is sometimes difficult for a person seeing strawberry shoots for the first time to believe that this is it. A thin stalk rises above the ground, and already at a distance of one and a half cm from the ground, branches begin to form small leaves. This oddity is due to the fact that after the leaves grow and gain weight, the stem will fall under weight on the ground and additional roots will grow from it, and the growth point (where the cotyledons grow from) will remain above the ground. But we can speed up the development of seedlings by adding soil right under the cotyledons. Additional roots will begin to grow immediately after this, and the better developed root system– those healthier plant. To make this easier, you can initially sow in a small depression in the ground, and then simply “press” the sprout with earth, raking it from the surrounding area.
Picking strawberry seedlings into a large container
When 3-4 pairs of true leaves appear, the seedlings can already be planted into separate cups. Ordinary plastic disposable cups are suitable for this, of course, with holes made in the bottom. The transparent walls of the cup will allow you to monitor the soil moisture both on the surface and in depth. When picking seedlings, it is very important not to cover the growing point of the strawberry, from which these leaves grow. If the sprouts have already acquired roots and are intertwined with each other, it is advisable to soak the soil in water and use a fork to untangle the roots, separating the plants one by one. IN plastic cup The strawberries will live with us until they are planted in the ground. During this time, it should acquire a good branched root system, thick stems and, possibly, a couple of peduncles (which must first be removed).
Hardening of seedlings and reduction of night growth
During the period of seedling growth after picking, the air temperature at night should be about 14-17 degrees, and during the day - 20-23 degrees. The point is that at night, in the absence of light, the seedlings stretch out, and when the temperature drops to 14 degrees, plant growth slows down. From April, preferably in daytime Place the seedlings on the balcony for several hours, but you need to make sure that the temperature does not drop below 0 degrees. At first, the period of access to fresh air should be shorter, then with warming it is extended until it is completely left on fresh air overnight (before planting in the ground).
HOW TO GET A HARVEST IN THE FIRST YEAR
Now you can find seeds of small-fruited and large-fruited varieties remontant strawberries for every taste. It blooms and bears fruit very profusely from spring to late autumn, and is very productive and decorative.
Vegetative propagation.The optimal way to propagate small-fruited remontant strawberries is, of course, vegetative. Only in this case can you be insured against the loss of your favorite varieties as a result of cross-pollination.
Small-fruited remontant strawberries are easily propagated by dividing the bushes, but the number of divisions is small, and not all of them are suitable for further cultivation. So, from an old bush you should only take cuttings with young light roots and strong buds, the rest should be destroyed.
When dividing the mother strawberry bush, inspect it carefully. If suddenly the plant shows signs of diseases or pests, it will have to be burned entirely. Otherwise, there is a high probability of infections spreading, and the plant itself will no longer produce a good harvest.
There is another little-known vegetative method of propagating hornless strawberries. You can bend the peduncle to the ground with the area on which the small leaf grows and pin it with a pin. After some time, roots will appear in this place. Afterwards, you can cut off a small bush from the mother plant and plant it in a separate bed.
Seed propagation. You can propagate your favorite variety of small-fruited remontant strawberries much faster by seeds.
However, it should be remembered that even from seeds purchased in a store, not all plants grow in exact accordance with the declared variety. Typically 20 or even 30 percent will be slightly different. Here you should show your will and reject bushes that do not correspond to the characteristics of the variety. Otherwise, if you renew your plants with seeds, in just a few years your garden will have mostly mismatched strawberries growing.
The main reason for the loss of varietal characteristics during seed propagation is cross-pollination. When you grow one variety, this is not a problem. But if several varieties grow in one bed, then cross-pollination occurs constantly. To avoid it, it is necessary to prevent the possibility of transferring pollen from one plant to another. To do this, before flowering begins, you should put a gauze bag on the peduncle of the plant from which you want to get seeds. After ripening, the berries from such peduncles are crushed on paper, dried well and stored until sowing.
