Germination time for strawberry seeds. Strawberries from seed

How to grow seedlings of strawberries from seeds for planting on own site or cottage? Modern breeding work on the development of new varieties fragrant strawberries and strawberries are widely held around the world. Every year, improved cultivars of these berries appear, which do not have time to prepare for sale in the form of finished products. planting material. Interested lovers have one thing left - to grow berry bushes on their own. In this article - detailed technique growing new and beardless varieties of berries from seeds.

Strawberries and strawberries can be grown from seed.

Delicious fragrant strawberries represent everything, especially in cold winter I really want to eat a red-sided berry, completely dotted with small yellowish seeds. It is from these small crumbs that new powerful plants with delicious berries grow.

Growing seedlings of strawberries from seeds is quite difficult. This breeding method is resorted to in extreme cases, if the breeding novelties are not implemented by seedlings. The method is used when breeding beardless varieties.

The beardless strawberry has a low coefficient vegetative propagation and does not give a mustache. The division of bushes of beardless strawberry varieties cannot satisfy the demand for new breeding in full, so amateurs are forced to resort to sowing seeds to obtain full-fledged plants.

Strawberries from seeds: the secrets of success

In a ripe berry, convex seeds are clearly visible.

How to grow strawberry seedlings in order to get healthy plants, fully prepared for wintering and future fruiting? This is not easy, because sowing is a delicate, almost filigree work that has its own nuances:

1. Training seed to germination. Strawberry seeds are covered with a dense protective skin, so many fans advise soaking them in water or Epin's solution for up to 12 hours before sowing. Swollen seeds germinate faster in a greenhouse, stronger seedlings are formed.
2. Soil preparation. For sowing strawberry seeds, it is necessary to carefully prepare soil mixture, which is made up of nutrient soil, sand, peat and vermiculite or perlite. Preliminary heat treatment of the soil will help get rid of pathogenic microbes and bacteria that cause infectious fungal diseases of seedlings.
3. Choice of container for planting. You can sow strawberry seeds in any containers - plastic and ceramic bowls will fit, opaque disposable containers for food products, peat tablets. It is very important to provide several drain holes in the containers to drain irrigation water. The root system of young seedlings easily rots when water stagnates in a pot. The height of the germination dishes should not be more than 10 cm, in other cases, a layer of expanded clay drainage is laid on the bottom of the pot, which significantly reduces the height of the selected container.
4. greenhouse conditions. To improve the germination of strawberries or strawberries, it is advisable to place containers with crops in greenhouse conditions (you can simply put the bowl in a warm place and cover it with glass).

Growing seedlings

Growing strawberries for seedlings can be started in the middle of winter, usually this procedure is started in the second half of February.

The selected container is filled with disinfected soil, after which strawberry or strawberry seeds are placed on the surface and sprayed with a spray bottle. It is very important that the soil is not packed too tightly. The container is covered with a film and placed in a refrigerator for 7-14 days to stratify the planting material. Some gardeners practice stratification before sowing in the ground, for which they pre-freeze bags of seeds in the refrigerator.

At the end of the stratification, the container is put out of the refrigerator on a bright windowsill. From above, the crops are covered with dense polyethylene or a sheet of glass. Soil moistening is carried out carefully, trying not to "wash" the seeds out of the soil.

The mass emergence of strawberry seedlings when grown from seeds is observed after about 2 weeks, but the timing may shift - it depends on the quality of the seed and the individual characteristics of a particular variety. How to grow healthy seedlings to get fruitful berry bushes faster? The answer is simple - the seedlings need to be hardened by opening the bowls with seedlings daily for a few minutes. Seedlings can be thinned out if crowding of young plants is observed, and in the phase of the second true leaf, you can start picking seedlings.

It is most convenient to dive young plants in peat pots, in this case, when planting in the ground, it is possible to avoid damage to fragile roots. After picking the plants, they are watered more intensively, but fertilizers are not used during this period. It is very important when watering and transplanting seedlings to prevent soil from getting into the center of the outlet so as not to injure the growth point.

Young strawberry bushes can be planted in the ground by the end of May, leaving a sufficient free distance between the bushes.

Care of seedlings in the open field

Grown strawberry seedlings are planted in open ground.

