Is it difficult to grow strawberries from seeds?

For many summer residents, growing strawberries from seeds seems to be a very difficult task, the implementation of which will take a lot of time and effort and is unlikely to end in success. In fact, this is not the case. One cannot do without caring for seedlings, but even beginner gardeners can easily master it. But the effort spent guarantees the result in the form of many new varieties of strawberry bushes.

This method is irreplaceable for those who grow alpine strawberries. Almost all of its varieties do not form a mustache, and plantings need to be rejuvenated every 3-4 years. Propagating strawberries generatively has other benefits as well. Its seeds do not lose their germination for a long time. Also, pathogens are not transmitted with them, which makes planting new strawberry bushes in the garden safe for specimens already growing on it.

Seed harvesting

To grow strawberries, you can use seeds purchased at the store or harvested yourself. The latter are favorably distinguished by increased germination. Many varieties of crops reproduce successfully by seeds. The only exceptions are its hybrid varieties.

When harvesting seeds, they are guided by the rules common to all crops. A well-developed plant is chosen in the garden. It should be healthy and productive. The berries from which it is planned to take planting material are given a little overripe. The highest quality seeds are found in the middle and at the base. They are large, contain a developed embryo, and their germination energy is increased. From such seeds, powerful bushes will grow, generous for the harvest.

Having removed the peel with "grains" from the berries, it is laid out on a napkin or paper towel and dried. Then you need to rub it in your palms, freeing the seeds. It is more convenient to do this by spreading the skin on the fabric and covering it with another layer on top. Grind the berry mass carefully. The goal is to break the film without damaging the seeds. Then they are washed with water, dried and placed in a glass container. They can be stored in it for several years.

Seed preparation

Slow germination is characteristic of strawberry seeds. To wait for shoots faster, they are processed. For this you will need:

• plastic container - it must be transparent and tightly closed;
• cotton pads or pieces of cloth.

Several holes are made in the container lid with a needle so that the seeds do not "suffocate". After moistening a cotton pad or a piece of cloth with water, spread seeds on it. They are covered from above with another disc or cloth. They should also be wet.

Having signed the name of the variety, the container with the seeds to be soaked is closed with a lid. For 2 days, it is stored in a warm place (at a temperature of 15-18 ° C), after which it is put into the refrigerator, where it is kept for another 3-4 weeks. Such care is needed for seed stratification. It guarantees their fast and friendly germination, and the seedlings are more powerful. It is important to monitor the condition of the discs by wetting them in time. The container is ventilated daily. After removing it from the refrigerator, it is placed in a warm place where the seeds will germinate further.

Having prepared the seed, it can be planted in peat tablets or cups. This is usually done in February or early March for at least 2 reasons:

1. in winter, summer residents have more free time that can be spent caring for seedlings;
2. such plants are planted earlier, therefore, by the onset of drought, they have time to take root and tolerate it better.

You can sow the seeds later: from May to June. But in this case, the plants will most likely have to hibernate in boxes.If the summer is not hot, planting is carried out at a later date.

Suitable soil

Sowing containers are filled with a light and loose substrate, consisting of the following components:

• turf land;
• peat;
• sand.

Mix them in a 2: 1: 1 ratio. It is desirable to enrich such soil with wood ash and rotted manure. Complex mineral fertilizer will become a full-fledged replacement for them.

Delicate shoots of strawberries are very vulnerable to insect pests, whose larvae may be in the ground. Therefore, the substrate is disinfected. This can be done in 2 ways:

1. heating it in the oven for 15-20 minutes;
2. steaming it for half an hour over a saucepan filled with boiling water.

Heat treatment also destroys pathogens and prevents the germination of weed seeds. It is impossible to plant strawberries in heated soil right away. Before sowing, the substrate is allowed to stand for 2-3 weeks. During this time, its microbiological properties will be restored.

You can prepare soil for planting strawberries in a different way by mixing:

• 3 parts of non-acidic peat;
• 1 part coarse sand;
• 1 part vermicompost.

Advice

If vermicompost was not at hand, you can do without it by adding more peat to the substrate.

Sowing subtleties

Having filled the planting container with soil mixture and slightly compacted it, they moisten the soil well. It is better to use a spray bottle for this. The hatched seeds are laid out on the surface of the substrate. It is convenient to do this with tweezers, a sharpened wooden stick or a toothpick.

Strawberry seeds need light for germination, so they are not sprinkled on top. It is enough to slightly press each grain to the ground. After closing the container with a lid, put it in a bright and warm place. Direct sunlight should not fall on it, otherwise the seeds will dry out without germinating. Until they germinate, the lid is not opened. The humidity and temperature necessary for strawberry seeds are created under it. To provide them with oxygen, holes are made in the lid.

By her condition, they judge how comfortable the seeds are. The dryness of the lid indicates a lack of moisture and the need for watering. If condensate collects on it, through which the seeds are not visible, waterlogging is evident. In this case, the cover is removed for ventilation, wiping it dry.

If strawberry seedlings are grown in boxes, drainage must be done by pouring expanded clay or fine gravel on the bottom with a layer of 1-2 cm. From above it is covered with soil mixture. The optimal height of its layer is 10-15 cm. Having compacted the soil with a plank, narrow and shallow (0.5 cm) grooves are made in it. 2 cm of free space is left between them. The rows are spilled with water, after which you can plant seeds in them. Crops are covered with foil or glass. Further care for them is carried out in the same way as when planting in containers.

