Strawberries from seed.

[Spiderling]

Can anyone help me with information on growing strawberries from seed please? We are quite interested in trying this but would rather have the larger fruited types than the Alpine varieties we've seen in garden centres so far. Would the plants raised from seed be annuals? If not, will they produce runners? Can anyone recommend any they have tried and found to be good? We grow plants with good results but fancy having a go at something different! Planning my jam sessions already! Cheers.

[Sue]

Spiderling
Hi, I've tried growing strawberries from seed and have to wonder if it's worth it. Firstly the varieties available are very limited - haven't tried growing any self-saved seed though.
Secondly they take ages to grow, stay as microscopic seedlings for ages and it wasn't till I saw a post on this forum that I persevered, thought I was doing something wrong. However they do grow into small plants in their first year and produce a few strawberries but they never tasted good enough, certainly nowhere near the flavour I would expect after all that trouble. Now I'm grubbing them all out and replacing with new plants.
Interesting experiment though, glad I tried but back to reproducing from runners from plants I really liked.
Sue

[kiwirach]

Spiderling
Hi, I've tried growing strawberries from seed and have to wonder if it's worth it. Firstly the varieties available are very limited - haven't tried growing any self-saved seed though.
Secondly they take ages to grow, stay as microscopic seedlings for ages and it wasn't till I saw a post on this forum that I persevered, thought I was doing something wrong. However they do grow into small plants in their first year and produce a few strawberries but they never tasted good enough, certainly nowhere near the flavour I would expect after all that trouble. Now I'm grubbing them all out and replacing with new plants.
Interesting experiment though, glad I tried but back to reproducing from runners from plants I really liked.
Sue

thanks for all that info....

i'm growing some strawberries from seed with a child i look after. they are tiny at the moment and i have been doubting we'd get any berries this year. i may have to pull a swift one and get a few bigger plug plants!.

[Nickerly]

I've just planted some seeds from an actual strawberry (about 3 days ago). So will keep you posted to how it goes..

[quark1]

I started some El Santa from a supermarket pack - dried then sown last year. The plantlets are now around 2" tall and starting to really take on that strawberry look. If started now they'll probably get going a lot quicker as I started them way out of season (I think - although self seeded....who knows?)

I've also saved some Camarosa this week. Not great tasters as almost certainly grown under glass from Morocco - but hoping 'natural' British conditions and some real sunshine will benefit both varieties. El Santa from Spain - but surprisingly excellent flavour.

Cannot say if they will produce fruit this year - but anything would be great. Just be patient!

[Spiderling]

Thanks everyone. Seems a bit hit and miss growing from seed. I assumed it would take alot of time and patience....

[Saraheliz]

Hi

I have grown sarian strawbs from seeds , they are the best I have ever tasted but are difficult to germinate and tender when young but I do it every year cos its worth it.
I grew an Ava strawb from supermarket last year so don't know what it'll be like this year but its still alive.
Have grown alpine strawbs from seed, very easy but strawbs are small.
You have to keep the temperature quite constant, e.g. by putting a clear plastic bag around and with sarian strawbs, letting light in, don't know if other ones need light.
Keep moist but not wet and wait a long time for germination.
It can be done.

good luck
from
sArahx

[carolinej1234]

How wet or dry should strawberries be?

I have planted strawberry seeds in a hanging basket, and have planted a small strawberry plant. As the threads have mentioned, my seeds aren't doing anything either although my plant looks very healthy. As I live in Dumbarton in Scotland and everything gets VERY wet, I was wondering if I should be covering these plants to give them a better chance to grow? Also, do strawberries need a lot of drainage? Sorry I am a beginner but loving all the help you get from "real gardening folk"!

[Welsh Wizard]

My Sarian from seed had 100% germination: sowed in January and the seedlings are still tiny , but true leaves are coming and I think given a few months they will be strong crowns. I don't see them cropping this year, but I have some from last year which have flowers on already!

[Alison]

I grew alpine ones from seed last year (planted early Jan) and they fruited for months last summer and are looking good again this year. They were VERY slow to start but then seemed to take off in about April and suddenly became proper strawberry plants. Personally I love the little alpine ones as they're lovely on cereal or with yoghurt etc and I really liked the long season. I also grow the big ones but have always bought these as plants or taken runners. All the garden centres have some in now and I bought a few extras last year in Lidl for not very much at all and found them very productive. No idea what type but they were very good.

[Scottishnewbie]

Have to agree with Sue here. I've grown them from seed the last 2 years and just when I'd given up all hope of anything happening they changed from the 2mm specimens into something a bit more respectable! I think it's one of these things, if you do it every year you will end up with a decent crop but you need patience! The few we got last year were tasty though

[aeb]

I am in St. Louis, MO, trying the same thing. Very wet spring this year, and it is always so hot and humid in the summer! I want to plant the alpine strawberries I have started in the house into hanging baskets, but I do wonder what in particular these plants need to do well. (P.S. I am from Canada. All my family, starting with my parents on back, is from Clydebank...Muir and Hendrie families!)

[divvy]

I am trying growing strawberries from shop bought ones . We saw it on the internet , you slice a strawberry into thinish slices and put a slice on each pot , cover with compost and pray . Mine are in the unheated green house at the moment and I wonder if I should be doing this indoors . It didn't say anything about that bit .

[susieq100]

I planted some Sarian strawberries from seed in January indoors and was quite prepared to wait for some 'action'. So I waited and waited - tiny, tiny seedlings that just sat there, for weeks doing NOTHING! So, believing that they were not going to grow, about a month ago I bought some bargain strawberry plants from Aldi and put them out on the plot - they are doing really well - flowering and some tiny strawbs forming. Now would you believe it the Sarian are growing like weeds - probably about 3 inches high and wide - typical! If I put them out when the weather is a bit warmer, will they fruit this year? Or should I put them in a 'nursery bed' and move in the autumn for fruiting next summer. If they do fruit this year, I'm going to have a lot more strawberries than I anticipated!

[quark1]

Of the 20 small pots started - 15 have provided enough small plants for 3 growbags.

I'll be delighted to get fruit (any) this year - but the idea is that the growbag will provide a better growing area this year and next year I will cut the bags into 5 pieces each and use these 2-yr old plants to establish a permanent patch. Variety El Santa, home-saved seed.