A strawberry bush grown from seeds, when transplanted into open ground, requires mandatory care. It is necessary to water the strawberry bushes in a timely manner, free the beds from weeds, loosen the hardened earthen crust to provide air access to the roots, and also feed young plants.

During the growth period, young strawberry bushes need to receive nitrogen fertilizers, which are applied in the first half of summer. In August, fertilizing is carried out with phosphorus-potassium compounds and mineral fertilizers are applied.

Common mistakes when sowing strawberry seeds

Not all strawberry bushes take root after picking.

Sometimes failures occur when growing strawberry seedlings from seeds. The main mistakes of inexperienced gardeners can be considered:

• Neglect of stratification - this operation directly affects the germination seed material. If the seeds were not previously prepared, seedlings may not appear at all.
• Deep embedding in the ground - small seedlings cannot cope with a thick layer of soil, so it is very important when sowing seeds not to cover them too much with soil.
• Overwatering - excessive watering can cause rotting of the seed or young seedlings.
• Adverse weather- too late sowing, may coincide with an increase in air temperature. Intense heat has a depressing effect on the development of young plants.
• The choice of seeds - when buying seed, the closest attention should be paid to the period of their packaging, you should not buy bags that are packaged more than a year ago. The germination of such seeds will be greatly reduced, and young seedlings may grow poorly. You should pay attention to the number of seeds in a pack, because new varieties are packaged individually, so the yield of finished plants may not satisfy the summer resident in providing planting material for new varieties of strawberries.

Innovative sprouting methods

Besides traditional way germination of seeds of strawberries and strawberries, there are several more that have been tested by some gardeners on their own experience.

Way for the lazy

Strawberry seeds can germinate on a fresh berry.

The first way is to plant the ripest berry of your favorite variety in the ground. So, choose a ripe berry correct form without damage to the covers. Peat and sand are added to the soil, the landing site is carefully dug up. The berry is planted in the ground, without much deepening, watered abundantly. Seedlings will appear next spring. A green brush of young strawberry bushes, almost tangled into a ball, will require an immediate transplant. This method does not guarantee the preservation of high varietal qualities. Harvest from berry bushes grown in this way cannot be obtained in the first year.

Sprouting seeds on filter paper

The second method is more painstaking, but guarantees positive results - berry bushes are well formed, the harvest can be brought at the end of the first growing season. The seeds are soaked in snow water for 2-3 days, then laid out on a moistened napkin or toilet paper, after which they are placed in a closed glass dish or plastic container. Place the seed container in a bright place, making sure that the napkin does not dry out. After a few days, spitting of seeds is observed. As soon as the tail lengthens, the seeds are transferred to a cup with lightly moistened soil. It is most convenient to lay out germinated seeds with tweezers. Very soon, the seedlings will have real leaves, in the 2-3 phase of a true leaf, young plants are seated in individual cups.

Peat tablets

Strawberries from seeds, young bushes produce a crop at the end of the season.

There is another way to grow strawberry seedlings from seeds, for which it is very convenient to use peat tablets. Germination in peat tablets eliminates the picking of young plants, since one seed can be planted in one tablet.

It is first necessary to soak dry tablets with water, soaking is carried out until the peat has ceased to absorb water. If necessary, water can be added several times. After absorbing the liquid, peat tablets turn into cylinders with a recess in the upper part. It is in this recess that the strawberry seeds are placed. Crops are covered with a plastic lid, placing the container in a bright place. It is very important to ensure that the peat substrate does not dry out, adding water if necessary. Overflow allowed at this stage of seed germination threatens the occurrence of pathogenic fungal infections.

Growing strawberries from seeds guarantees not only the production of plants of new exclusive varieties, but also planting material adapted to local conditions. Such bushes develop faster and bear fruit better, but only with a high quality of the initial seed, which must be purchased only from well-known manufacturers with a high business reputation.

Growing strawberries from seeds is a long process. The first shoots after planting seedlings may appear after at least 2 weeks (14 days). Sometimes the process can take up to a month. Therefore, you need to be patient.

Strawberry seeds germinate for a very long time - about 30 days. And at first, the seedlings are so small that they only need to be watered with a pipette. Otherwise, you can just fill the seedlings.

