How to plant and grow strawberries from seeds yourself? Caring for strawberry sprouts. Video: collecting strawberry seeds with a blender

It should be said right away that growing strawberry seedlings ( garden strawberries) from seeds is a rather laborious process. As a rule, gardeners resort to buying ready-made seedlings or propagating bushes with their own mustaches. However, not all varieties are suitable for propagation, and sometimes you really want to grow exactly the garden strawberries that your neighbor in the country treated you to. Next, you will learn exactly when you need to sow strawberry seeds for seedlings and how to grow it at home.

How to choose or independently prepare strawberry seeds for planting seedlings

Today, there are a huge number of varieties and hybrids of strawberries, whose producers promise huge and tasty berries, early maturity and high resistance to any kind of crop diseases, so it is so difficult to choose the right one.

If you want to receive large-fruited berries, you should pay attention to the following varieties of strawberries: Honey, Xima, Fireworks, Vima and Festivalnaya.

However! It is with seeds that it is easier to propagate small-fruited strawberries. Large-fruited varieties germinate worse and develop more slowly, so it is better to propagate them vegetatively.

Particularly promising for seed cultivation varieties remontant strawberries are: Crimean Early, Yellow Miracle, Baron Solemacher, Ali Baba.

Worth knowing! It is very important that flowering strawberries are cross-pollinated only with berries of the same variety, otherwise they will lose their maternal characteristics.

Seeds for sowing strawberries can be prepared independently using the following step by step instructions:

1. Take any strawberry you like in the summer and cut off the top from it.
2. Then kitchen knife or use a sharp blade to remove upper layer with seeds.
3. Place the removed layer on a cloth (preferably thick) or a paper sheet.
4. Leave to dry in a warm place for a couple of days.
5. Next, the dried substance must be rubbed in the palms to separate the seeds.
6. Place the seeds in a bag for further storage. Don't forget to sign.

Important! Remember, strawberry seeds remain viable for 3-4 years.

Preparing strawberry seeds for planting

Friendly shoots and health of future strawberries will provide proper preparation and the treatment of its seeds before sowing, which includes soaking and stratifying them.

For soaking, you will need cotton pads, a small container and necessarily warm settled water (boiled water is not suitable). You can use drugs such as "NV-101", "Epin" or "Zircon".

Video: pre-sowing preparation of garden strawberry seeds

A simplified stratification of strawberry seeds can be done as follows: spread the seedlings on round moistened cotton swabs, cover them with exactly the same moistened cotton pads and put them in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf for 3 days. You can also use regular paper towels.

Video: strawberry seed stratification

How to plant strawberries for seedlings

For sowing strawberries with seeds for seedlings, special soil and a certain container (container) are required. Therefore, you need to properly prepare for planting strawberries for seedlings, but first you need to decide on the timing.

When to plant seedlings

To find out when it is better to plant strawberries for seedlings, you can pay attention to the terms recommended by the manufacturer, indicating them on a bag of purchased seeds. As a rule, sowing can begin as early as the end of January and up to April.

As far as experience is concerned, optimal timing sowing strawberry seeds for seedlings is February-March.

According to the lunar calendar in 2019

Choosing the best date for sowing seeds for seedlings can help you Moon calendar.

So auspicious days for sowing strawberries for seedlings in 2019 according to the lunar calendar are:

• in January - 12-14, 27-29;
• in February - 6-11, 15-18, 23-26;
• in March - 8-10, 17-19, 25-27;
• in April - 15-17, 24-26, 29, 30;
• in May - 1-3, 6-8, 12-14, 19, 26-31.

Of course, it is not always possible to get to the dacha exactly in auspicious days therefore, the main thing is not to sow on unfavorable days.

Unfavorable days for lunar calendar for 2019 for sowing seeds of strawberries in the spring are the following dates:

• in January - 5, 6, 21;
• in February - 4, 5, 19;
• in March - 6, 7, 21;
• in April - 5, 19;
• in May - 5, 19.

According to the lunar calendar from the magazine "1000 tips for summer residents."

Capacity and substrate

Of course, it is best to grow garden strawberries in transparent containers or plastic cups. In this case, you can easily see and control the degree of soil moisture. But any other containers made of plastic and wood are suitable for planting, as well as peat cups, sour cream containers, milk cartons.

By the way! Strawberry seeds can also be planted in peat tablets.

Video: planting strawberries with seeds in peat tablets

Note! Strawberries do not like picking very much, so, as an option, you can immediately sow in spacious containers without further transplanting.

You can use both purchased soil (for example, special for strawberries (garden strawberries), although it is also suitable for begonias or violets), and self-cooked soil mixture. For this you will need the following ingredients:

• 1/4 lowland peat;
• 1/4 river sand;
• 2/4 sod land.

Another option for soil mixture for growing seedlings of garden strawberries:

• 1/5 river sand;
• 1/5 biohumus;
• 3/5 peat.

You can also make such a homemade substrate:

• 3/8 sand;
• 5/8 humus.

Advice! You can disinfect the soil by calcining (steaming) in an oven or microwave, or by spilling a solution of the drug. Better yet, do both (first ignite, then cool, and then spill).

Direct landing (standard way)

Sowing strawberry seeds for seedlings is as follows:

• Fill containers or cups with potting mix.
• Put strawberry seeds on top at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from each other.
• Good sprinkle lightly warm water from a spray bottle or a spray bottle.

Important! It is not necessary to sprinkle with the substrate.

• Cover the top with plastic wrap or cover the container with a transparent lid to create a greenhouse effect (for better seed germination).

Video: growing garden strawberries (strawberries) from seeds - sowing seedlings

The most popular video bloggers and gardeners in Russia offer more intricate and unusual ways planting garden strawberries for seedlings, here are some of them:

Landing in a toilet paper snail

In a diaper

Seeding in the snow

Highly good way sowing! Thus, the seeds, as it were, undergo artificial stratification.

How to care for strawberry seedlings after planting

In order to grow healthy seedlings strawberries, she needs appropriate care and certain conditions of detention.

From the very first day, young seedlings require a long, at least 10-11, and preferably 12-14 hour daylight hours. The air temperature in the room should be around 18-22 degrees (and the closer to the landing, the more it can be lowered by taking it out to the loggia or balcony).