Alternative method

Experienced summer residents plant strawberry seeds without stratification, holding it directly in the soil mixture. For this, sowing is carried out in the snow. The container is filled with a moist substrate, leaving 2-3 cm free. Snow is placed on top with a centimeter layer, pressing it. Soaked seeds are scattered over it.

Covering the planting container with a lid, it is placed in the refrigerator. After 2 weeks, it is taken out and placed in a warm place with good lighting. With the melting of the snow, the seeds themselves will go underground. The moisture from it is usually enough for 2 weeks. The crops are closely monitored, airing and watering them as necessary.

Advice

To prevent the seeds from blurring, moisten the substrate from a spray bottle.

Their further germination is carried out as described above. Planting strawberries with seeds in the snow has many benefits. In addition to saving time for stratification, it prevents them from deepening and ensures even seedlings.

Getting healthy seedlings

Strawberry seedlings develop well if they have enough:

• Sveta;
• heat;
• humidity.

Country tricks for growing strawberry seedlings say: the amount of light needed is directly related to the air temperature.The higher it is, the brighter the room should be.

Seedlings are watered regularly, avoiding waterlogging or drying out of the soil. Strawberry seedlings usually appear 20-25 days after sowing. With their germination, the temperature in the room where the boxes with seedlings are located is brought to 20-25 ° C and constantly maintained at this level.

When the seedlings release 2 true leaves, they dive. For transplanting, it is better to take separate containers. They can be peat or plastic cups. Their optimal size is 5x5 cm. The seedlings are placed in boxes at intervals of 8 cm. Holes are made in the bottom of the container used for picking for water drainage. For the same purpose, drainage is laid. Suitable for him:

• small stones;
• crushed nutshells;
• coarse river sand.

After filling the glass with a crumbly substrate, water it and make a small depression in it. Having dug up a seedling, pinch its long root a little. Plants are planted very carefully with a match or a sharp wooden stick. They do not need to be deeply buried: after planting, the heart with leaves should remain above the ground. Having cut down the plants, they carry out care in the form of watering. Do this carefully, the water jet should not be strong.

Landing in the ground

At the age of 1.5-2 months, when 5 leaves appear on them, the seedlings can be planted in the beds. But before that, the plants need to be hardened. The containers with young strawberries are placed in the garden so that they get used to street lighting and temperature. At first they are placed in the shade, but little by little the plants are taught to the direct sun. The first time they are left outside for 1-2 hours. In the future, you can not put them into the house, even at night. If the weather is warm, then a short-term decrease in temperature to 5-7 ° C will only benefit the plants and accelerate hardening.

They begin to plant seedlings in the beds in May. But if the warm weather has not yet established, it is better to cover the strawberries with foil. Seedlings planted in June do not need such care. When placed early in the ground, seedlings can bloom and bring a crop in the first year. But this will have a bad effect on the development of the plant, weakening it. The first buds on the bush are best cut off. This will allow him to grow stronger, lay more flower buds of the next season and successfully survive the winter.

If the seedlings were grown in the summer, outdoors, they can be placed in the beds until the end of August. With late sowing, the plants may still be small by this time. In this case, they are dropped on the site directly in the planting container. If the winter turns out to be harsh and snowless, young strawberries may freeze out. To avoid this, the seedlings are covered with dry foliage, and spruce branches are placed on top. They are planted in the spring.

Little secrets

The experience of professionals in the propagation of strawberries by seeds allows us to highlight small but important country tricks, the knowledge of which will make the cultivation of a crop successful.

1. The seedlings are gradually accustomed to light and humidity in the room. You cannot immediately remove the lid or film from the planting container. After the conditions of the mini-greenhouse, the air in the room for the seedlings will be too dry and they will dry out. First you need to slide the cover to create a small gap. In the film, you can make a couple of holes through which air will pass. They are gradually expanding. On a sunny windowsill, planting containers are first exposed for 1-2 hours, gradually increasing the time.
2. Strawberry leaves do not like being exposed to water. Seedlings are watered carefully, it is better to do this from a spoon. Water is poured strictly at the root. While the planting container is covered with a film or lid, condensation is regularly removed from it, not allowing it to accumulate and drain onto the plants.
3. The seed can germinate high so that part of the root is visible above the soil. Then the stem with leaves under its weight will fall on the ground, which will end in its death. To avoid this, the exposed root is immediately covered with earth. This will not dry out.
4. If mold appears in the greenhouse, it should be removed with a match or a toothpick, and the seedlings should be ventilated and dried. After that, the soil is treated with drugs with antifungal action.

Despite the fascination of the process, few decide to grow strawberries by seeds. This lesson is for true connoisseurs of culture, who are distinguished by their patience and are ready to devote a lot of time to seedlings. Another circumstance does not contribute to its popularity. Planting seeds of a certain variety does not guarantee the production of just such plants. Strawberries are well pollinated by wind and insects. But getting pollen from other bushes on its flowers inevitably leads to a mixture of varieties.

The seed method of growing it provides ample opportunities for experimentation, because it is impossible to know for sure what result the expended efforts will bring. But there is always a chance to get unique plants of a new variety. And if they turn out to be fruitful and bring tasty and beautiful berries, you can think about leaving them on the site and propagating them with a mustache or dividing a bush. So varietal qualities will definitely not be lost.