I have tried several times to grow strawberries from seeds and I can say that this is a VERY time-consuming task. A maximum of 10 seeds sprout from a bag of seeds. The seedlings are very tender, often dry out or, on the contrary, get wet, they instantly die from the slightest draft. Yes, and strawberry seedlings take root after transplantation very badly.

I once planted strawberry seeds, but was disappointed. There was one thing on a bag of seeds, but it is not known what grew and gave fruit, although the seed company is quite well-known. Then I went to the market and bought seedlings (mustache) of strawberries, so at least I tried strawberries from these bushes.

If you have already decided to contact the planting of seeds, then you will have to wait a long time, almost a month, although someone will germinate in a week or a couple of weeks, it probably also depends on the variety and the quality of the seeds (shelf life). By the way, since the seeds are very small, if you bury them deep, then you won’t wait for seedlings at all.

After my experience, I decided not to mess with strawberry seeds anymore.

I always use strawberry seedlings - already germinated, ready and healthy seedlings are easier to select. But as for the seeds, it will take a very long time to wait from 14 to 30 days, it can pass before the first sprout appears.

Strawberries propagate with tendrils fairly quickly. The strawberry plant shoots an arrow at a distance of about 15 centimeters and a new fruiting plant appears. Therefore, it is best to take strawberries ready-made seedlings. True, not every summer resident will give you his strawberries. Since there is a belief that by sharing seedlings of one's strawberries, one's own ceases to bear fruit abundantly.

As for strawberry seeds, you will have to be patient here. Under ideal conditions, the first strawberry sprouts will appear only after 2 weeks. But sometimes you have to wait a whole month to wait for the first shoots of strawberries.

Therefore, it is best to take ready-made seedlings of strawberries.



those who have tried to plant strawberry seeds say that it is better to sow your own seeds and that the seeds can germinate up to a month, the first shoots appear in twenty to forty days. Here is a tip for sowing strawberry seeds

Strawberries sprout very hard: slowly and not with high germination. I got seedlings in 2-3 weeks. And since it sprouts in very small leaves, watering must be careful so as not to damage. It is better to water from a syringe.

Strawberries germinate in 14 days (two weeks) if made for it favorable conditions: light, humidity, heat. Otherwise, everything will be delayed for a longer period. Well, if there is an opportunity, it is easier to propagate strawberries with the help of its tendrils or buy ready-made seedlings.

seeds?? why do you need this head? buy seedlings, and don’t worry) and it’s cheaper, and it will be much more convenient) good luck to you))

Strawberries that germinate from seeds always take a very long time to germinate. If you create favorable conditions, then you will have to wait two weeks, and this is 14 days, if the strawberries do not like something, then the period can stretch for a month.

Why do we grow strawberries from seeds?

This strawberry has many advantages. It initially does not have diseases that are usually inherited during mustache propagation, a huge selection of varieties for every taste, the ability to order seeds of any variety by mail, the ability to improve varieties and create your own. There is only one minus of growing strawberries from seeds - it is several times more difficult to do than other common ones. horticultural crops. The main difficulty is the tight germination of strawberry seeds and the long germination time (up to 40 days). All this time the earth must be wet, and this ideal conditions for the development of fungi and mold, which will strive to destroy your crops. But let's go in order. The optimal time for sowing seeds of strawberries 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 by May will already gain enough mass and root system for planting, which will allow it to begin to bear 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:

1. 
   Calcining the 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 with a temperature of 200-300 degrees for 2 hours.


2. 
   Steaming the soil for seedlings. We take a large pot or bucket, put a colander on it. Pour in enough water so that it does not reach the bottom edge of the colander. From the inside, cover the colander with gauze, pour the soil into the gauze. Thus, it is necessary to boil the soil for 40-50 minutes.


3. 
   Heating the soil in the microwave. This is the most modern way and the fastest - it takes only 4-5 minutes to warm up. Just do not forget that iron dishes cannot be put 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 stratification method is as follows: Fill the form with lightly compacted soil, not falling asleep to the edges of 1-2 cm. Snow is densely poured on top, tamping it a little. Strawberry seeds are distributed 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, melting snow (it’s cold in the refrigerator, but the temperature is still above zero, so don’t be afraid that the snow is melting) will pull the strawberry seeds into the soil to the desired depth - not too deep, but it won’t let you move when watering from the sprayer. After 3 days, we take out the containers with seeds from the refrigerator and put them in heat.