Therefore, in February-early March, be sure to illuminate the seedlings of strawberries with special fitolamps. Otherwise, it will stretch out a lot, be pale and weak.

Advice! For the convenience and simplification of caring for seedlings, you can buy a "smart" timer socket that will automatically turn on and off the light (lamp) at the time you set.

Watering

The appearance of true leaves is your main guideline for starting active watering and removing shelter, but again, do not be too zealous.

Important! You can not often water the newly appeared shoots of strawberries, as this can cause, firstly, the appearance of mold on the walls landing capacity or, even worse, actually deadly for plants - blackleg.

The film (lid) from the seedlings cannot be removed immediately, this must be done gradually. The process of a kind of hardening should begin with 20-30 minutes a day.

The frequency and volume of watering differ significantly at each stage of the formation and growth of strawberry seedlings:

• So, immediately after planting, a single spraying of the soil per day is quite enough. At the same time, it is very important that in no case does a dry crust form on the ground.
• As soon as the first shoots appear, watering already needs to be carried out only 1 time in 7 days.
• The appearance of the first true leaves is your signal to increase the number of waterings by 2 times (1 time in 3-4 days). Moreover, it is necessary to water so that the soil in the container is moistened to the very bottom.
• The more leaves will be formed, the more moisture is required (evaporation will go stronger), which means you will have to water more often.

Advice! It is ideal to use settled water for watering strawberry seedlings. room temperature, of course, it does not need to be boiled. Also, melted or rain water, or filtered, is excellent for this business.

Video: caring for young strawberry seedlings

picking

You can dive strawberry seedlings when it has 2-3 true leaves, that is, approximately 10-14 days after germination.

Transplantation must be performed only strictly together with a clod of earth. The containers should be of the order of 200-300 ml.

Video: correct pick strawberries

top dressing

As soon as the plants have 3-4 true leaves, it is necessary to feed the seedlings of garden strawberries with such well-known complex fertilizers like: "Mortar", "Kemira Lux" and "Aquarin" or any others. Before transplanting the seedlings to a permanent place in the ground, you can perform about 2-3 top dressings (every 10-14 days). The breeding proportions, in other words, the dosage, you will find in the appropriate instructions on the package.

Video: care for seedlings of strawberries after a pick

When and how to plant strawberry seedlings in open ground

Before planting strawberry seedlings in open ground, it is recommended that you first harden it. To do this, containers with seedlings must first be taken out to the balcony or loggia, and when it gets completely warmer, then to the porch.

Important! Room conditions need to be alternated with stressful ones.

You can start planting strawberries in open ground already when the soil temperature warms up to + 14-17 degrees, another condition is that the plant has a 6th true leaf. And this usually falls on the second half of April - the first decade of May, depending on the climatic conditions of the region. In the South, of course, they plant earlier, in middle lane(Moscow region) it is better to wait a bit for the return frosts.

Strawberries grow well only on fertile soils, and also love lighted areas. However, in the first 14 days after planting, it is better to cover it to prevent burns of young leaves. But you need to water strawberries in the open ground abundantly.

By the way! About to how to properly plant seedlings of garden strawberries in open ground, about methods and schemes of disembarkation, about how to then care for and grow until the first berries appear - read.

Video: planting seedlings of strawberries grown from seeds in the garden

Thus, if you follow all the above recommendations and adhere to the basic rules for planting garden strawberries for seedlings and growing strawberries from seeds at home, then you will definitely succeed and have a rich harvest. delicious berries will not keep you waiting.

In contact with

Strawberries are loved by adults and children. It is grown on home gardens and summer cottages, bred on large plantations. Strawberries and wild strawberries propagate by seeds, division of the bush, mustache. When the roots are diseased, they use seed cultivation to propagate the variety they like. How to grow strawberries from seeds at home for seedlings, let's take a closer look.

Dates for sowing

Strong seedlings are obtained by planting seeds in February or March. April is also a good month. According to the lunar calendar, plant in 2018, taking into account favorable days in:

• February - 3, 8, 13 and 16;
• March - 3, 7, 8, 30;
• April - 8, 14, 15, 16 and 30.

Astrologers say: auspicious days for sowing berry seeds when the Moon is in the constellations of Pisces and Gemini. Gardeners with experience believe that strawberries can be sown with seeds in the ground in March. Among other things, one should take into account the region of residence, specific climatic conditions. It is recommended to sow strawberry seeds for seedlings in 2018 according to the dates proposed above by months.

Time from sowing to planting

In order to properly plant seeds for seedlings, it is necessary to consider when weather a particular region allow planting strawberry seedlings in the garden. AT different regions seedling planting time ranges from May to early June. Accordingly, the timing when it is necessary to sow seeds is shifted in one direction or another. For the planned harvest next year, seedlings are planted in the ground on August 4-5. That allows you to use the seeds of your favorite berries of this season for germination.

The main condition is the choice of a sufficient period for growing a strong, well-formed bush from the seed.

Usually 3 - 3.5 months are spent on growing seedlings prepared for planting.

Planting dates for seeds depending on the region

Planting strawberries with seeds for seedlings in an apartment should be carried out taking into account the climatic conditions of a particular region. The dates are chosen with the condition that by the time the seedlings are planted on the plantation, the strawberry bushes will be fully formed. And the time before the onset of hot days after planting is enough for the seedlings to take root.

In the Moscow region, sowing in February is considered optimal. In the Siberian regions and the Urals, they start planting strawberries in open ground due to late frosts in June, respectively, they sow seeds for seedlings later - in early March. Such sowing has the advantage that artificial lighting is not required, it is enough sunlight.

Variety selection

The advantage of growing strawberries from seed is long term their storage and the absence of transmission of viral diseases through seed. Before purchasing seeds, you should decide on the desired result:

• getting a bountiful harvest;
• cultivation of large-fruited varieties;
• picking sweet berries;
• ripening of berries throughout the summer in remontant varieties.

In all cases, seeds must be selected from the best varieties from healthy strong plants and large berries.

Quality seeds can be purchased at specialized stores. The choice of seeds of large-fruited varieties will be successful, which will allow you to get plants that are superior in quality to those grown vegetatively. But such varieties require special conditions and more careful care. Strawberries of smaller varieties are easy to care for, they tolerate adverse weather conditions, frosts. There are zoned varieties bred for specific climatic conditions.