If you did everything correctly, then varietal strawberries, even with repeated replanting of seeds from generation to generation, will retain all their varietal characteristics.
Seed storage and sowing dates. Strawberry seeds purchased or grown independently can be sown all year round, but in order to get a harvest this year, it is recommended to do this in February. Before sowing, the seeds should be stored in a dry place, preferably at a temperature no higher than 20°C - preferably in the refrigerator. “Your own” seeds germinate much better than store-bought ones, because most often they are fresher. Of course, the packages usually indicate the shelf life of strawberry seeds from 3 to 5 years, but it should be remembered that seeds of varieties and hybrids germinate very unevenly after one to two years of storage.
Stratification. If you do not want to take risks or at your disposal a small amount of seeds, then be sure to stratify them at low positive temperatures in a humid environment. A good substrate for stratification is a mixture of clean river sand and moss. It is advisable to sift the first one to separate pebbles and other impurities, and the last one, after removing blades of grass and soil, wash and dry.
The duration of stratification is 1.5 - 2.5 months, so if you planned sowing in February, you need to start it in mid-December. It is best to place the seeds in a piece of silk, nylon or nylon fabric. Before placing the seeds in the substrate, it is advisable to subject them to a disinfection procedure in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for one to two hours. You will know when the seeds are ready for sowing by the appearance of sprouts.
Seeds do not need to be stratified. If they are of high quality and not expired, then germination should be excellent.
Sowing. Before sowing, the harvested seeds are separated from the paper. It is mandatory to soak them for two to three days in snow or rain water, changing it twice a day. At the same time, germination inhibitors in strawberry seeds are destroyed, slowing down the growth and development of the embryo.
The seeds, swollen after soaking, are placed thin layer on filter or toilet paper placed on a saucer. The paper is soaked in water, and excess water is drained.
The saucer with the seeds should be placed in a plastic bag and placed in a warm place in the light, but not in the sun, otherwise you will have to add water frequently.
As soon as the seeds sprout and roots begin to appear, they can be spread over the surface of a damp substrate at a distance of 2 cm or more from each other using a sharpened match or toothpick. Strawberry seeds germinate in the light. They should not be covered with a layer of soil. After sowing, cover the box with glass or polyethylene.
Soil mixture. To grow strawberry seedlings, you can use any soil mixture. The main condition is that it must be sufficiently air and moisture permeable. The best, however, are two. The first is a mixture of leaf soil with well-rotted manure in a ratio of 1:1, the second is a mixture of turf soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 1:1:0.5. Before sowing, the substrate must be thoroughly sifted.
It should be remembered that young seedlings have low disease resistance, so it is necessary that germination conditions be close to sterile. Strawberry seedlings are especially sensitive to fungal diseases. Increased sterility can be achieved by temperature treatment, while the soil only needs to be warmed up, but not turned into a pile of ash.
After the formation of two to three true leaves, the threat of strawberry disease decreases.
Caring for seedlings. Be careful - strawberries germinate unevenly. The first shoots may appear 7 to 10 days after sowing, and the last ones only after 30. Therefore, it is better to sow store-bought seeds one seed at a time in plastic cups, or regularly plant them as they germinate into a separate container. 
Crops need to be covered with glass or plastic film to increase humidity. Watering should be moderate. If the substrate is excessively moistened, the seedlings and the resulting rosettes become sick, turn black and die. Approximately once a day, the crops need to be opened for a few minutes for ventilation. When the plants form two to three true leaves, the cover is removed. After this, water them more abundantly.
If the temperature outside rises above 10°C, the seedlings are gradually accustomed to open ground conditions. And when the ground warms up enough, you can transplant the strawberries to a permanent place - it is better that the plant has at least 5 - 6 true leaves.
Sergey GOLOVANOV
Why do we need to grow strawberries from seeds?