Germination of strawberry seeds

This stage is one of the most exciting. Within 7-30 days, we will have to expect breaking roots rushing deep into the earth and sprouts striving for light. We put the containers with soil and seeds that we took out of the refrigerator in a warm and lit place, covering the seedlings with a film. (We left 2 cm above the surface, as I wrote above? This should be enough). As a greenhouse, you can use boxes, plastic canisters, five-liter bottles, as a greenhouse roof, cling film or a regular plastic bag is suitable. We create a sealed structure, if 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 basically 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 hits the tray with crops, drops will form on the lid even if the ground is completely dry, this should not be allowed (you can scatter sunlight with a piece of paper on 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 are not formed, you still need to additionally moisten the ground (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.

Illumination of seedlings

Strawberry seeds germinate in the light - this rule must be remembered. Daylight in winter is usually not enough - sometimes snow clouds will cover the sky, sometimes the day is just 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, which automatically turns on the light at 6:00 and turns off at 23:00. Additional lighting at 12-14 hours for strawberries 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 earth turns green / blackens or cobweb fibers of white mold begin to form, you need to urgently get rid of the fungi. The first step is to remove the foci of the spread of the fungus with soft paper or cotton wool moistened with potassium permanganate. After that, it is desirable to “spill” the earth with antifungal agents (for example, Previkur or an analogue) and further monitor the ventilation more carefully. After germination of sprouts and the appearance of 2-3 pairs of true leaves, the film can be removed - at this time, the plants should already develop a small root, allowing the sprout to stay in the ground with careful watering. I advise you to water strawberry babies from a spoon, very carefully, trying not to hurt the sprouts. You can also use plastic bottle with holes in the lid, but again, very carefully. It is very important not to overmoisten the ground when watering, as this can lead to the development of a mass of unpleasant diseases, the key of which is the “black leg”. Therefore, before watering, try the ground with your finger both outside and a little deeper. It is sometimes difficult for a person who sees the seedlings of strawberries 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, branching into small leaves begins. This strangeness is due to the fact that after the leaves grow and gain weight, the stalk will lie under the weight on the ground and additional roots will grow out of 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 very cotyledons. Additional roots immediately after this will start to grow, and the better developed root system- the healthier the plant. To make it easier, you can initially sow in a small depression in the ground, and then simply “squeeze” the sprout with earth, raking it from the surrounding area.

Picking seedlings of strawberries in a large container

When 3-4 pairs of true leaves appear, the seedlings can already dive into separate cups. For this, ordinary plastic disposable cups are suitable, of course, with holes made in the bottom. The transparent walls of the cup will allow you to monitor the moisture content of the earth both on the surface and in depth. When picking seedlings, it is very important not to fill up the growing point of strawberries, from which these leaves grow. If the sprouts have already acquired roots and intertwined with each other, it is advisable to soak the soil in water and untangle the roots with a fork, separating the plants one by one. In a plastic cup, strawberries will live with us until they land in the ground. During this time, she should acquire a good branched root system, thick stems and, possibly, a couple of peduncles (which must first be removed).

Hardening seedlings and reducing night growth

In the period of seedling growth after picking, at night the air temperature should be about 14-17 degrees, and in the daytime - 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, the growth of the plant is inhibited. From April, it is desirable to take seedlings to the balcony for several hours during the daytime, but you need to make sure that the temperature does not fall below 0 degrees. First, the period of access to fresh air should be shorter, then with warming it is lengthened until it is completely left in the fresh air for the night (before landing in the ground).

The word "stratification" literally means "stratification". In botany, this term is used in relation to seeds that are difficult to germinate, which must be prepared before sowing. For germination, they need to create conditions that will be as close to natural as possible. After all, before the seeds sprout in the spring, they hibernate in a cold and humid environment, and with the onset of heat they begin to germinate. This is why stratification is carried out, that is, the seeds are kept in the cold at a certain temperature and humidity, and then placed in heat. This process is simple, you need to be patient and observe all the subtleties.