Planting seeds

Planting strawberries with seeds for seedlings in an apartment includes several preparatory operations.

1. It is necessary to prepare the substrate from several components, it should be light and loose.
2. Seeds, whether purchased or self-harvested, require pre-germination before sowing.
3. Collected seeds from berries of hybrid varieties are not suitable for growing seedlings, they must be purchased in specialized stores.
4. Select and prepare containers for the substrate where the seeds will be planted.

Soil for seedlings

One of the components of successful cultivation of strawberries from seeds is properly prepared soil.

It is necessary to prepare in advance so that the soil is ready by the time the seeds are sown. The mixture should not be too fertile, but light and crumbly. Let's consider several options:

• land from the garden bed, which was brought to the balcony in autumn in a plastic bag;
• sand mixed with humus;
• a mixture of forest, garden soil and sand;
• neutralized peat, humus, biohumus in a ratio of 1:1:1;
• sand, non-acidic peat, biohumus in the ratio 3:1:1:
• sod land, peat, sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1 with the addition of wood ash and rotted manure.

Any of the above substrates must be disinfected (to destroy harmful organisms, insect eggs, infections and weeds) in one of the following ways:

• steam over a pot of boiling water for half an hour;
• heat in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

Recovery useful properties the mixture is kept before use up to 3 weeks.

Capacity

For sowing seeds, use small containers or boxes with a transparent lid. You can sow one seed at a time in separate cups (from peat, plastic) or peat tablets.

Seed preparation

Berries for collecting seeds are selected from developed healthy bushes, without damage. Seeds are taken from the middle part or closer to the sepals, where they are larger and have a high germination potential. A layer of pulp is cut from the berries, laid out on paper napkin until dry. The dried mixture is ground, freeing the seeds. Ready dry seeds are stored in a closed glass container.

Three months before sowing, moistened seeds are placed in a cold place +2 - 4 ° C for stratification, placed on a damp cloth so that they do not dry out. Seeds are periodically mixed and then dried. The seeds are germinated before sowing. The process begins by placing the seeds in thawed or rain water for two days. The swollen seeds are laid out on a paper napkin, placed in a plastic bag, put in warm place.

Seed germination promotes successful cultivation seedlings.

Planting process

It is quite possible to grow strawberry seedlings from seeds at home. Sequence of operations:

• a drainage layer (expanded clay, fine gravel) is poured at the bottom of the tank with a thickness of 1 - 2 cm;
• over the drainage layer fertile soil(10 - 15 cm);
• the soil is compacted;
• watered;
• One by one, the seeds are laid, not sprinkling with soil, but only pressing them into the soil.

Keep the soil slightly moist at all times. After the emergence of seedlings on the 20th - 25th day, the container is transferred to a lighted place with a constant temperature of +20 - 25°C.

Growing in peat tablets

You can grow strawberry seedlings in peat tablets by sowing one seed at a time. Germinated seeds are used for this purpose, which is a guarantee of the appearance of a sprout. The seeds are placed in a container, kept for two weeks in the refrigerator, then transferred to a warm place + 20 ° C. Check, ventilate every day until the sprout appears.

Peat tablets are poured with water until completely absorbed. Installed in a pallet. Spread the hatched seeds into the recesses, pressing lightly. Close with a film or lid, put in a warm, lit place. Tablets should be moist, in case of drying, add water to the tray until absorbed, pouring out the excess. Seeds must remain moist so that the emerging roots receive moisture.

Creation of favorable conditions and landing care

Another rule that guarantees success is taking care of seedlings. After the appearance of sprouts, they begin to slightly open the lid of the container for the seedlings to get used to room conditions after the humid microclimate of the container. Gradually expose to the sun, leaving for 1 - 2 hours, then leave on the windowsill for the whole time. It is necessary to inspect the seedlings when the roots are exposed, it is required to add land so that they do not dry out.

Sometimes mold appears, whitish or Green colour. It is carefully removed with a toothpick, the seedlings are aired. It is desirable to treat the soil with a preparation against the fungus. So that the condensate from the lid does not fall on the tender sprouts, wipe the lid of the container, removing moisture. In April comes the time of hardening. The containers are taken out to the greenhouse or glazed veranda, first for several hours, then left overnight. Lowering the night temperature to +5 - 7°C promotes hardening.

Backlight and temperature

Natural lighting in winter and early spring is not enough with sunlight, you have to use additional lighting. When the seedlings begin to germinate, install round-the-clock lighting for three days. Then maintain constant illumination of seedlings 13 - 14 hours a day. Incandescent lamps are not suitable for these purposes due to the unsuitable emission spectrum. They take fluorescent, gas-discharge, LED or special fitolamps, placing them at a distance of 20-25 cm from the plants. The temperature must be maintained at + 20 - 25 ° C, this is the optimal value for strawberry seedlings.

Watering

When tender shoots appear, they proceed to watering under the root using a pipette or syringe. Water is taken from melted water, settled or filtered, with a temperature of 1 - 2 ° C above room temperature. You can even water it with boiled water. It is necessary to maintain soil moisture, to prevent stagnant water.

top dressing

With the advent of 4 true leaves, seedlings begin to feed. Use fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus:

• "Mortar";
• "Aquarin";
• Kemira Lux.

When preparing solutions, it is necessary to take into account the concentration, making it half as much as indicated in the instructions.

Top dressing is carried out in ten to fourteen days, alternating fertilizers.

picking

After the appearance of three true leaves, the seedlings dive into other containers (boxes), maintaining a distance of 4–5 cm between them. Or they are planted in separate cups one plant at a time, be sure to install a drainage layer at the bottom of the container and make holes in it. The soil in the containers is moistened, a small depression is made, carefully transferring the seedling to a new place with a match or a toothpick. It is necessary that the outlet with the sheets be slightly above ground level.

Diseases and pests

Well-sprung seedlings begin to fall together, this is a black leg, a disease that leads to the death of plants. A disease detected at an early stage has a chance to be cured, but it is better to start new crops. With insufficient temperature and excess moisture, root rot appears, which leads to the fall of seedlings.

