Growing Strawberries From Seeds : Tips and Guide

Get details on growing strawberries from seeds, from the fruit you buy from grocery store. You will be able to harvest the fruit in about 1 year after planting the seed. In this guide you will get details on how to germinate and plant the strawberries seeds, when and how to plant the seeds, and how to get the seeds from the strawberry fruit for planting.

Note that most strawberries in the grocery store are hybrid varieties. The seed grown strawberry plants from fruit may not produce similar fruits to that produced from the parent plants. They may be smaller or different than the berry from which you take seeds and grow them. But if you grow them from runners, then the new plants will be the clones of the parent tree.  Grow strawberries from runners

Strawberry Plant

Tips on How to Grow Strawberries From Seeds

When to Sow the Seeds

When you should plant your strawberry seeds depends on your climate. In warm climates, you should plant strawberry seeds directly outdoors in autumn, whilst in colder climates it should be done from late winter or you can start seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last frost in your area.

Get the Seeds and Prepare For Planting

Getting the right seeds is the first and most important step. You can purchase seeds from a garden shop or harvest seeds from ripe strawberries from a grocery store

Strawberry showing outer dots looking like seeds

But first, where are the seeds in the strawberry? Are the seeds inside or outside? Are the yellow dots outside (about 200) the strawberries seeds as shown in the above picture? No, these dots are not seeds, but they are actually the tiny fruits which are called achenes.

Each achene contains a seed inside it. Many of these seeds are viable that can be germinated into new plants. So the seeds from a single strawberry can produce a large number of new strawberry plants.

You can get seeds from the fruit in three ways:

1. Buy a fully ripe strawberry and peel the outer skin that contains the yellow points (we call them as seeds for time being), and rinse them thoroughly to remove any pulp. You can plant the seeds in soil. To store the seeds, let the peels dry for 2-3 days and then rub off the seeds and store them in an air-tight bottle.
2. Using the pointed side a sharp kitchen knife, gently pick out the individual seeds and wash in water.
3. You can blend some strawberries for 5 seconds and then strain out the seeds and wash.

Stratification

It is necessary to stratify the strawberry seeds, but stratifying will enhance their germination. To stratify seeds, enclose them in a damp kitchen paper towel and seal in a plastic bag or a zip lock bag and store it in refrigerator for a month. If you are planning to grow your strawberries from a strawberry fruit, then you can refrigerate the whole fruit for a month.

In most of the supermarkets, the strawberries come from cold storage. So stratification process may not be necessary, and some of the seeds will always be germinated. I have germinated strawberry seeds without stratification with good success.

Planting Strawberry Seeds

1. Before planting your seeds, take a shallow tray or a small pot having drainage holes to drain excess water. Fill this pot with the growing medium, like seed raising soil or prepare your own well-draining growing medium by mixing peat moss and perlite or coarse river sand in equal amount. I have successfully used river sand for growing strawberries from seeds in river sand.
2. Sprinkle seeds on the surface of the potting mix and add a thin 6mm (0.24 inches) layer of same soil to cover the seeds. Do not plant the seeds too deep as they need light to germinate.
3. Gently water the soil with a spray bottle. Ensure that the soil is evenly moist but not waterlogged. You can cover the top of the pot with a polythene sheet to maintain high humidity inside.
4. Place the pot in a warm sunny location.
5. The ideal temperature for strawberry seed germination is from 18- to 21°C (65 to 70°F). If you have temperatures outside this range, then start your seeds indoors and use grow lights 5 cm (2 inches) above the seeds or a heat mat underneath the pot.
6. Mist the soil daily to keep it moist but not soggy. Use a spray bottle so as not to disturb the seeds, otherwise they will not germinate.

The seeds will germinate and sprout in 1 to 6 weeks, depending on temperature.

Remove the cover once the seeds sprout. Keep the soil moist.

When the seedlings grow 2 to 3 sets of leaves, slowly acclimate your strawberry seedlings to outdoor conditions by putting the pot outside in morning sun for 1 hour. Then gradually increase the amount of sun exposure for 1 week. After that you can plant the seedlings in pots or ground.