Stratification of strawberry seeds (strawberries)

Having considerable experience in growing garden strawberries from seeds, I will tell you in detail about stratification using this example. Before planting any seeds, disinfection is recommended. All gardeners do this by soaking the seeds in a solution of manganese. If the seeds are small, as in the case of strawberries, then it is necessary to shed the substrate (earth) with this solution. Instead of pots, I use plastic food containers, which I collect specifically for this purpose after cookies, gingerbread, different salads from supermarkets. They are convenient in that they are closed, it is easy to 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 a 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. Last resort normal fit garden soil with sand.

I sow strawberries in February to get a harvest this summer. Make sure that the soil is not heavy, does not settle after you spill it with potassium permanganate. Let the soil dry out a little, and shake the container before planting to loosen the soil. I simply spread the seeds on the surface, without deepening, otherwise they will not sprout. After that, the covered container should be placed in a cold place with a temperature of up to +5 degrees. Some gardeners cover the ground in a container from above with a layer of snow, seeds are placed 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 the seed containers outside and bury them in the snow. And the easiest way is to place the nursery in the refrigerator, preferably on the top shelf, periodically moistening the soil from the spray gun if necessary. In the cold, the seeds should be at least two weeks, after which the container is transferred to a warm dark place without opening the lid. And only after the emergence of seedlings, the nursery is placed in the light.

This process is called stratification. In other words, this is the exposure of seeds in moist soil and in the cold. Stratification is necessary to accelerate germination and improve seed germination. For different plants the period of stratification is different, from 10 days to a year.

Seedlings are sown for seedlings from January to March. If there is no artificial illumination, then it is better not to rush to sow strawberry seeds and spend it in April, when there is enough light - otherwise the seedlings will be very stretched and develop poorly. You can sow the seeds of strawberries in the summer in open ground - then its fruiting will come next year.
To sow strawberry seeds for seedlings, take low (7-10 cm) bowls with drainage holes and a drainage layer, fill them with a nutrient mixture of light leafy earth and sand (1.5: 1), moisten the substrate with warm water. Strawberry seeds are very small; carry out their rare surface sowing, slightly pressing the seeds into moist soil (or slightly sprinkle the crops (1-2 mm) with a sifted substrate). The bowl with crops is covered with glass or film. It is necessary to regularly wipe or shake off the resulting condensate and ventilate the crops, spray the drying soil from the spray gun.

Before the emergence of shoots of strawberries, you can keep the bowl in the dark. The recommended temperature for germination of strawberry seeds is about 18 degrees (if there is a high temperature, the germination of seeds will slow down). Stratification of strawberry seeds increases germination - at least 10 days at a low positive temperature (+3-+7 degrees).
Strawberry seeds germinate very unevenly. The first shoots appear after 2 weeks, and mass shoots - usually after 3-4 weeks. Then the film is removed from the bowl and the seedlings are placed in a very bright, cool (15-17 degrees) place. The most important thing is to gently moisten the soil between the tender seedlings of strawberries in order to prevent it from drying out or excessive moisture - otherwise the seedlings will die.

Thickened seedlings interfering with each other will need to be thinned out so that development is not inhibited. Strawberry seedlings gently dive into light nutrient soil when they have 2-3 true leaves. When picking, it is important to plant the seedlings at the same depth as they grew earlier (without deepening and without raising the "heart" of the bush above the soil surface).
When the strawberry seedlings take root after prikirovki and noticeably begin to grow, they begin to harden - gradually accustom to fresh air and the sun. Strong plants are transplanted into the ground after hardening at the end of spring frosts; usually, by this time, the bushes have already formed six or more true leaves. The distance between strawberry bushes during planting depends on the characteristics of the variety (about 30 cm apart).
A place for strawberries in the garden is chosen sunny. The soil is desirable fertile, but without excess nitrogen - otherwise the strawberries will develop a lush hat of leaves, but there will be few berries. In the absence of rain, regular watering of strawberry bushes is carried out, especially during their rooting after transplantation.
The first harvest of strawberries will please the owners in 4-5 months after sowing seeds for seedlings. Usually, two or three years after planting, strawberry bushes grow strongly; then, for rejuvenation, they are dug up, divided and transplanted to a new place.