Healthy plants must be transplanted into a new soil, having treated this with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate before this. Irregular ventilation of the greenhouse with excessive watering leads to the appearance of mold. Sick seedlings are removed, healthy ones are processed and transplanted. To prevent fungal diseases, it is necessary to water the seedlings 1-2 times with a fungicide solution, for example, Planriza, Trichodermin, Trichopol. AT room conditions with insufficient soil moisture and dry air, spider mites may appear. They feed on the juice of growing leaves, which leads to yellowing of the leaves, weakening of the sprouts.

The appearance of a thin web or small dots on the back of the leaves indicates the presence of a pest. Insects must be destroyed, because in addition to mechanical damage to seedlings, they suffer viral diseases. For spraying seedlings, drugs are used: Aktara, Fitoverm, Karbofos, Aktellik. With insufficient tillage, the appearance of diseases characteristic of strawberries in open ground is possible.

Potential Growing Problems

The first thing that can happen: shoots do not appear. When buying seeds, you must carefully study the description of the variety on the package.

1. The simplest reason is that old seeds have lost their germination capacity.
2. Sometimes seedlings fall. This happens due to insufficient soil moisture or black leg disease. Humidity must be constantly maintained at the proper level evenly throughout the thickness of the soil, avoiding stagnation of water in the pan.
3. If you remove the lid from the greenhouse ahead of time, the plants may die from dry air in the apartment.
4. Excess moisture also causes the seedlings to drop.
5. Shoots are strongly drawn out, interfering with each other, which happens with a lack of light.
6. Too thick sowing and high temperatures also lead to seedlings stretching, and in low light, the plants die.
7. The expected result may not be obtained due to pollen from a different variety on the plant from which the seeds were taken.

Planting strawberries with seeds for seedlings in an apartment is a painstaking task. But the result - sweet large berries grown in their own garden, will be a reward for patience and the time spent on growing.

• January: from 7 to 20, and the most favorable days are 15 and 17;
• February: 6 to 18, and the most favorable days are 6 and 7;
• March: from 7 to 20, and the most favorable days are 8, 14 and 15;
• April: 6 to 18, and the most favorable days are 10 and 11;
• May: 6 to 18, and the most favorable days are 10 and 16.

Never sow, plant, or transplant plants during new and full moons- in these lunar phases, all juices flow either to the top or to the rhizome, so the normal development of any culture in the future will be very difficult.

Soil for strawberry seedlings

The soil for strawberry seedlings should be loose and crumbly, but not oversaturated with fertilizers.

We offer you several soil options for strawberry seedlings:

• three parts of compost or humus, three parts of garden soil and half a part of wood ash;
• two parts of sod land and one part of peat and sand;
• three parts of sand and five parts of humus;
• one part of coconut fiber and one part of biohumus or humus;
• three parts of peat and sand and four parts of vermiculite;
• three parts of sand and one part of garden soil and humus.

After you thoroughly mix the ingredients, the soil should be disinfected - calcined for 30 minutes in the oven at a temperature of 150 ºC, freeze or spill with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. After disinfection, the soil is placed for 2-3 weeks in a warm place so that bacteria useful for seeds appear and multiply in it.

Growing seedlings of strawberries from seeds

Sowing material can be bought, or you can grow strawberries from your own collected seeds. The only exception is hybrid varieties- their seeds do not transmit varietal characteristics from generation to generation, so you have to buy new seeds every time.

Growing strawberry seedlings begins with the disinfection of seed. The seeds are placed for half an hour in a half-percentage solution of potassium permanganate, then rinsed thoroughly in clean water and proceed to stratification: spread on a moistened linen napkin, covered with the same wet napkin, then rolled up a roll from this “sandwich”, placed it in a plastic container, covered with a perforated lid and kept warm for two days, after which they put the container for two weeks in a vegetable refrigerator box. Don't let wipes dry out.- ventilate the seeds and sprinkle them regularly with water, and dry them a little before sowing.

The seeds will be ready to be sown when they swell, but try not to peck them, because when sowing, small sprouts break off easily, and you will wait in vain for germination.

Lay the disinfected soil for seedlings in a container washed with a solution of potassium permanganate, compact and moisten it, spread the seeds over the surface in rows at 3-4 cm intervals with a wet toothpick and do not close them - strawberry seeds germinate in the light. Cover the container with a transparent plastic lid with small holes for air exchange and place it in a bright and warm place where direct sunlight does not fall - window sills of western or eastern windows are most suitable for such purposes.

There is another way to sow seeds, which allows you to combine direct sowing with the stratification of strawberry seeds. Disinfected seeds that have not been stratified are laid out in the manner just described on the surface of dry soil, which does not reach the edge of the container by 2 cm, and a layer of snow is placed on top of the seeds to the edge of the container, after which the container is covered with a lid and placed in a refrigerator for two weeks. AT vegetable box the snow will gradually melt and draw the seeds into the soil with it, as it usually happens in the garden in the spring. After two weeks, the container is moved to the windowsill under bright but diffused light, but the lid is not removed until the first shoots appear.

How to grow strawberry seedlings in tablets

Seedlings of strawberries from seeds develop well in peat tablets. They are convenient because you do not need to bother with the preparation and disinfection of the soil, and you can skip the picking of seedlings.

Peat tablets are placed in a container and poured with water so that they increase in size, after which the seeds that have undergone the disinfection and stratification procedure are laid out in tablets with a wet toothpick. To prevent moisture from evaporating quickly, the container is covered with a transparent lid, after which it is placed in a warm, bright place.

It will be necessary to ventilate the crops daily and remove condensate from the cover, so that mold does not appear on the substrate, but if you suddenly find it, remove the mold and pour the fungicide solution on this place. Remove the cover as soon as the seedlings begin to develop the first true leaves.

Frigo strawberry seedlings

In recent years, a new practice has emerged to dig up developed annual rosettes of strawberries of the first and second order for the winter, store dormant bushes with an open root system in sealed packages at a certain temperature and air humidity, and plant these rosettes in the garden in spring. Freego's advantage is that such seedlings of strawberries quickly take root and grow in spring, because during the winter, with proper storage, the normal biorhythms of plants are not disturbed.

