Growing strawberry seedlings from seeds at home requires attention, patience and some skills. It is important to choose the right seeds, prepare them, sow them in a certain period of time, and only as a result of well-done work will you get strong and healthy seedlings.
How to choose the right strawberry seeds
It is best to buy seeds in a special store. Optimal choice– hybrid seed material. From it you can get strong, healthy plantings, which in their characteristics are much better than vegetatively propagated plants.
Now many gardeners prefer to plant seeds ordered from online stores and delivered by mail. However, in this case, there is a risk of getting low quality products. Bags are easily damaged in transit, and seeds may be out of date. Yes, get advice the best varieties a specialist salesman will not hurt. Good seller tell you which variety is right for you and how to care for it.
When choosing strawberry seed material, it is not worth saving, it is important to purchase the most large-fruited varieties. But it is important to know that more careful care is required for such a plant, and there will be fewer seeds in a bag than in small-fruited varieties.
How to prepare strawberry seeds for planting
To improve seed germination garden strawberries, it is necessary to carry out a certain preparatory work:
- Seed material should be soaked in water (preferably thawed, as it is biologically active) for three days. Don't need to use a large number of water, without access to air, the seeds will suffocate, soak simply in a damp cloth. We make sure that it does not dry out, for this we put it either in a container or in a bag. Long soak in this case is necessary in order to destroy growth blockers (inhibitors).
- After that, the seeds are laid out on a plate, on light paper, preferably filter paper. The plate is placed in a bag and placed in a warm shaded place. The optimum temperature is considered to be 18-20 degrees. Higher and lower values will reduce germination.
- When the seeds hatch, you need to be very careful, you can use tweezers, a match or a toothpick to spread them over moistened peat tablets (or into the ground). It is not necessary to sprinkle with soil: germination will decrease. Moisturize planting material from a spray bottle and cover plastic wrap or glass. Landings must be aired daily, and, if necessary, moistened.
Rules for processing strawberry seeds and soil
To germinate strawberries, it is important to properly prepare the soil and the planting material itself. For growing seedlings, you can purchase ready ground Or you can make your own mix of whatever you like best. The best option is peat tablets. This does not require a dive, which is very important, since young strawberry plants are very tender.
Before sowing the seeds, they should be prostratified. To do this, for 5 days, the seed material is kept at an air temperature of less than +5 degrees - on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or on the balcony. If possible, sprinkle it with snow. In addition to stratification, garden strawberry seeds must be soaked in a growth stimulator solution.
How to care for seeds so they germinate
Shoots of strawberries appear unevenly within 10-30 days. At this time, the ambient temperature should be 15 degrees. Seedlings need regular watering, upper layer soil should not dry out. Watering is required very carefully, without destroying the topsoil.
After sowing has been carried out, the containers should be placed in a well-lit place. Emerging shoots are recommended to be covered with plastic wrap. Thus, a structure is created in which the plants are warm and humid. Drops of evaporated moisture can be removed from the film with a paper towel. A couple of times a day, an impromptu greenhouse must be ventilated.
It is not enough to plant seeds, it is important to ensure that they have enough light. If it is not enough, the plants should be illuminated artificially. Planting strawberries with seeds at home involves installing fluorescent lamp and socket timer. They turn on the light bulb at 6 am and turn it off at 11 pm.
How to propagate strawberries from seeds
propagate strawberries seed material not easy, but this method has many advantages. Firstly, self-extracted seeds are stored for a long time, and secondly, plants obtained from them get sick less. Reproduction by seeds is possible for any varieties, excluding hybrids.
So, how to breed strawberries in this way?
- Choose berries from well-developed bushes.
- Take their seeds from the middle part or near the base.
- Spread the seeds under the seedlings on blotting paper, wait until they dry.
- Grind the seeds in your palms.
- Put the finished planting material in a glass container.
Then you can sow strawberries. In this case, stratification and soaking are also carried out first, then the material is dried - and you can plant it in the garden.
When and how to plant seeds
We sow seeds for seedlings in February, in extreme cases, in early March. This is necessary in order to have time to plant young plants in the soil before the onset summer heat. Seedlings should grow at home before planting in the ground for about 2 months. When planted in February, the plants will produce a crop in the first year of life.
How to plant seeds in the soil for seedlings? Take the advice of Ganichkina. You can act like this: put special soil in a glass for berry crops, and pour calcined sand on top of it. Next, gently lay the seed material on the mixture, lightly sprinkled with sand. Cover the cups with foil and poke holes in it.