These strawberries have many advantages. It initially does not have diseases that are usually inherited when propagated by mustaches, a huge selection of varieties for every taste, the ability to order seeds of any varieties by mail, the ability to improve varieties and create your own. There is only one disadvantage to growing strawberries from seeds - it is several times more difficult to do than other common garden crops. The main difficulty is the difficulty of germination of strawberry seeds and the long germination time (up to 40 days). All this time, the ground should be moist, and these are ideal conditions for the development of fungi and mold, which will strive to destroy your crops. But let's take it in order. The optimal time for sowing strawberry seeds is from the 20th of January to the end of February. In general, of course, seedlings can be grown all year round, but strawberries sown in mid-January will already have gained enough weight and root system for planting by May, which will allow them to begin bearing fruit at the end of June.
Soil preparation
Particular attention should be paid to the soil - it must be disinfected from harmful microorganisms. This can be done in the following ways:
Calcination of soil for seedlings in the oven. Its essence is as follows - you need to take an iron pan or a deep baking sheet, pour soil into it, after sifting it from organic components (sticks, twigs, etc.) and put it in the oven at a temperature of 200-300 degrees for 2 hours.
Steaming soil for seedlings. Take a large saucepan or bucket and place a colander on it. Pour enough water so that it does not reach the bottom edge of the colander. Line the inside of the colander with gauze, and pour soil into the gauze. Thus, you need to boil the soil for 40-50 minutes.
Warming up the soil in the microwave. This is the most modern method and the fastest - it only takes 4-5 minutes to warm up. Just remember that iron utensils cannot be placed in the microwave, and thin plastic melts easily
Soaking strawberry seeds
You can pre-soak the seeds in growth stimulants.
Seed stratification
Stratification is a kind of push for seeds to germinate in order to bring them out of hibernation. For strawberries, the most common method of stratification is as follows: Fill the mold with slightly compacted soil, leaving 1-2 cm short of the edges. Snow is densely poured on top, compacting it a little. Strawberry seeds are spread over the surface of the snow and placed on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator. They should stay there for 2-3 days. During this time, the melting snow (it’s cold in the refrigerator, but the temperature is still above zero, so don’t be alarmed that the snow is melting) will pull the strawberry seeds into the soil to the required depth - not too deep, but also prevent them from moving when watered with a sprayer. After 3 days, we take the containers with seeds out of the refrigerator and put them in a warm place.
Germinating strawberry seeds
This stage is one of the most exciting. Within 7-30 days we will have to wait for the roots to break through, rushing deep into the ground and sprouts to reach the light. We place the containers with soil and seeds that we took out of the refrigerator in a warm and well-lit place, covering the seedlings with film. (We left 2 cm above the surface, as I wrote above? This should be enough). You can use boxes, plastic canisters, five-liter bottles as a greenhouse; cling film or a regular plastic bag can be used as a greenhouse roof. We create as airtight a structure as possible so that it is warm and humid inside. The optimal humidity inside the greenhouse is when fog forms on the transparent lid or glass. But mostly you will see drops there that need to be removed both from the lid and from the walls. In general, we will need to wipe off all excess moisture with paper towels or toilet paper, and also be sure to ventilate the greenhouse once or twice a day, opening it for 1-2 minutes. If direct sunlight falls on the tray with the crops, drops will form on the lid even if the soil is completely dry, this should not be allowed (you can diffuse the sunlight with a piece of paper on the glass). Usually, additional watering during this germination period is not required, but if the temperature inside the greenhouse it is 22-25 degrees, and drops and fog do not form; you still need to additionally moisten the soil (preferably using antifungal drugs) and restore the tightness of the structure. If the temperature is too low (less than 20 degrees), you will most likely not grow anything except mold.
Additional illumination of seedlings
Strawberry seeds germinate in the light - this rule needs to be remembered. Daylight in winter is usually not enough - sometimes snow clouds will cover the sky, sometimes the days are simply short. Therefore, it is very desirable to supplement the seedlings with fluorescent or gas-discharge lamps. Additionally, it is advisable to purchase a timer-socket that automatically turns on the light at 6:00 and turns off at 23:00. Supplemental lighting for strawberries for 12-14 hours is quite enough; you can also use the “8 hours light / 4 hours darkness” scheme (then the strawberries will have two days and they will grow faster).