Choosing at your discretion the timing of planting frigo, you can get a crop by the scheduled date. In addition, frigo strawberry seedlings take up little space during storage.

Specialists from the UK and the Netherlands, who developed this method of growing strawberries, have already completely switched to frigo seedlings, which are divided into three classes:

• class A- seedlings with a rosette diameter of 12 to 15 cm, usually forming no more than two peduncles;
• class A+- seedlings with a shortened shoot with a diameter of more than 15 cm, forming 2-3 peduncles;
• class A+ extra- the diameter of this seedling is more than 20 cm, it has lateral horns and at least 5 peduncles.

Seedlings have frigo and cons- it is difficult to determine the time of digging out sockets and maintain at home the temperature necessary for storage (from 0 to 1 ºC) and air humidity (90%). The disadvantages include the high cost of frigo, although gardeners claim that the price of seedlings fully pays off due to its productivity.

Strawberry seedlings in a greenhouse

Usually, seedlings of remontant strawberries are grown from seeds, as well as those varieties that do not form a mustache. You can get strawberry seedlings at home, and continue growing in the open field. Or you can plant mature seedlings in a greenhouse and grow strawberries in it all year round. We will talk about how to grow strawberries in a greenhouse in a separate article.

Buy strawberry seedlings - is it worth it

If you have a lot of experience in strawberry cultivation, you will surely be able to grow seedlings yourself. But for beginner gardeners, this can be a difficult task, so for the first time it is better to purchase seedlings from well-established manufacturers. Accept from us A few tips to help you choose healthy seedlings:

• it is best to buy strawberry seedlings directly from nurseries or fairs. Avoid buying seedlings on the market from private traders, because they cannot give you any guarantees, while nurseries will not risk their reputation for momentary gain;
• carefully consider the seedlings before buying: her heart should be strong and resilient, seedlings should have a well-developed root system, there should be no damage on the stems, leaves and roots. The color of healthy seedlings is light or bright green;
• the root neck must be at least 5 mm in diameter;
• leaves on rosettes should be no more than three, and there should be no stains on them. Inspect the underside of the leaves for the presence of harmful insects.

Caring for strawberry seedlings at home

Conditions for growing seedlings of strawberries

Contain strawberry crops in light warmth place under the transparent cover. If there is no condensation on the inside of the coating, then the soil needs to be moistened, if there is too much condensation, it must be removed. Air the crops once or twice a day. Stratified seeds can germinate as early as 4-5 days, and mass seedlings will appear in 2-3 weeks. Seedlings will need maintenance at a temperature of 23-25 ​​ºC. A week later, so that the sprouts do not stretch, the air temperature is lowered to 15-18 ºC.

The cover is removed when the first pair of true leaves develop on the seedlings, but this is done gradually, allowing the seedlings to adapt to environment. At this time, the crops are not watered, and the temperature in the room is maintained at 18-20 ºC.

Seedlings will need even more light after you remove the cover, so be prepared to arrange additional lighting for them, and the air temperature at this stage of development should be between 10-15 ºC. Do not forget to air the seedlings regularly, but make sure that they do not fall into a draft.

Watering strawberry seedlings

It is best to use a pipette or medical syringe for watering, from which you can “drink” each seedling under the root once a week. Water for moistening crops should be settled for at least a day or filtered, the same temperature as the air in the room, or two degrees warmer. Make sure that water did not fall on the leaves of the seedlings, otherwise, spots may appear on them.

It is impossible to overmoisten strawberry seedlings, as this is fraught with the appearance of a black leg, a fungal disease that affects plants during the seedling period. But it is also impossible to allow the drying of the soil with crops.

Watering seedlings is carried out either early in the morning or in the evening, after sunset. As fungal disease prevention it is necessary to carry out 1-2 watering of seedlings with a fungicide solution (Planriz, Trichodermin or Trichopol) with an interval of 2-3 weeks.

Illumination of strawberry seedlings

Since they begin growing strawberry seedlings in winter or in early spring when the daylight hours are still short, you will have to install an artificial light source over the seedlings - a phytolamp, an LED or gas discharge lamp, or fluorescent lamp, which should work daily for 13-14 hours. After all, even at 12 noon, natural light in February is not as bright as in May.

Set the lamp above the seedlings at a distance of 20 cm, and for convenience, you can purchase a timer socket that will automatically turn on artificial lighting, for example, at 6 a.m. and turn it off at 11 p.m. - your seedlings will have enough daylight for your seedlings.

Picking strawberry seedlings

Strawberries are dived in the development stage; they have 3-4 true (toothed) leaves, but this only applies to seedlings growing in a common container. They are well watered before picking, removed from the soil by the cotyledon leaves (in no case by the stem!), Pinch off their central root and transplant the seedlings into separate cups, where they will grow before planting in open ground. After transplanting, the seedlings are carefully watered.

If you sowed the seeds in tablets, then as soon as the roots of the seedlings begin to sprout through the mesh, plant them directly in the tablets in separate cups.

Sometimes gardeners spend not one, but two picks - the first at the stage of development of 2-3 leaves and the second, when the seedlings already have 4-5 leaves. They do this mainly because the seedlings are developing too quickly, and the weather conditions will not allow the seedlings to be planted in the ground on time. In this case, picking can save strawberry seedlings, preventing it from overgrowing and even slowing down its development somewhat.

After picking, seedling care consists of watering, loosening the soil and top dressing.

Feeding strawberry seedlings

Strawberry seedlings do not need to be fed at home until the pick itself, but after this procedure, fertilizers containing mainly potassium, phosphorus and only a small amount of nitrogen are applied to the soil every 10-12 days. Strawberries prefer water-soluble fertilizers- Kemiru or Mortar with the addition of a two percent solution of trace elements and iron chelate.

Diseases of strawberry seedlings and their treatment

At good care strawberry seedlings do not suffer from diseases, but with chronic waterlogging it can be affected by a black leg - rot of the root neck of seedlings, which manifests itself from the beginning of seed germination to the stage of development of 2-3 leaves. On the background high humidity in 4-6 days, the base of the stem turns black, softens, breaks, and the seedling lies down.

If the disease is widespread, dive healthy seedlings into separate sterile containers in disinfected soil, place them in a warm place and protect from direct sunlight. As soon as they take root, the temperature of the content can be lowered, and a fungicide (Fitosporin, Bactofit or Maxim) must be added to the water for the first irrigation.

