Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Strawberries from seed.

Collapse

X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Strawberries from seed.

    Just a few tips on growing strawberries from seed.
    1) Remember that seeds, unless bought in a named packet, may not produce plants that are exactly like the parent plants. This is due to the opportunity of cross pollination which is possible even in commercially grown fruit. Runners have the exact genetic code as the parent plant so you know that it will the same variety.
    2) I always prctice stratification on all seeds of plants that grow in cooler temperate climates. This aids successfull germination. With strawberries I leave in the freezing compartment for no less than one month. Then a week in the fridge to defrost and acclimatise.
    3) Using a heated propogater helps with germination although it may still be several weeks before all seedlings show. I am very successful on a windowsill with a radiator below.
    4) I place my seeds on seed compost in one of those clear plastic punnets you get mushrooms in from the supermarket. A good depth of soil allows for retention of warmth. Just sprinkle seed over the surface and press in LIGHTLY. keep the compost moist but not too wet. I place a folded kitchen towel under the punnet and place in a zip lock freezer bag. I water when the surface looks dry by trickling water down the side of the bag so the kitchen roll paper is saturated. Closing the zip lock to 3/4 keeps the humidity level correct and so less need to keep watering.
    5) Patience is essential. It may take a month or more to see seedlings and then they grow VERY slowly.
    6) Transplant to cells filled with good quality all Purpose compost when they have at least two serrated edged leafs and are easily handled. It is tempting to transplant ASAP but waiting another week or so until the seedlings look sturdy is worth the wait.
    7) Grow on under protection even if the last frosts have gone. This ensure a good start by giving the seedlings chance to form a stong root system. Always remember that a good rooting system for all plants is the key to growing success. It is the roots that bring water and nutrients to the leaves, flowers and fruit so to pamper the roots and do not let them dry out or even worse, get waterlogged. Treat them gently when transplanting or planting and you will succeed.
    8) Try this method for other "hard to germinate " seeds.
    9) Please check if you are growing seeds from a new varety that the variety is not under license. Much financial and horticultural research investment is put into developing new strains and so some varieties can only be grown by registered growers commercially. I am not clear about the legality of growing such plants for ordinary own use. maybe someone can enlighten me. https://www.bspb.co.uk/royalty-collection.php

    Thanks for reading this and wishing you all good growing for the 2018 season.

  • #2
    now you tell me

    Just go 2 or 3 plantlets growing.

    Didn't keep the soil damp enough.

    Mixed wild Strawberries - Not a great loss.... 100's of white small plants round front door, Was looking for red, but seed was also 2 years old, so may be a factor.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Diana Barnes View Post

      9) Please check if you are growing seeds from a new varety that the variety is not under license. Much financial and horticultural research investment is put into developing new strains and so some varieties can only be grown by registered growers commercially. I am not clear about the legality of growing such plants for ordinary own use. maybe someone can enlighten me. https://www.bspb.co.uk/royalty-collection.php
      .
      Hello Diana and welcome to the Vine.
      I'm curious about your question at 9. If seeds are for sale, aren't they "licensed" to be sold?
      Put the other way, are there seeds for sale that haven't been "licensed"?
      How would we know??

      Comment


      • #4
        Hello and welcome to the Vine.

        You sound like you're a strawberry expert! I'm positively jealous. Only thing I'm any good at when it comes to strawberries is eating them.

        Do you specialise in strawberries or do you grow other things as well.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post
          Hello Diana and welcome to the Vine.
          I'm curious about your question at 9. If seeds are for sale, aren't they "licensed" to be sold?
          Put the other way, are there seeds for sale that haven't been "licensed"?
          How would we know??

          I assumed that she meant buying a plant then saving some seeds from the first harvest and sowing them rather than buying more plants.

          Comment


          • #6
            Maybe Diana will come back and clarify what she means - as for the legality of it? Maybe the best people to ask are those in the link in her post.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post
              Maybe Diana will come back and clarify what she means - as for the legality of it? Maybe the best people to ask are those in the link in her post.
              Yes, that would be interesting.

              I suspect it is like growing Rooster Potatoes or breeding Black Rock Chickens. They can only be called the brand name by paying a licence fee and being authorised.... only my interpretation

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by 4Shoes View Post
                now you tell me

                Just go 2 or 3 plantlets growing.

                Didn't keep the soil damp enough.

                Mixed wild Strawberries - Not a great loss.... 100's of white small plants round front door, Was looking for red, but seed was also 2 years old, so may be a factor.
                Yes possibly the problem. Brassicas, beans, peas & Courgette/marrow/sqashseeds last well they will germinate at about 80% after 2 years but parsnip seeds must be fresh from the year before. (Ie. For this year's parsnips they should be packeted 2017) I buy those every year checking the date on the packet. Some supermarkets and online shops/auction sites are particularly bad at selling old stock when it comes to seeds and those dry packed , bare rooted plants. I shudder at the number of mummified rhubarb, asparagus and Lily of the valley corpses that still have the same price tag as last year. A very prolific and delicious flavoured "mini" strawberry is " Mignonette". These wild or Alpine varieties do not send out runners but the plants can be divided easily. I do this in Autumn every 2 years and raise the divisions in pots in the greenhouse to get a good root system before planting out in Spring. Remember to remove any flowers & buds so all the energy is used in rootformation rather than fruiting. It's interesting the white variety appears more easily germinated than the red.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Snoop Puss View Post
                  Hello and welcome to the Vine.

