2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Growing strawberries from seeds is a rather troublesome event: the seeds can sprout for a long time or even disappear altogether, the picking of small and very fragile seedlings has to be done with tweezers, the soil with seedlings can neither be overdried nor overmoistened. However, there are certain pluses in this venture: growing seedlings from seeds, it is realistic not only to grow new varieties, but also to significantly improve the plants
Where to begin
To begin with, it is best to try to grow small-fruited varieties of fragrant remontant strawberries. Compared to strawberries, it is not so capricious, it costs a little cheaper, but at the same time the chances of getting excellent seedlings are much higher. And having gained invaluable experience, you can subsequently move on to growing no less interesting large-fruited varieties.
When to sow seeds for seedlings
Strawberries are planted for seedlings both in February and in April - the determining factor here is the presence of appropriate conditions. Sowing strawberries in early February is advisable if it is possible to provide the lightest window sill in the entire room to the fragrant berry, or to carry out additional lighting for 12-14 hours daily. In this case, it will be possible to harvest the first harvest of juicy berries right in the current season.
If all the windowsills were occupied by seedlings of peppers with tomatoes, then strawberries can be planted in March or even in April. True, in this case, there is a very high probability that young bushes will not bear fruit in the current season, however, starting next season, they will certainly show themselves in all their glory.
Preparing soil for strawberry seedlings
The most basic requirements for the soil intended for seedlings of wonderful strawberries are good water permeability and its relative lightness. Experts recommend even sifting the prepared soil mixture through a sieve - this measure helps to achieve better soil quality. Such mixtures are perfect for strawberry seedlings: humus with garden soil and sand (in a ratio of 1: 1: 3); wood ash with garden soil, as well as compost (or humus) (0, 5: 3: 3); a good mixture is formed by peat, sand and turf soil (1: 1: 2); sand, peat and vermiculite (3: 3: 4); humus and sand (5: 3); vermicompost (or humus) and coconut fiber (in a 1: 1 ratio).
In order to properly disinfect the prepared soil, it should be poured with a solution of potassium permanganate in advance, thoroughly freeze or calcined.
Seed stratification and subsequent sowing
Stratification is considered to be the organization of seeds close to natural proper conditions for germination. Summer residents who have chosen the standard option keep fragile seeds in the refrigerator, placing them on a moistened cloth for a week, after which they gently sow them into the ground.
However, stratification can be combined directly with sowing. The most optimal container for sowing strawberry seeds will be plastic containers with lids, in the bottom of which drainage holes are made in advance. The container is filled with soil mixture, without adding a couple of centimeters to its edges. To prevent small seeds from sinking too deeply, the soil is slightly moistened, after which all the seeds are distributed as evenly as possible over its surface. There is no need to sprinkle them with soil mixture - the centimeters remaining to the top of the containers are filled with snow, after which the lids are closed and the container is placed in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, where the snow gradually begins to melt, going into the ground and certainly carrying tiny seeds there. In principle, almost the same thing happens in early spring and in the natural conditions familiar to strawberries.
After stratification is complete, the seed containers are moved to well-lit windowsills. The lids are not opened at first and the contents of the containers are not watered - the future strawberry will still have enough moisture from the melted snow. You can only arrange additional lighting for the seedlings. The long-awaited first shoots can be seen in ten to fifteen days, and in a number of varieties - after a month.
Care of strawberry seedlings before disembarkation
As soon as the shoots appear, from time to time they begin to open the lids of the containers or make holes in them. It is not worth opening entirely tiny seedlings right away in order to avoid excessive evaporation of moisture, because constant humidity (of course, without waterlogging) is the key to the successful growth of fragile strawberry seedlings. Determining the moisture level when the seedlings are in plastic containers is not difficult: a dry lid indicates that it is time to water the seedlings and water; if the lid is slightly fogged up, then everything is in order; and if the resulting condensation forms droplets on the lid, this indicates an excess of moisture and the required ventilation for seedlings.
It is better to water the seedlings with melt water and as carefully as possible: with a medical syringe, from a fine-jet sprayer, or with droplets along the walls of the dishes. Finally, the lids of the containers open after pecking the seedlings in three or four days, and with the appearance of real leaves (two or three), the seedlings must be immediately sorted into individual containers. In order for the pick to be as accurate as possible, it is better to use tweezers and make sure that the roots do not bend up. At the end of the pick, you also need to constantly monitor the humidity level. Tender strawberry seedlings do not need additional fertilizing before planting in the ground.
Recommended:
Lobelia: Sowing Seeds For Seedlings
From the second half of February to mid-March, you can start sowing lobelia seedlings. These annuals come in many varieties. They are grown both as a curb crop and as an ampelous plant. But the seeding rules are the same for everyone
We Continue To Sow Seeds For Flower Seedlings
March continues, spring is slowly winning its rights from winter. And we continue to sow seeds in order to plant strong and healthy seedlings in the ground in May, which will then delight us with its flowering all summer. In the previous article, we started a conversation about what to sow in March and managed to consider 2 flowers: verbena and echinacea. This time we will look at how to grow seedlings of several more types of flowers. Coleus I used to think that this
Growing Peppers: From Seeds To Strong Seedlings
The time of sowing pepper for seedlings is approaching. Therefore, a cheat sheet will come in handy, what rules you need to adhere to in order to grow strong seedlings, and as a result, get a generous harvest from each bush
Eggplant: Preparing And Sowing Seeds For Seedlings
The main difficulty in growing eggplants is that they are very heat demanding and at the same time have a long development period. Therefore, in the conditions of the middle lane, vegetables are propagated through seedlings, taking into account the fact that at the time of moving to open ground, it should be about 60 days old, and about a month will pass from the day the ovary appears to technical maturity. Therefore, it is impossible to delay sowing seeds. What should not be forgotten in the course of such work?
Pepper: Seedlings And Seeds
Planting pepper seeds is an important and responsible process that significantly affects the volume of the crop. True, here many summer residents are faced with a number of difficulties and nuances. This is not surprising, since for proper planting of seeds, you need to perform a lot of actions - preparing the soil, choosing suitable containers for seedlings, and much more. Caring for such a vegetable crop as pepper is also important