It is inspiring that seedlings growing in peat tablets practically do not get sick with a black leg, since the tablets are disinfected and impregnated with a fungicide.

Sometimes at home, seedlings can get powdery mildew, and then a whitish coating appears on its leaves and stems, which gradually darkens and becomes dense and brown. Affected plants stop growing and die. The cause of the infection can be:

• excessive fertilization with nitrogen fertilizers,
• sharp fluctuations in temperature,
• air humidity.

In the fight against powdery mildew on strawberry seedlings, solutions of biofungicidal preparations prepared in accordance with the instructions are used - Alirin-B, Fitosporin, Gamaira or Planriz.

In conditions of low humidity, strawberry seedlings can be occupied by spider mites, making small punctures in the leaves of seedlings and sucking through them cell sap. In addition, ticks carry incurable viral diseases, such as mosaic. Destroy pests with acaricide solution- Aktary, Aktellika, Karbofos, Fitoverma.

Planting seedlings of strawberries in open ground

Two weeks before planting seedlings in open ground, they begin to harden it - gradually accustom it to the conditions in which strawberries are to grow in the garden. During the day, seedlings are taken out to an unheated room, first for half an hour, daily increasing the duration of such sessions.

A day or two before planting strawberry seedlings in the garden, transfer the seedlings to a balcony or veranda where the air temperature will be about 10 ºC.

Planting strawberry seedlings in open ground is carried out after the return frosts have passed and when the soil warms up to 12 ºC - from mid-May to mid-June. Strawberries are undemanding to the composition of the soil, but grow better on fertilized black soil. wood ash. Peat soils are not suitable for cultivation. It’s good if onions, garlic, legumes, root crops or green manure grew on the plot before strawberries.

Before planting strawberries, the soil should be prepared - dug up, freed from wireworms, May beetle larvae and cereal weeds.

For planting seedlings choose a cloudy day or time after sunset. Deep and wide holes are placed in a row at a distance of 30-50 cm from each other with row spacing 40 cm wide. The soil taken out of the holes is mixed with fertilizers in the following proportion: 2 cups of ash per bucket of soil, a bucket of compost (humus) and a bucket of manure. In each hole, a hill is made from the prepared soil mixture, a seedling is placed on it, its roots are straightened and the soil mixture is poured into the hole, while adding water so that there is no air left in the roots. After planting, the heart of the bush should be at the level of the surface of the site.

Delicious and useful berry strawberries can grow even on a small plot of land. In your garden, you can grow several varieties at once, differing in terms of ripening fruits and their size. So that the berries ripen on time and there are a lot of them, we invite you to find out when to plant strawberries in 2018 according to the lunar calendar.

First you need to prepare the material for planting. The end result will depend on this. It does not matter at all whether you bought expensive seeds or not. Strawberries should be planted only after preparation. To start strawberry seeds soak for 24 hours. There is an opinion that it is worth putting the seeds in the refrigerator for a day before soaking.

Take a piece of fabric, pour all the seeds into it, tie it in a bag and dip it in water for 12 hours. Then take out the fabric, twist it into a sausage and put it in a plastic bag and on the battery or in any other warm place. After a day has passed, you can plant strawberry seeds in a box.

Before buying seeds, decide what you want to get. It is important for someone that the bush bears fruit many times during the season, others like the berries to be sweet, and still others that the berries are large. Consider also your climatic conditions of residence. If it often rains in your region, then choose such varieties as “fairy”, “chamomile”, “grenada”.

Sold today and zoned crops, which were selected specifically for climatic conditions.

Favorable days for planting strawberries for seedlings

To make seedlings grow strong, prepare and plant seedlings in February or March, but if you are late, you can plant them in April.

Advice. In February, according to the lunar calendar, seedlings can be planted on the 3rd, 8th, 13th and 16th. In March, these days will be the 3rd, 7th and 8th, 30th. In April - 8th, 14th and 15th, 16th, 30th.

There is an opinion of astrologers that the seeds berry crops will grow much better if the moon is in the constellation Pisces or Gemini.

Experienced gardeners say that strawberries, like any other berry, love the warmth of sunlight, so the harvest will be successful when planted in March. Of course, it will be good if you plant strawberry seeds collected from your garden. Then you can not think about the origin of these seeds. If you have to buy them in a store, please note that small berries easy to care for, they calmly tolerate frost and adverse conditions. But large-fruited strawberries need special conditions and are quite tender.

AT winter time year, the planted seedlings will need additional lighting with the help of lamps, preferably phytolamps, which most favorably affect the germination of berry crops.

Unfavorable days for planting strawberries

According to the lunar calendar, the unfavorable days for planting seedlings in 2018 will be as follows. In February it will be the 4th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 26th and 27th. March 11th, 13th, 20th, 25th, 28th. In April it is the 10th, 12th, 20th and 21st, 25th and 26th. These days there will be a waning moon, which gives a slow growth of crops. Also on some of these days there will be a new moon, in which crops cannot be planted either. It will also not be possible to transplant bushes from the beds.

Many summer residents argue that you should not be determined by favorable and unfavorable days for sowing. The main thing is to follow the rules of planting, to feed the plants. But still, planting plants on the new moon gives favorable growth. But when landing on full moon sprouts can behave differently. On the full moon and the days before and after it, it is highly not recommended for crops, since then the seedlings will grow very slowly, and part of it will die.

How to plant strawberries for seedlings

Take containers of different sizes, usually a box or a large bowl is suitable for this. The main thing is that there are drainage holes at the bottom at the bottom. Then properly prepare the soil. Place expanded clay pebbles, 3-4 cm thick, in boxes. If there are no such pebbles at hand, then you can take foam plastic or small gravel. Then we will need fertile soil, mixed with sand and peat in a ratio of 3 to 1 to 1. You can additionally add perlite or sod, compost, biohumus, river sand, coconut fibers, humus to the soil. If none of this is at hand, then use ordinary soil from your land.

Try planting seeds in a large plastic bottle. Take one and a half or two-liter container.