How many days does a strawberry seed germinate? As a rule, the emergence of shoots takes about 2 weeks. The first sprouts are very thin, slightly thicker than a hair. At proper watering sockets appear after 2 months. After that, strawberries can be planted on permanent place She will quickly grow.
Secrets of growing strawberries (video)
It is not too easy to propagate and sow strawberries with seed material, but if you know the process technology, planting can be handled. Plants obtained from seeds give best harvest and get sick less.
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 strawberry seeds in the summer in open ground- then it will bear fruit next year.
For sowing strawberry seeds for seedlings, take low (7-10 cm) bowls with drainage holes and a layer of drainage, fill them with a nutrient mixture of light leaf 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 heat then seed germination 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 seedlings of strawberries, after prikivaniye, take root 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.
Growing strawberries from seeds is a rather laborious and lengthy process. Therefore, it is worth doing this only in those cases when it is necessary to propagate the variety you like. Well, or if there is a desire to take care of something for a long time and painstakingly.
Strawberries are long-growing crops with a small percentage of germination. The most popular among gardeners was the method of propagation by mustache or division of bushes. But if you need to grow strawberries from seeds, then you should strictly adhere to all the recommendations below.
Seed selection
The most effective will be the cultivation of strawberries from seeds collected with my own hands. It's worth the time and effort spent here. After all, most likely, the seeds were collected from the variety you liked, which surprised you with its taste or abundance of the crop. Subject to the rules for the collection and storage of planting material, germination can be improved by a third.
To collect strawberry seeds, you need to take a ripe, but not overripe fruit, soak in warm water for 3-4 days. It should be remembered that hybrids when propagating on their own harvested seeds do not repeat all the qualities of the mother bush, so the variety must be chosen appropriate. Gently rub the strawberries fermented in the water through a sieve, rinse the seeds separated from it with running water, dry well for several days and pack in paper bags. Planting material should be stored in a cool, dark place.
When buying seeds, you need to pay attention to the period of their collection and storage. It is desirable that this be fresh planting material collected in the previous season. Seeds stored for a year or more lose their germination capacity significantly.
Soil preparation and containers
Land intended for growing strawberries should be given special attention. From sowing to seedlings, which have reached the required size for planting in open ground, it takes about three months. Therefore, all this time the soil must be in a decent condition.
An ideal option for growing long-growing crops such as strawberries are peat tablets. They are completely ready to use, you just need to feed them with water and plant seeds. For strawberries, the thinnest tablets are suitable, growing after swelling up to 5-6 cm, no more.
You can use purchased soil for seedlings or make a soil mixture for growing strawberries yourself. It should be very light and porous, not retain moisture, consist of two parts of sand, one part of humus and soddy soil. Any land, store-bought or prepared with your own hands, must be disinfected. This can be done with a strong solution of potassium permanganate, spilling all the soil well with it, or warm it up in the oven for two hours. An excellent way to stimulate the right microclimate in the soil for a long time will be the colonization of good microorganisms acquired in the form of biological preparations.
You can grow strawberries in any improvised containers - containers for cakes and cookies, disposable cups, cut plastic bottles. It is enough that they are no deeper than 6-7 cm. The inner walls of the container must also be treated with a disinfectant solution, dried well before filling with earth, and holes pierced in several places. The container should be filled with soil, leaving a few centimeters to the upper edge of the side, so that the seedlings sprouted under the shelter have enough space.
Seed preparation
You can grow strawberries from seeds throughout the year, but if you want to get a harvest from it already in June best option sowing - mid-January, all of February. Then by May she will gain sufficient green mass, she will form a strong root system, capable of transferring transplantation to open ground, to give the first harvest. With the planting of remontant varieties, you can wait until March, when daylight hours become longer. By August, young strawberries will already be able to pamper with the first berries.
Regarding whether or not to soak the planting material, experienced gardeners have different opinions. Some advise keeping the seeds for a couple of days in a humid environment or in a growth stimulator, while others consider this activity useless. If the seeds are fresh, collected by hand, or there is no doubt about the integrity of their supplier, then it may not be worth it to germinate them. Otherwise, it is better to spread them out on a damp cloth to make sure they are swollen, able to sprout.