Monitoring the condition of strawberry seedlings and fighting fungi
If the first signs of fungi appear on the ground - the soil turns green/black or cobwebby fibers of white mold begin to form, you need to get rid of the fungi urgently. The first thing you need to do is remove the foci of fungus using soft paper or cotton wool moistened with potassium permanganate. After this, it is advisable to “spill” the soil with antifungal agents (for example, “Previkur” or an analogue) and then monitor the ventilation more carefully. After the sprouts emerge and 2-3 pairs of true leaves appear, the film can be removed - at this time the plants should already have developed a small root, allowing the sprout to stay in the ground with careful watering. I advise you to water the baby strawberries from a spoon, very carefully, trying not to touch the sprouts. You can also use a plastic bottle with holes in the lid, but again, be very careful. When watering, it is very important not to over-moisten the soil, as this can lead to the development of a lot of unpleasant diseases, the key of which is “blackleg”. Therefore, before watering, test the soil with your finger both outside and a little deeper. It is sometimes difficult for a person seeing strawberry shoots for the first time to believe that this is it. A thin stalk rises above the ground, and already at a distance of one and a half cm from the ground, branches begin to form small leaves. This oddity is due to the fact that after the leaves grow and gain weight, the stem will fall under weight on the ground and additional roots will grow from it, and the growth point (where the cotyledons grow from) will remain above the ground. But we can speed up the development of seedlings by adding soil right under the cotyledons. Additional roots will begin to grow immediately after this, and the better developed the root system, the healthier the plant. To make this easier, you can initially sow in a small depression in the ground, and then simply “press” the sprout with earth, raking it from the surrounding area.
Picking strawberry seedlings into a large container
When 3-4 pairs of true leaves appear, the seedlings can already be planted into separate cups. Ordinary plastic disposable cups are suitable for this, of course, with holes made in the bottom. The transparent walls of the cup will allow you to monitor the soil moisture both on the surface and in depth. When picking seedlings, it is very important not to cover the growing point of the strawberry, from which these leaves grow. If the sprouts have already acquired roots and are intertwined with each other, it is advisable to soak the soil in water and use a fork to untangle the roots, separating the plants one by one. Strawberries will live in a plastic cup with us until they are planted in the ground. During this time, it should acquire a good branched root system, thick stems and, possibly, a couple of peduncles (which must first be removed).
Hardening of seedlings and reduction of night growth
During the period of seedling growth after picking, the air temperature at night should be about 14-17 degrees, and during the day - 20-23 degrees. The point is that at night, in the absence of light, the seedlings stretch out, and when the temperature drops to 14 degrees, plant growth slows down. From April, it is advisable to take the seedlings out onto the balcony for several hours during the daytime, but you need to make sure that the temperature does not drop below 0 degrees. At first, the period of access to fresh air should be shorter, then as the weather gets warmer it is extended until it is completely left in the fresh air at night (before planting in the ground).
The word “stratification” literally means “stratification.” In botany, this term is applied to difficult-to-germinate seeds that must be prepared before sowing. To germinate, they need to create conditions that are as close to natural as possible. After all, before the seeds sprout in the spring, they overwinter in a cold and damp environment, and with the onset of warmth they begin to germinate. This is why they carry out stratification, that is, they keep the seeds in the cold at a certain temperature and humidity, and then place them in heat. This process is not complicated, you just need to be patient and follow all the details.
Stratification of garden strawberry (strawberry) seeds
Having considerable experience in growing garden strawberries from seeds, I’ll tell you in detail about stratification using this example. Before planting any seeds, it is recommended to disinfect them. This is what all gardeners do, soaking the seeds in a manganese solution. If the seeds are small, as is the case with strawberries, then it is necessary to spill the substrate (soil) with this solution. Instead of pots, I use plastic containers for food products, which I collect specifically for these purposes after cookies, gingerbreads, and various salads from supermarkets. They are convenient because they can be closed; you can simply make holes in them to drain excess water. If there is no such container, then you can cover the container with the planted seeds with a plastic bag. It is better to stock up on substrate for stratification in advance. To do this, you need to take clean sifted river sand and moss, previously washed and dried. You can make a mixture of sand and peat. As a last resort, ordinary garden soil with sand will do.