                  You sound like you're a strawberry expert! I'm positively jealous. Only thing I'm any good at when it comes to strawberries is eating them.

                  Do you specialise in strawberries or do you grow other things as well.
                  I grow all the usual fruit & veggies . I am rather elderly and was a Rural Sciences Teacher in a past life as well as coming from a family who had farms, orchards and a market garden. My real love however is ecology and I bore the family and others to death with my ratures over soil structure and, to me , fascinating growing facts gleaned from scientific papers etc on line . I use traditional growing methods as well as experimenting. I had a bad fall two years ago and have been banned from heavy digging by the Doc. So Last year I turned to "No Dig" or "Lasagna" gardening or to use the posh term "Permaculture". My brassicas failed miserably but the peas & beans love it as did the parsnips which tend to be fussy growers on my allotment. When it come to the crunch it really doesn't matter how expert or knowledgeable you are, if you love gardening and enjoy the wildlife around you the mental and health benefits of just pottering and harvesting you will do you OK. Like all skills, horticulture is a never ending learning journey just enjoy the trip and forget the allotment competition thing.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post
                    Hello Diana and welcome to the Vine.
                    I'm curious about your question at 9. If seeds are for sale, aren't they "licensed" to be sold?
                    Put the other way, are there seeds for sale that haven't been "licensed"?
                    How would we know??
                    I have done a bit more reading up on this. Old cultivars now known as "heirloom" or "heritage" varieties are not licensed.....Yet! However the whole subject of seed and plant licensing is incredibly complex. I could write a huge amount but if anyone is interested there are three links below. Looking at the introductory paragraph of The UK Government's "Farm saved seed" regulations ANYONE who collects and saves seed comes under a blanket cover .
                    As far as I understand it and put as simply as possible, If a seed or plant variety has Breeders rights this is exactly like a pice of music, writing, or video. The creator has copyright and anyone who uses it must, by law, pay that creator. I am far from a legal expert and the EU Laws and regulations are notorious for their complexity and multitudinous numbers of regulatory forms required to fill in, as any farmer or commercial grower will know. If you have several hours to spare you may want to delve further but I think these links will clarify....ish, the situation about you and I collecting seeds for own use.
                    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/farm-sav...d#introduction
                    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heirlo...national_lists
                    http://www.thelandmagazine.org.uk/ar...eds-resistance

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post
                      Maybe Diana will come back and clarify what she means - as for the legality of it? Maybe the best people to ask are those in the link in her post.
                      I have come back. I read your comment. Made a cuppa and took a deep breath. I have responded as best I can and now I am about to take an asprin to calm my fevered brain. There is really no simple answer. At present plants classed as "Heirloom" or "Heritage" are not covered by a license. This may well soon be changing. All other plants and seeds appear to have a "Copywrite" as they have been bred in recent history by either individuals or companies or the "Copywrite" has been bought by large corporations.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Thanks, Diana. I'll have a look at those links. Hope you have a great growing year.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Snoop Puss View Post
                          Thanks, Diana. I'll have a look at those links. Hope you have a great growing year.
                          You too.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Thanks Diana. You deserve more than a cuppa for your replies. Thank you.
                            I did a bit of delving myself, after I read your first post, and read (somewhere) that companies are trying to licence wild plants, the sort that have grown in our countryside for centuries.
                            Have you read about The Open Source Seed Initiative https://osseeds.org/
                            Realseeds view is at Open Source Seed Initiative
                            I dislike the way that the BIG companies are trying to control the seed supply and the effect this may have on agriculture.
                            Time for my cuppa now.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post
                              Thanks Diana. You deserve more than a cuppa for your replies. Thank you.
                              I did a bit of delving myself, after I read your first post, and read (somewhere) that companies are trying to licence wild plants, the sort that have grown in our countryside for centuries.
                              Have you read about The Open Source Seed Initiative https://osseeds.org/
                              Realseeds view is at Open Source Seed Initiative
                              I dislike the way that the BIG companies are trying to control the seed supply and the effect this may have on agriculture.
                              Time for my cuppa now.
                              Thank you for taking time to follow up this subject and the useful links. I too am aprehensive about the future of seed supply and the effect on our indigenous plants, traditional growing methods for smallholders and for those, like us, that produce small amounts for our own use . I can quite see the benefits of new plants that are pest and disease resistant and I am happy to pay for these improvements. By the time I had tried to read all the rules and regs I had visions of myself becoming a furtive seed saver and collector. How these laws will be enforced is mind boggling. Will there be an Special Branch of law enforcers or will there be Moles on the allotments throughout Britain?

                              In espionage jargon, a mole (also called a "penetration agent", "deep cover agent", or "sleeper agent") is a long-term spy (espionage agent) who is recruited before having access to secret intelligence, subsequently managing to get into the target organization.
                              With thanks for this definition to Wikipedia.

                              Comment

                              Latest Topics

                              Collapse

                              Recent Blog Posts

                              Collapse
                              Working...
                              X