Sowing
The most popular way to plant small seeds, whether strawberry, petunia, lobelia or any other similar plants, is to sow them in the snow. Snow is laid out on the surface of the prepared soil with a layer of 2-3 cm. Tiny strawberry seeds will be very clearly visible on it. Having melted, the snow will not only saturate the soil with the moisture necessary for the first time, but will also gently draw the seeds into it. After sowing, seeds should be stratified, accelerating their germination. To do this, just place the container on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Sown strawberry seeds do not need to be sprinkled with earth. The container with them should be covered with glass, film or a lid and placed on a windowsill, isolated from direct sunlight. Strawberries need light from the first days of planting. Under the conditions of a micro-greenhouse under a lid, it will remain until the first shoots. It does not need to be watered - the moisture from the melted snow will last for a long time if the shelter turned out to be quite airtight. The first shoots of strawberries may appear in one and a half to two weeks, but some varieties germinate only after three weeks.
strawberry seedling care
During the growing period of strawberries, drops of water will appear on the lid of the container, indicating its tightness. They must be removed with clean rags or paper towels. To air the sprouts, the time when moisture is removed from the lid is enough. If, with proper care, drops do not form, then this indicates the drying of the soil. You can spray its surface with a spray bottle or add water to a pre-prepared pan. The cover can be completely removed when 2-3 leaves appear on the seedlings. After that, it is necessary to carefully monitor the sufficient amount of moisture in the soil.
Lighting
The winter months may not provide the plants with enough light outside the window. Therefore, any of them, planted for seedlings in January-February, needs additional illumination. To do this, you can use special facilities with a lamp daylight or ordinary table lamps as a last resort. But strawberries must receive their ten hours of light. Otherwise, it will stretch out, become frail and painful.
Watering
Water the seedlings as needed when the topsoil is dry to the touch. It is better to pour water into the pan to avoid the formation of mold on the surface, infection of seedlings with a black leg. If you need to water the surface of the soil, then this should be done carefully, from a spoon or syringe, so that the tender sprouts are not washed off with a stream of water.
top dressing
In the early days, seedlings have enough nutrients located in the ground. The first top dressing necessary for the successful cultivation of strawberries from seeds is made after the formation of 2-3 permanent leaves on the sprouts. You can take complex fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, enriched with trace elements. You need to repeat feeding every week and a half. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the instructions that come with fertilizers so that their overabundance does not provoke the active growth of greenery to the detriment of the fruits.
If there is fungus or mold
In conditions high humidity and temperatures created under the lid of the seedling container, growing strawberries from seeds can be difficult due to the possibility of green, black spots of fungus or white mold on the surface of the soil. All these troubles must be removed, the earth must be disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or a purchased antifungal agent. Watering in the pan significantly reduces the possibility of plaque on the soil surface. Well in the prevention of contamination of the soil helps regular ventilation.
picking
If the plants are planted in one common container, then after 3-4 weeks they need to be planted in separate containers, dive. This will help the root system to develop better, and the above-ground part will provide additional volume for growth.
Dive strawberries should be after the formation of 3-4 pairs of leaves on the sprout. To do this, carefully water the soil, allow it to absorb water and become more pliable when removing sprouts. You can put a clod of earth with seedlings on the table and, pouring water, wash off all the soil from the roots. If the plants are intertwined with roots, then you should carefully unravel them with a toothpick, slowly and without trying to stretch the sprouts to the sides with your hands. A damaged root system will lead to disease, stunted growth, or death of the plant.
Before planting in the bottom of the pot, you need to make several holes for care. excess moisture. Seedlings of strawberries are planted in pots with soil, the composition of which is closest to the ground, where it will be planted in a permanent place. It also needs to be watered well before planting, make a notch with your finger, plant a stalk in it. When transplanting, it is very important not to fall asleep the heart from which the leaves grow.
Seedling hardening
A few days before planting in open ground, strawberry seedlings must be hardened off. To do this, it must be taken out into the street for several minutes, increasing the hardening period every day. The air temperature for hardening should not be below zero.
If you decide to grow strawberries from seeds, then you need to know the following rules.
- the seeds are very small and germinate only in the light;
- you need to sow the seeds on the surface of the soil and do not sprinkle anything on top.
For planting seeds, take a plastic container with a lid (these are sold as disposable tableware). Pour the earth, compact it, and put the seeds on top over the entire surface, but sparsely. Close the container with film, glass or a container lid. You have a mini greenhouse for seedlings. Do not forget to sprinkle water on the seeds and the ground with a spray bottle beforehand. In this case, strawberry seeds germinate very well.