I sow strawberries in February in order to get a harvest this summer. Make sure that the soil is not heavy and does not settle after you have spilled it with potassium permanganate. Let the soil dry a little, and shake the container before planting to loosen the soil. I simply spread the seeds on the surface without deepening them, otherwise they will not sprout. After this, the covered container should be placed in a cold place with a temperature of up to +5 degrees. Some gardeners cover the soil in a container with a layer of snow on top, and place seeds on it. The snow will gradually melt and the seeds will fall on the damp ground. You can put snow on top, right on the seeds.
If you live in a private house, you can take containers with seeds outside and bury them in the snow. The easiest way is to place the seedling in the refrigerator, preferably on the top shelf, periodically moistening the soil with a spray bottle if necessary. The seeds should be kept in the cold for at least two weeks, after which the container is transferred to a warm place. dark place without opening the lid. And only after the seedlings appear, the nursery is placed in the light.
The described process is called stratification. In other words, this is the aging of seeds during wet ground and in the cold. Stratification is necessary to accelerate germination and improve seed germination. For different plants The stratification period varies, from 10 days to a year.
If you decide to grow strawberries from seeds, then you need to know the following rules.
- the seeds are very small and they germinate only in the light;
- You need to sow the seeds on the surface of the soil and do not sprinkle anything on top.
To plant seeds, take a plastic container with a lid (these are sold as disposable tableware). Pour in some soil, compact it, and place seeds on top over the entire surface, but lightly. Cover the container with film, glass or a container lid. You have now created a mini-greenhouse for seedlings. Before doing this, do not forget to spray the seeds and soil with water from a spray bottle. In this case, strawberry seeds germinate very well.
In fact, it is believed that strawberry seeds take a very long time to germinate – 30 days or more. So, if you decide to start growing strawberries with seeds, then be patient. But I still advise you to spray them with HB-101: this is a biological stimulant that will improve germination, and this is very important, since the cost of these seeds is high.
When to sow strawberry seeds?
They can be sown in December, but then you will definitely have to supplement the seedlings. If you do not have the opportunity to provide additional light, then wait until March and then sow the seeds. To illuminate the seedlings, you can proceed as follows: place the container under a regular table lamp, just replace the incandescent lamp with an energy-saving one. This will not take up much space, and the seedlings will have enough light. The distance to the seedlings should be 10-15 cm, and the lamp should shine for 12 to 16 hours. The bigger, the better.
Instead of a container with soil, it is very convenient to use peat tablets. They are especially suitable for large-fruited strawberry seeds. You need to sow one seed into a small tablet (24 mm).
Before sowing strawberry seeds, soak the tablets in water, or even better, take a drop of HB-101 per liter of water and soak them in this solution until they are completely swollen. After this, place one seed per tablet without deepening it.
Please note that there should be no water in the container in which you will have the tablets. Excess water after soaking will need to be drained. When the peat tablets dry out, you will gradually add water, but so that excess moisture there was no left, otherwise the roots of the strawberry seedlings would rot and grow poorly.
When you have strawberry shoots, do not remove the lid of the container under any circumstances, otherwise they will die almost on the same day. This can happen due to the fact that the root system of strawberry seedlings is weak and it is not able to produce required amount moisture. Your seedlings should be under a transparent cover the entire time until the real strawberry leaves appear. However, this is done gradually. First, make a small gap between the lid and the container, then more. After a few days, you can remove the lid completely.
You should also pay attention to the fact that when condensation forms on the lid, it must be removed.
When from peat tablets As soon as roots appear, this will indicate that now you need to transplant the strawberry seedlings into pots, adding the missing soil.
That, in fact, is the whole technology.