Cut it so that a cap comes out along the entire length of the bottle that can be opened. Do not touch the lid, leave the bottom alone. Open the lid and fill the bottle with earth to the brim. Pour snow on the top layer of soil, if it is on the street. If not, then you can take it from the freezer. Pour the seeds into the snow so you can see them. You don't need to dig anything. Close the lid, you can press it a little with tape. Do not touch the earth anymore, do not loosen. Water moderately with a syringe, drip. Regular watering from a watering can will simply kill the sprouts.

If you sowed seedlings in a box, then cover it with a film to create a greenhouse effect. Place the box in the brightest and warmest place until the first leaves appear from it. In large containers, seedlings are watered by spraying from a spray bottle.

Every day for a short time, slightly open the film so that the seedlings are slightly ventilated. If condensation has formed on the covering material, then it should be removed. Otherwise, the seedlings will be susceptible to mold or begin to rot. If this has already happened, then the blackened sprouts are eliminated, and the healthy ones are treated with a disinfectant solution.

As soon as the first pair of leaves becomes strong, strawberry shoots dive into separate containers, 10 cm in diameter. If the roots are quite oblong, then you pinch them. After watering the plants with care, without washing out the soil and without exposing the roots. Use top dressing once a month.

Gradually, starting in March, take the seedling box outside for hardening. If it is still cold outside, you can take it out to the balcony. Lower temperatures will have a good effect on the subsequent growth of strawberries. Place the plants so that they are not in direct sun. Plant plants outdoors at the end of June.

When to plant seedlings in open ground?

Formed bushes are planted from seedlings before the appearance of antennae, when strong leaves have already formed on the stems. Strawberries are planted late, in late May or early June. If you are late with landing, then you can land it in mid-June. The main thing is that it is not cold outside. And if spring comes early in your region, and the soil warms up well and for a long time, then plant seedlings in April.

Strawberries can also be planted in autumn, taking already formed bushes. But you need to do this before September 15, otherwise the plants may not be accepted later.

If you live in Siberia or in the northern regions, then the grown seedlings are planted in open ground from mid-May to mid-June, since summer is short there. It only takes 45 days. The first harvest will appear only by July.

Preparing the site for planting

Arrange the beds reserved for seedlings of strawberries from north to south. Try to keep crops protected from the north wind. In winter, they need to be covered with snow 20 cm thick. If you plant whimsical elite varieties, with large berries, then they need to be under the sun all summer. If the strawberry variety is small, then it can be planted in partial shade. Level the plot of land, it is desirable to make it a slope to the southwest.

During the selection of land for berries, find out what grew there before this, last year. It will be good if vegetables grew there before: carrots, beets, onions, garlic; may be legumes such as oats or rye.

But if before that cabbage, cucumbers, representatives of nightshade crops grew, then it will be possible to plant strawberries here, like other berries, only after a couple of years.

Important. Consider and level ground water at the landing site of future strawberries. Water should be located at least 1 m to the top of the soil.

So that the strawberry sprouts do not beat the frost, cover the bed with a film. Otherwise, the leaves of the bushes will turn black, and you will not collect the first crop of berries.

Most best harvest strawberries will give bushes that are 3-5 years old. After five years, the old bushes are dug up and replaced with new ones. You can not plant a young bush instead of the whole old one, but dig a strong shoot with earth, a mustache from a large bush. But of course, then the big bush will lose its strength. Whiskers are usually removed to increase the strength of the main bush, and he gave more berries.

Refresh a bed with strawberries every 4-5 years. Remove the old ones, and leave the buried mustache. If you want to grow new ones instead of old bushes, then stock up on seedlings in the spring. It will germinate after sowing seeds in 30-45 days. And you will need to have time to grow it before landing in open ground. Therefore, read our tips for growing strawberries for seedlings from seeds in 2018.

Strawberries are one of the crops that can grow under snow. If in spring the snow still lies, then in the gardens you can see how its greenery breaks through. Heat is required for strawberry bushes so that all the berries are ripe and sweet.

By the way, now you can enjoy the taste of strawberries from your windowsill or loggia. Scientists have developed special breeding varieties for this, which can bear fruit up to several times a year. Of these grow most often, large, sprawling bushes.

But low, squat bushes grow up to 30 cm from the ground in open space. Of course, they will produce a crop only twice a year, instead of five, but these berries are much sweeter. The cold is nothing to them.

Strawberry bushes are divided into female and male. If there are few fruits on the bushes, then this is a male bush. A female rosette gives not only a lot of strawberries, but also rosettes. When sowing berries from seeds, it will be impossible to guess whether male or female will be rosettes.

In order for the harvest to be plentiful every year, bushes one year old should be freed from male outlets. Male bushes will also differ from female bushes in that they produce intertwined mustaches, and not tied berries. Twist the mustache to keep the roots intact. Over time, they will reappear. Unnecessary parts of the plant should be removed several times during the summer and autumn.

Of course, growing strawberries on your own from scratch is troublesome, especially if you have never done it. But you need to try, especially since for family budget it will be cheaper than buying ready-made berries. You will adapt, and you will grow exactly those varieties that will give you a bountiful harvest. For the experiment, you can plant several varieties of strawberries at once and see which ones are tastier and larger. It is unlikely that you will find on the market the variety of types of strawberries that you can grow with your own hands.

And growing it from seeds at home. We will learn how to germinate seed and get strong healthy seedlings for picking in open ground.

planting material requirements

Let's start with the choice of the optimal planting material, from which we will get remontant strawberries fruiting all season. You need to choose only from small-fruited varieties, as they are more unpretentious and bear fruit better in open ground.

These include the following:

• Alexandrina;
• Ali Baba;
• white soul;
• Alpine novelty;
• Yellow wonder.

If you buy more expensive seeds of large-fruited strawberries (and in fact - strawberries), then after opening the pack you will find that there are no more than 10-15 seeds in it, the germination of which leaves much to be desired. It is also worth remembering that more large fruits have the worst taste qualities and vitamin content. For this reason, we do not recommend purchasing such seeds.

It is worth remembering that if in the future you want to collect seeds from already planted strawberries, then purchase varieties, not hybrids, since maternal qualities are not transferred to the seeds of hybrids (as is the case with the reproduction of many and in a generative way).

Important! Varieties "Milka" and "Seasons" refer to small-fruited mustachioed strawberries.

