Strawberries from seed

[Nan_PA_6b]

I have little albino everbearing strawberries (alpine, I think) growing in my backyard. The critters don't eat them because they're white, don't look ripe. Tasty.

Nan

[NarnianGarden]

Wow, it is good I begun to research the issue further: I did read on some strawberry sites that
Fragaria virginiana does not cross with Fragaria vesca - nor does Fragaria vesca naturally cross with the common garden strawberry, Fragaria x ananassa. All are too different genetically.

So, no interesting combinations in the foreseeable future - but I just content if they all taste good!

[greenthumbomaha]

For newbies trying to growing strawberries, I suggest using a regular grocery strawberry as an experiment. I spent a small fortune on buying different seeds only to find they either got a fungus or all dried up one day because they are so small for a long time. Once you have a successful technique is the time to order interesting varieties of seeds.

That is good info to keep the tray shallow and in a water bath. It was fun but not fruitful for me to jump in with 4 seed varieties when I had no idea the sun would wipe out my months of work in one afternoon. Maybe I'll save seed from a strawberry that I buy at the u-pick this summer.

- Lisa

[Hatgirl]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

For newbies trying to growing strawberries, I suggest using a regular grocery strawberry as an experiment. I spent a small fortune on buying different seeds only to find they either got a fungus or all dried up one day because they are so small for a long time. Once you have a successful technique is the time to order interesting varieties of seeds.

That is good info to keep the tray shallow and in a water bath. It was fun but not fruitful for me to jump in with 4 seed varieties when I had no idea the sun would wipe out my months of work in one afternoon. Maybe I'll save seed from a strawberry that I buy at the u-pick this summer.

- Lisa

I tried my first experiment with a half dozen different varieties last year, and used the same seeds this year. And the only thing I did was close over the packet and put it in a a sealed plastic sandwich bag. So the seeds don't need to be used up all at once, they can be saved for at least a year.

[Hatgirl]

Oh, and just to clarify - I daily lift the pots to see if they need watering (I can tell by how heavy/light they feel) and if they need water I place them in a tray already full of water, and remove them after half an hour.
It seems to be working!

[NarnianGarden]

Well, some more varieties are coming this year... Mostly alpines, but I am trying also some garden strawberries (ananassa), and some are already up.
Trying to get musk strawberry seeds to germinate too.

The ones I planted last year are growing well now, some are really lush bushes.
Once you get them large enough they survive easier.

I am just amazed at the ease of the germination and seedlings on my strawberry batch: no hassles of germination, new ones pop up all summer and grow into new bushes without any human involvement.. WHile I am sometimes pulling out my hair follicles trying to get some desired varieties to sprout and grow..

[NarnianGarden]

Varieties I have from seed:

Alpiskaya zheltaya (alpine, still very small)
Marmeladnaya (alpine)
Ruegen (alpine)
Yellow wonder (alpine)
Zolotoyi desert (alpine, still very small)


Musk strawberry (many seedlings - in hopes there are enough male and female for succesful pollination!)

Garden strawberry varieties -
Fresca
Zolotoyi karamelki

Virginiana strawberry (no flowers yet although well established in the ground, only leaves)

Also a nameless garden variety coming up..

This sure is an interesting experiment!

I've grown Alexandria and Yellow Wonder from both store-bought seeds and from fruits those grew. We've had plants for I think a few years now.

I started Reine des Vallees' this spring. It's in the garden, now.

I've tried other alpine types, but they either died in the greenhouse or didn't sprout (probably because of the soil). I think they're easier to start indoors in just regular potting soil.

I started Tresca and Fresca. They're young plants in my windowsill, now.

I recently grew seeds from Ozark Beauty, and some of them sprouted (also in my windowsill), and I more recently planted seeds from Quinault.

To start the seeds, I prefer to mush whole berries up in the container soil (mixing them with the top part of the soil) and just keep them watered, in a south window, indoors. It's worked for me (with and without a fan going). I don't think that cold stratification is necessary. Seedlings can be delicate (so be careful). They stay small for a good while, but otherwise, I think they're about as easy to start as tomatoes.

Strawberries can be split up easily later if overseeded (at least the alpine types; my garden strawberries are still young; so, I don't have experience splitting them up, yet). How much later, I'm not sure of the ideal maturity. Alpine types can still fruit well if you don't separate them, though.

I've only had fruit from Alexandria and Yellow Wonder, so far (for seed-grown plants). Alexandria did better with production the first year, but Yellow Wonder has done better with production than Alexandria after that. I like them both for flavor. They're each unique. The plants look nice, too. Alexandria had better and/or faster germination rates than Yellow Wonder, both with purchased seed and planted fruits. In my climate, with both varieties, the fruits will dry on the plant instead of spoiling, if you don't pick them fast.

[NarnianGarden]

This summer, there has been an ongoing intense competition between humans and birds...
I ended up picking plenty of strawberries half-ripe so the birds would not get them first.

Some of my strawberry patches are covered with a net, but not all areas can be protected.

I hope that as the season progresses, the flying friends will find other sources of food and stay away from our yard.

You might be interested in reading about the Reine des Vallees' alpine strawberry. It's supposed to be pretty awesome.