In fact, it is believed that strawberry seeds germinate for a very long time - 30 or more days. So, if you decide to start growing strawberries from seeds, then be patient. But still, I 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 illuminate the seedlings. If you do not have the opportunity to illuminate, then wait until March and then sow the seeds. To illuminate the seedlings, you can do the following: place the container under the usual table lamp, just replace the incandescent bulb with an energy-saving one. This will not take up much space for you, and the seedlings will have enough light. The distance to shoots should be 10-15 cm, and the lamp should shine from 12 to 16 hours. The bigger, the better.
Instead of a container with earth, it is very convenient to use peat tablets. They are especially suitable for seeds of large-fruited strawberries. You need to sow one seed per 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 completely swollen. After that, put 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 there is no excess moisture left, otherwise the strawberry seedling roots will rot and grow poorly.
When you have seedlings of strawberries, in no case do not remove the lid of the container, 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 give required amount moisture. Your seedlings should be under a transparent cover all the time until real strawberry leaves appear. This is being done gradually. First, make a small gap between the lid and the container, then more. After a few days, you can remove the cover completely.
You should also pay attention to the fact that when condensation forms on the lid, it must be removed.
When out peat tablets you will only have roots, this will indicate that now you need to transplant strawberry seedlings into pots, filling up the missing land.
Here, in fact, is the whole technology.
From seed is a very exciting process. In order not to experience disappointment, it is better to purchase them from those who have good reputation manufacturers. It is worth purchasing seeds that are more than 12 months old at the time of planting.
Seeds of remontant small-fruited beardless strawberries germinate best, for example, strawberries of the Baron Solimakher variety, as well as Alpine, Ali Baba, etc. There are a lot of seeds of these varieties in a pack, the price of packing seeds is a little more than 10 rubles.
Large-fruited strawberries are more difficult to grow from seeds. But how much joy and pride you will experience if you succeed! There are few seeds in a pack, usually 10 pieces, and it is not cheap - more than 50 rubles. It makes sense to try to grow small-fruited strawberries, gain experience and skills in growing them, and then try to grow large-fruited ones.
For seeds, it is better to purchase a universal soil or soil for Saintpaulia. Whichever one you use, it must be disinfected. The easiest way to disinfect the soil in microwave oven. It must be placed in a container, sprinkled with water and steamed for maximum power microwave for 5 minutes. The soil must be completely dry before sowing.
The optimal time for planting strawberries for seedlings is from February to April. If it is possible to create additional lighting, then strawberries from seeds can be planted as early as January. If this is not possible, then you should not rush into planting, as you will get weak elongated seedlings.
Stratification is necessary to improve strawberries. In the process of stratification, inhibitors that inhibit the growth of embryos are destroyed in seeds. Strawberries from seeds germinate better if a layer of snow about 1 cm thick is laid on the ground and the seeds are evenly spread on top of it (if there is no snow at the time of planting, you can scrape frost from the freezer). The container must be placed in plastic bag or cover with glass and refrigerate for several days, about a week. In the process of snow melting, the seeds will fall to a depth that is optimal for germination. Crops must be ventilated daily, removing the condensate accumulated on the glass (film).
After the expiration of the stratification period, the seed container must be removed and placed in a well-lit place with diffused light. Strawberries from seeds after stratification sprout relatively quickly. The first shoots appear in a week. The remaining seeds can germinate within a month. During this period, ventilation with the removal of condensate is mandatory. When the top layer of the soil dries out, you need to water it carefully, you can use a pipette or a teaspoon, you can spray it from a spray bottle. The soil in which strawberries grow from seeds should be moist, but not waterlogged.
When the sprouts develop 3-4 true leaves, you need to pick (seat young plants in separate containers). When picking, you can not deepen the heart of strawberries. It should be at ground level, not above and not below. When planting plants, it is advisable not to disturb earthen clod root system, then the process of engraftment will be easier. Picked plants can be put in an impromptu greenhouse or covered with foil. They need to be kept in shading for several days, and then put in a bright place so that the seedlings do not stretch.
It is possible to plant seedlings of strawberries in the garden at a time when there is confidence that there will be no more frosts. By this time, as a rule, 5-6 true leaves have already been formed on the bushes.
Among the many varieties, I would especially like to note the variety of strawberries "Elizabeth II". This is a large-fruited culture that bears fruit without pauses. Strawberry "Elizabeth II" forms berries weighing up to 40 g, not only on the mother specimen, but also on the mustache. This variety can be planted in containers. Benefit double - delicious large berries and excellent decoration. With unfavorable weather conditions easy to move the container into the room.