Every year I pick a few new projects to start, this fall/winter/spring starting strawberries from seed is one of them. This isn’t the first time that I’ve done this and it’s fairly easy, but this time I plan to start a lot and I’m hoping to share the fun here.
My goal, as usual, is to increase the diversity on our property in an inexpensive way and have more kinds of strawberries to work with when creating my jams or selling fresh.
I collected three varieties that I have on the property:
Mara Du Bois
Sea Scape
Yellow Wonder
I ordered:
White Alpine
Red Wonder
Musk
White Solemacher
Mignonette
Reine des Vallees
Improved Rugan
If you grow strawberries, you will notice that these varieties are day neutral varieties and therefore produce little to no runners. I have spent time dividing the ones that I already have, but as I stated above, I’d like to bring more diversity and I need more than I have time to divide!
I’m starting this thread now with plans to come back with photos every step of the way.
Is anyone else planning on growing strawberries from seed for the 2023 season?
Never tried growing strawberries from seed but I collected some this year and have them in the fridge now. Any “words of wisdom” to help be successful would be appreciated.
We bought some from a “fruit stand” which had been sourced from a ~local hydroponic strawberry grower. https://glenmaryberries.com/ They were amazing, better than any strawberry I’d ever had before. No idea the variety but if the seeds will grow and produce even similar tasting berries
Perhaps you can find out what you are growing by emailing the company to inquire.
The couple of times that I started them from seed it was extremely easy. I sprinkled them in one container, pressed them into damp soil, kept the soil damp and kept them covered with a dome or clear plastic until they sprouted. When they were big enough to handle, I transplanted them into plug trays and planted them out in the spring.
This time, I’m going to try several ways, including winter sowing inside an small unheated greenhouse that I have. Inside the greenhouse, I have a smaller greenhouse box that is 6-8 feet long and about 2.5 feet wide/tall. I can fit several 72’s inside of it. Here are few photos:
We have several of these boxes that we built to start early plants in the spring, harden plants off in the spring, and also to overwinter plants that aren’t hardy to zone 6. We have some in regular hoop house for that purpose.
Anyway, I’ll start some inside my house too… just because I like to have things growing inside during late winter. It makes me happy.
i have about 20 alpine straws grown from seed in 2018 from Baker creek and 2 others from The Strawberry store grown from seed this spring. if started indoors in April i usually get to taste the berries in late summer. was so busy i didnt get to go taste them. i have to look at my order history to remember what i had planted but all were very productive and good. i have both reds and whites. when i picked my maras id pick my alpines. made a pie with them and it was fabulous. was thinking of transplanting them to their own raised beds next year for ease of picking. the older ones need to be divided anyway.
Thought I would provide an update for interested parties.
I received my order and stratified the seeds for a month. About 2 weeks ago I planted the seeds to all the varieties listed above. Some of the seeds are starting the germinate:
I’ve grown about 10 varieties of alpine strawberries, I love how low maintenance they are compared to modern strawberry varieties. I’ll be starting some Reine des Vallees later this winter. I’m not sure of your exact growing situation but just so you know, alpines grow very quickly from seed. You get fruiting plants in 90 to 120 days from seed assuming proper lighting. Just a little warning as they’re going to need 1 gallon pots to continue growing in no time!
I’ve grown strawberry from seed a lot of times. Some of the larger polyploid hybrids can take a long time to fruit, alpine strawberries and other diploids only take about 5 months from planting the seed to the first ripe strawberries.
If you can find anywhere that sells them, ‘Atilla’ alpine strawberries are day neutral plus they grow tremendous amounts of runners. They produce small red strawberries with an acceptable flavour and the typical alpine strawberry scent. They don’t set fruit over the winter months here but often flower all year if the winter is mild enough.
boy do they ever! from 2 plants they covered a 30ft area in 2 years! would have spread more if they could have established on the lawn. my niece loves them!
Thanks for the info. My understanding is that the taste has been compared to the way classic bubble gum tastes. It will be interested to see if it’s true.
