STRAWBERRIES SEEDS GERMINATION

STRAWBERRIES SEEDS GERMINATION

Once you have your first taste of freshly picked, sun-warmed strawberries, it is hard to settle for berries from the store. Of the three types of strawberries you can grow -- June-bearing, ever-bearing and day-neutral -- June-bearing plants quickly produce enough runners to provide a large harvest. Ever-bearing and day-neutral plants tend toward a more compact growth pattern with little or no new plants produced from runners. They are natural choices for starting from seed.

Harvesting Seeds

Harvesting your own seeds from existing plants is simple. Select a few of the largest, fully ripe berries from heirloom or open pollinated strawberry plants. Avoid hybrid plants because they typically produce new plants that are not true-to-type. Place the berries in an electric blender with just enough water to float them above the blades. Blend on low speed for a few seconds and let the mixture rest for at least a minute. If the seeds sink to the bottom and the fruit pulp is floating, you accomplished your mission. If not, blend the mixture for a few more seconds. Pour off the floating pulp and pour the remaining seeds onto a paper towel. After drying them for a few days in a warm spot, out of direct sunlight, store the seeds in a cool, dark location -- refrigerators are a good choice.

Buying Day-Neutral Seeds

With the wide selection of cultivars available in catalogs, you might opt to purchase seeds directly. Of the two types of strawberry seeds typically available -- ever-bearing and day-neutral -- day-neutral types are likely the least known. Sometimes called alpine, they often produce a small crop in their first year and then a continuous crop in subsequent seasons. More closely resembling wild strawberries, alpine berries are white or red in color, packed with intense flavor and the smallest of the three types. Cultivars such as “Strawberry Vesca” reach a mature height of 12 inches and thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 to 9.

Buying Ever-Bearing Seeds

The better-known ever-bearing strawberry plants typically produce two crops of medium-sized red berries during the growing season, except in cool coastal climates. In these areas, where summer temperatures stay below 85 degrees Fahrenheit, ever-bearers are true to their name -- they usually produce a continuous harvest. Thriving in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 9, ever-bearers reach a mature height of 10 to 12 inches. A cultivar such as “Seascape” does well in coastal areas and a cultivar such as “Tristar” thrives in a cold-winter climate.

Planting Seeds

As soon as the soil warms in early spring, press the tiny seeds into moist soil, leaving them uncovered. Select a site that receives full sun, with slightly acidic soil in the pH range of 6.0 to 6.5. The soil should be well-draining with plenty of compost turned into it. Keep the soil bed moist during germination, and seedlings should appear in two to three weeks. Another option is starting seeds indoors two months before the last frost date. Press them into moist soilless growing medium, keeping the soilless medium at 60 to 75 F. Plant outside after the last frost, maintaining one foot of space between plants.

Pests and Diseases

Many viruses, insects, mites and fungi bother strawberry plants. To avoid some of these problems, select virus-resistant cultivars. Heavily mulching around the plants with materials such as straw, wood chips or landscape fabric keeps soil-borne diseases away from the fruit. Minimize insect infestations by keeping weeds in and near the berry patch under control. To avoid fruit rotting on the plants, use ground-level watering such as drip irrigation