Nostalgia alert! It is the summer of 2007. You’ve come home after playing with your friends in the scorching heat. Your mother welcomes you with a chilled lip-smacking strawberry shake. You feel proud having a milk moustache. Aah! You can relive those times today as well. But this time, let’s give it a healthier twist. Who doesn’t want to have fresh strawberry shakes, strawberry jams, or strawberry slushies! Ever thought of going to your balcony, plucking a strawberry, and making all these we’ve mentioned above? Drooling already? Let us help you with How To Grow Strawberry From A Seed At Home.
How to grow a strawberry from a seed?
- Using a tooth-pick, take out strawberry seeds carefully. We suggest you use a dehydrator for the fruit so that it becomes easy for you to take out the seeds. Both Methods work well.
- Collect your seeds in a jar and close the lid tightly.
- Place the jar with strawberry seeds in the freezer. This method is called cold treatment and to grow a strawberry its essential for the seeds to go through the process. Let it be in the freezer for a month.
- Keep The strawberry seeds jar in the freezer for a month.
- Take out the seeds and sow the seeds in a germination tray or directly to the pots.
- Make sure, you place the germination tray Indoor where there is bright sunlight.
- Transplant when you see 6 to 8 leaves on the plant.
When Does Strawberry Grow?
The best time to start with any task is ‘now’. But the best time to plant strawberries is either late winter or early spring.
How to choose a pot to grow a strawberry?
Strawberry is that one flexible fruit that can be planted in anything from a plastic or a wooden container to a terracotta pot. You may also choose a hanging basket in case your horizontal space is less.
How do you prepare the soil to grow a strawberry?
Strawberry is quite particular about its soil, which should be rich and loamy, with good water drainage.
You can prepare fertile soil by adding organic materials like compost and peat moss to your native soil. You may also buy a good potting mix if growing in a container. Make sure to maintain an acidic pH of around 6.
How to choose a strawberry plant?
You may choose from a bare-root crown or a transplant, but it is advisable to choose the former to save time.
How to plant a strawberry?
Avoid crowding of the plant since strawberry roots are shallow and dense.
Fill the container with the potting mix and place the plant in such a way that the crown is just above the surface of the soil. Make a mound- or a heap- in the soil and place the plant on it spreading the roots over the mound. Now, cover the roots with the soil up to the crown. Make sure to not cover the crown.
Where should you place the pot to grow a strawberry?
It is best to choose a spot that receives at least 8 hours of sunlight every day, as strawberries love the Sun! Keep rotating the pot every 4 to 5 days to provide an even amount of sunlight to it. Also, choose a less windy spot as the wind might prevent pollination by insects. Avoid highly humid places since humidity might rot the plant.
Water Strawberry Plant
Water as soon as you pot the plant. You may water the plant after every three days. Also, water whenever 1 inch of the soil below the surface feels dry. Make sure that the soil is damp, and not soggy. Note that soil in a container dries out quickly as compared to the ground soil, hence be prepared to water the plant twice a day during hot and dry days.
Fertilizer For Strawberry Plant
If growing in a container, feed the plant every twenty days or so with a balanced liquid fertilizer. Do not forget to feed it during the fall season since the plant starts growing perennating buds which will grow into flowers and fruits the next year.
Strawberry Plant Winter Care
Allow your strawberry plant to go dormant during winters. You may water the plant in case the soil feels excessively dry. In case of freezing temperatures, move the plant indoors to a garage or to a place that is warmer. You might also want to mulch your plant.
How and when does the strawberry plant grow?
If you would be a good plant parent during the summer and autumn, then your plant will bear flowers and fruits during the cool months, from October to February.
Harvesting- What season does strawberry grow?
Once there is a sight of bright red strawberries on your plant, you may pluck them. It is important to consume them fresh if not preserved.
How do you take care of the strawberry plant?
· Protect the plant from birds, insects, and rodents by making a fence around it
· You would have to replace the plant every two to three years
· Try keeping the stem intact while picking the fruit
Now that you know the secret to a happier and healthier life, start preparing to grow your own strawberry plant at home. Do tag @gardenchee and tell us what your favourite strawberry recipe is.
*Writer runs away to have his banana and strawberry smoothie. Burp!*