So the holidays are over, my dear readers, I congratulate you on the fact that we all courageously endured them, I laugh of course, but there is still some truth in this. Standing for hours near the stove to cook various goodies for your family, and then tasting all this with her, you need to have tremendous stamina, you must admit, and if you still look like guests, wow, and it’s hard work. I laugh again.

Today we will have a fasting day with you - we will talk about vitamins that are so useful for our body, and of course, the most useful are those that are grown with our own hands.

And we will grow strawberries with you. You think it is difficult, nothing, a few secrets of its cultivation, and in the fall you will enjoy the smell and taste of this healing and very tasty berry.

They say that garden strawberry does not smell, another matter forest. I will not refute the merits of wild strawberries, but garden strawberries smell no less, believe me, and they are also not inferior to wild ones in taste.

So if you want to pamper yourself and your family with such fragrant vitamins, then let me tell you how I grow bushes of this healing berry in my area.

How to grow strawberries from seeds on a windowsill

When to sow strawberries

Yes, yes, it is on the windowsill that the life of a small bush of strawberries begins, it will then move to the garden, grow a large bush and give its first crop. All this will happen when it gets warmer outside, the earth warms up, but for now it’s January outside, and in order to enjoy a small, fragrant, autumn harvest, you need to start work now.

You ask what is right in January? Yes, if seedlings are planted in your area at the end of May. I plant after May 20, respectively, I start sowing seeds for seedlings on January 20-25. All this is due to the fact that strawberry seeds peck for a long time, seedlings grow slowly, especially if the house is not very warm. If it is hot in your country, and the timing of planting seedlings is shifted to a later date, for example, to the beginning of June, then you need to move the sowing of seeds to the beginning of February, or even to the middle.

What varieties of strawberries are best grown from seeds

Definitely, varieties of remontant bush strawberries are the best. What are her charms? She does not let her mustache, which means she does not spread over the entire area, but grows in a neat bed, which can be easily processed during the summer. When you buy a bag of seeds, and it says remontant variety, it means that strawberries will bear fruit from spring to frost, with little to no rest. You still know how to collect it.

• Regina- large beautiful bushes with cone-shaped berries, which are 2 times larger than forest ones. The plant is drought tolerant and middle lane Winters are not bad enough.
• Baron Solemacher- also a large beautiful bush with long berries, but they are slightly smaller than Regina's.
  
• Ali Baba- powerful bush, large round berries. It tolerates winters well.
• Alexandria- winter-hardy bush with fragrant berries.
• Renaissance- large strawberries, fragrant.
• There are many more yellow varieties strawberries, but somehow I didn’t like them. Berries are tasteless and sour for me. And if you want, try it.

Soil for planting strawberry seeds for seedlings

In fact, no special soil is needed for planting seeds. Strawberries grow well in all-purpose soil, the kind you normally use for seedlings. I do not prepare the land myself, because we have heavy soil, and adding sand or other additives does not improve the situation.

If mature plant feels quite well on such soil, then the kids do not have enough strength to put roots in such soil. Therefore, I rely on specially prepared soil. And for those who still prepare their soil for seedlings, I recommend watching the video on the page: "Growing a tomato: seedlings at home" . Strawberry seedlings in such a land will feel comfortable.

How to sow strawberries with seeds

It is very important to sow strawberries with seeds correctly, many of my friends made the same mistake, so they did not succeed. They sowed the seeds according to all the rules - they prepared the ground, distributed the seeds over it and sprinkled more earth on top. It was the last step that turned out to be wrong.

Strawberry seeds can not be sprinkled with earth !!!

Even if you lightly powder with earth, the chances of germination will be zero. Seeds need light. Therefore, in order to get good seedlings, you need to take the following steps:

Step 1:Pour the prepared earth into a small and not very deep wooden box. If you are using a plastic box, then be sure to make holes in the bottom to remove excess moisture. The soil was compacted by hand.

Step 2:This step can be done in two ways. The first is to shed the earth cold water. The second is to pour snow brought from the street over the ground.

Step 3:Spread the strawberry seeds evenly over the surface. On the snow it will be more clearly visible how you did it, without it to seeitwill be more difficult. If you scattered the seeds just on the ground, then lightly press them with the palm of your hand. You don’t need to do this with snow, melting, he himself will press them to the ground.

