Strawberries from seed

[susieq100]

I planted some strawberry seeds in January indoors and after an enormous length of time they did germinate. The seedlings then sat and made very little progress indeed. In fact I gave up on them and bought some cheap plants from Aldi and Wilkinsons. We had some fruit from those plants but very early indeed and they have sent out runners all over the bed, so I am hoping that next year I should a good crop from them. However, the seed strawberries started to really grow in June and so I planted them out in tubs and they are now flowering and fruit is starting to set! I guess you just have to be patient! They were certainly much cheaper than the plants but haven't tasted the fruit yet.
Incidentally I have wild strawberries all over the garden and can't get rid of the little b*ggers. Prolific aren't they!

[Welsh Wizard]

I have had great success with strawberries from seed. The advantage is that it is far cheaper, and the plants are fresh, vigorous (after the slow start) and there is less risk of rotting as the big mistake with strawberries is replanting the crown too deep. Growing from seed minimises the replanting problem that one has when one buys in crowns. Forget buying plants from the garden centre: 6 plants for 7.99? I can get enough seed for 300+ plants for that! I have had success from self saved seed also: I slice an over ripe fruit and cover the slice with a little seed compost: eventually little seedlings appear, only problem is finding a fruit when the kids have been in the garden!

[Samwise]

I've had limited success growing alpine strawbs, I'm going to try harvesting seeds from the strawbs on my current plant and see if they germinate

[Sanjed]

i've got alpines (baron solemacher from wilkinson) and a couple of temptations (also wilkinson) the alpines were from see and the temptations were seedlings in a plugpack. The alpines, sown from seed are now about 4 to a flower bucket and absolutely massive with hundreds of fruit. The temptations have both acted very differently, one of them produced 3 strawberries (very tasty) and has now produced 3 runners in year 1. The other temptation has grown a lot larger, no runners and is producing about 5 strawbs now. I've heard a lot about conventional wisdom with strawberries and i just thought to myself "sod it. i want my own wisdom, learned through experience".

as others have said, strawbs take forever as seedlings, but i've found that if you can get the crown to start rooting early, they'll take off like wildfire.

[chengjing]

I always grow them from seeds.

They don’t geminate very fast and wont produce fruit in the first year but they should produce fruit and runners in the second year. It is not difficult just following sowing instruction from the packet.

The advantage of growing from seeds is that you can try different varieties and it is economic.

Here is a picture of one of mine that grow from seeds, it has pink flowers and produce fruits on runners as well. They flower and fruit all summer until frost. They look really pretty in hanging basket as well. It is really rewarding to grow them from seeds.

[elsie-scot]

What do you mean by self spread? Runners? If so, they're wild strawberries, not alpines.

Alpines don't have runners.

no think they must reseed - no runners on them - just going by what I read on here before

[BFG]

What do you mean by self spread? Runners? If so, they're wild strawberries, not alpines.

Alpines don't have runners.

[elsie-scot]

I grew alpine strawberries from seed this year - were very slow to germinate and get past the seedling stage, but are now very bushy and have produced some fruit. Seemingly they will self spread very well

[chrissie the chippy]

I was thinking of starting from scratch this year so I know what variety I have and so that I can get the widest possible fruiting season I know I could buy them ready, but with seeds being cheaper....

I read they were similar to peas, earliews and lates?

Just have to decide which varieties to go for!

[BFG]

Aren't runners clones of the mother plant with the same biological age? So they won't carry on forever?

I'm sure I read about about some plant dieing simultaneously everywhere as they'd all been propagated from one wild plant/it's clones.

I thought professionals grew Strawbs from seed to avoid this situation, but I'm not sure.

[falkon]

looks very good but i will recommend to transplant them in bigger pots

[gazh]

i planted some in april this year - they took ages to germinate, then seemed like they were gonna stay as 8mm plants forever but abut june they started growing.
Now they are decent plants and im expecting my first alpine strawberry soon!
I bought the seeds from ebay, some alpine variety.

[falkon]

when do you have to put the seeds in the fridge? Before or after they start to grow?

before u sow them... for atleast 2 weeks in a sealed airtight bag...
after 2 weeks take them out and sow them.

[A Life Less Simple]

But i m also going to sow some seed variety called alexandria. also if u sow from seeds u have to harden off the seeds by placing them in your refrigerator..

I already have lots of strawberries plants in the garden but I 'found a deal' on ebay for some strawberry seeds, so have about 1500! I'm sure they are alexandria too.

when do you have to put the seeds in the fridge? Before or after they start to grow?

[falkon]

I bought 3 plants last year.. this year they produced moderately. however now these plants are beginning to produce long shoots/branches.. is this runner variety ?
But i m also going to sow some seed variety called alexandria. also if u sow from seeds u have to harden off the seeds by placing them in your refrigerator..