Soil and container for growing

Remontant strawberries, when grown from seeds, require a certain substrate and an appropriate container in which a kind of microclimate can be maintained.

As a soil, any light, medium fertility paired with sand and (3: 1: 1 ratio) is suitable. A few soaked peat tablets can be placed in the substrate, which will help the seedlings at an early stage. It is strictly forbidden to use any heavy clay soils, as moisture stagnation occurs in them, which favorably affects the development of the fungus.

Speaking of protection against fungus, we smoothly move on to the choice of capacity. The best option any shallow transparent container with a lid. Such a container is best suited, since any light prevents the development of the fungus. You should not spend a lot of time looking for the perfect container, since an ordinary bowl from the supermarket is suitable for sowing.

Before planting, disinfect the container with alcohol or potassium permanganate, make several holes in the bottom to let excess moisture out.

Important! Don't buy the most cheap option containers, because poor quality plastic can negatively affect young strawberries.

Sowing dates

Now let's talk about when to plant strawberry seeds for seedlings. There are several temporary options that depend on your desire to get tasty products as soon as possible, the regional location and the expected effort to grow strawberries.

The first option involves early sowing at the beginning of February so that in the same year you can enjoy delicious from young bushes. However, it should be understood that such sowing obliges you to carry out additional activities related to providing extended daylight hours and heating, and the seed germination itself will be slightly worse than in the second option.

Second option - spring planting. Sowing is carried out at the end of March - beginning of April. In this case, in the first year you will not receive finished products, however, the financial costs and time spent on caring for seedlings will be significantly reduced, as well as the percentage of non-germinated seeds.

Seed preparation

Before planting strawberry seeds for seedlings, you need to start preparing them to increase germination. The main process that will bring seeds out of hibernation is (the effect of moisture and negative temperature on the protective layer seeds).

Stratification is needed in order to naturally destroy the hard protective shell of the seed, which protects the kernel from moisture. That is, without stratification, seeds can lie in the ground for more than one year until the shell collapses. For this reason, it is impossible to do without additional preparation.

There are 2 options for stratification, which equally well bring the seed out of hibernation. Stratification with the help of snow (natural option). It should be said right away that if you live in southern regions, where snow falls every few years, then there is no need to specifically look for it, since the methods of stratification do not differ much in terms of the subsequent germination of seeds.

This option assumes sequencing:

1. We take a transparent container and fill it with earthen mixture, leaving about 2-3 cm to the edge.
2. We pour snow on top of the soil and lightly tamp it down to get a more or less even surface.
3. We put all the seed on the snow, leaving equal intervals. Seeds do not need to be pressed or buried in the snow.
4. We put the container in the refrigerator (not in freezer!) for three days.

Using this method, we will kill two birds with one stone: we will destroy the protective shell and immerse the seeds to the desired depth. In the process of melting, the snow will pull the seeds into the soil to such a depth that strawberries fall in natural conditions.

"Technical" stratification using condensate. In this case, we will do without the use of snow, since it is not always possible to find it, especially when sowing in late March or early April.

We carry out such sequencing:

1. Fill the container with soil, leaving about 2 cm to the edge.
2. We spread the seeds on the surface of the soil at an equal distance from each other and press them a little into the soil. You can also mix the seeds with sand and simply scatter on the surface, but in this case it will be more difficult to control the density of crops.
3. Cover the container with a lid or several layers cling film and placed in the refrigerator for three days.

There is a third method that is not related to stratification. The seed can be soaked in melted snow water for two days. To do this, put the seeds in cotton wool, put in a small bowl and pour cold water with snow. Next, we cover it all with a film, put it in heat and follow the process in order to plant the germinated seeds in time. Be careful not to let the cotton dry out.

Important! Soaking is not subject to granular or pre-treated seeds.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Above, we talked about the fact that the seeds are not buried in the ground, but placed on the surface, but it is worth discussing the sowing process in more detail. In addition to sowing on top of snow, paired with sand or on ordinary soils with subsequent pressing down, it is also possible to sow strawberries in prepared shallow furrows, which are located at a distance of 1.5-2 cm from each other.

Regardless of the method of sowing, you should always remember that cover planting material ground is strictly prohibited. Even the strongest seeds will not be able to lift the ground to break through to the light. The soil in the container must be leveled and lightly moistened. Humidification is carried out with the help (using a syringe or fingers).

Crop care

After you have stratified the seeds, the container must be moved to a warm, bright place. The temperature in the room should not be lower than 20 ° C and higher than 25 ° C. There should be enough light, but direct sunlight should not fall on the tank at noon so that the soil does not dry out.

Since only daylight will not be enough, a fluorescent lamp is installed near the container, which should “work” from 6 am to 11 am. Cover must be removed daily(cover or film) to check the humidity and ventilate. Condensation must be wiped off during ventilation.

Important! The absence of condensation on the lid or film indicates a decrease in humidity. Accordingly, soil moisture is required.

Subject to all parameters, the first shoots will appear in 2-4 weeks, depending on the variety.

seedling care

Next, learn how to grow strong seedlings of strawberries from germinated seeds. After our seedlings germinate, we need to make holes in the lid / film for air circulation. After 3-4 days, the shelter is completely removed, gradually accustoming the plants to the external environment.

In the process of seedling growth, it needs the same temperature (not lower than 20 ° C) and moistened soil. Watering should be done with extreme caution. using a syringe or pipette. The liquid must be "lowered" along the walls of the container so as not to wash the seeds out of the soil.

Also, do not forget about additional lighting. After the greens hatch from the ground, getting any (morning, noon or evening) direct sunlight is extremely dangerous, as the leaves will immediately get burned. Thus, caring for seedlings is not much different from caring for crops. Observe temperature regime and don't forget about daily inspection to keep the seedlings healthy.

Did you know? East Asia is considered the center of origin and initial development of strawberries.

Seedling dive

Picking is carried out after the formation of 2-3 leaves in a new place (in separate cups). This process is extremely complex, since it is very easy to damage young plants during transplantation. Any damage to the stem or roots will result in wilting.

The easiest way to transplant is to use plastic tweezers with cotton pads that will not concentrate pressure at one point. Each plant is carefully held during extraction from the ground, so as not to pull out fragile roots.