Step 4:Then we place the box with its contents in a transparent plastic bag, tie it so that there is no air access. Some experts advise, before tying the bag, inhale into it to fill it with carbon dioxide. They say carbon dioxide contributes to better seed germination.

Step 5:Sending seeds, where do you think? So they didn’t guess, not in a warm place, but in the refrigerator. Don't worry, it's only for one day. We kind of let them know that it's winter now, sleep, rest until spring. And in a day - quickly to a warm place, - they say, spring has come, wake up. This process of simulating the seasons is called stratification. It speeds up seed germination.

How many days do strawberry seeds germinate

Strawberry seeds germinate for a long time - from 10 to 25 days, it all depends on the characteristics of the variety, on the quality of the seeds and on the ambient temperature. Another very important fact that affects the speed of germination is the humidity in which the seeds are located.

Even though they are in a plastic bag, and condensation is visible on it, the seeds can dry out and even dry out, because they are on the surface of the earth and are not protected from dry air.

And he will definitely get there. After all, every day you need to carry out airing so that these small grains do not fade.

To maintain humidity at the proper level, you need to lightly spray the surface of the soil every two or three days. Do not overfill - there is no need for extremes.

I usually peck the seeds around day 7. You will see it, it's hard not to notice the white tips near the seeds.

Strawberry seeds germinate unevenly. This process may take up to a long period, so do not rush to rearrange them on the windowsill, let as many seeds as possible peck, and some already start to grow. But do not overdo it so that the sprouts do not stretch out much.

Sowing strawberries for seedlings - video

Well, finally, I made a video for you. Now you can not only read how I sow strawberries, but also see everything with your own eyes.

How to care for strawberry seedlings

Strawberry sprouts grown from seeds are very tender and their care is special. He must be careful, one wrong move and the sprout can die.

So how to properly care for seedlings? Firstly, after the first sprouts have appeared, the seedling box can be put on the windowsill without removing the bag from it. Just a few minutes of bright sun can be fatal for them.

Secondly, it is important to choose the right place where the emerging shoots will grow. Ideally, this should be a sunny window sill, but you can try growing strawberries in a more shaded place. As the experience of my friends shows, this is quite possible. The bushes, of course, stretch out a little, but based on own experience, I will tell you that there is nothing wrong with that, planted in the garden, they will let out new leaves from the middle (outlet), not elongated, stronger and stronger.

Every day we air the box, let the strawberry sprouts breathe for a few seconds. If there is little moisture, you need to add it, but this can be done by spraying and warm water. Under a heavy stream of water, a weak strawberry will simply lie on the ground, and if it is not lifted, it will die. After spraying, see if any sprout lies, if so, then take a toothpick and gently lift it up.

When 50% of the bushes start growing, you can remove the package, but you should not do this abruptly. They are not yet accustomed to the sun and dry air, they need to be accustomed gradually, starting from 5-10 minutes, and better at a time when the bright sun will not shine on them.

In general, on bright sunny days, you need to be especially attentive to seedlings, either water them abundantly, or remove them from direct rays, it is impossible for the soil to dry out.

You can feed the plant when it acquires two true leaves. But top dressing should be given already with a neat strait, without spraying the leaves.

I don’t dive seedlings of strawberries, somehow very small strawberries do not tolerate transplanting, they die a lot, therefore, in order for the bushes to be spacious, take a box of such a size that the seeds are scattered far from each other.

And as I wrote above, when the spring frosts stop making their nightly forays, you can plant seedlings on the site.

If there are hot and bright days, it must be shaded. Since my bed is narrow and located from east to west, I solve this issue simply, put low arcs and stretch sponbon (agrofibre) from the south side. As a result, strawberry bushes get quite a lot of scattered sunlight. And this means that the plants do not burn, the moisture does not evaporate after watering, the bushes take root quickly and painlessly.

This method is good because you do not need to pre-harden the seedlings. When the bushes begin to grow and new leaves appear from the outlet, you can remove the sponbon in the evening. Let the strawberries get used to adulthood.

Grown seedlings in this way, by the fall will become a beautiful adult bush and give the first harvest, just a few berries. But already this year you will taste the variety that you have planted.

And next year from the harvest you can.

Good luck and great harvests!

I wish everyone happiness, Natalya Murga