Germination temperature
About 18-27 °C (64-81 °F); RHS uses about 18 °C (64 °F).
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Strawberry seed is tiny, likes light and germinates slowly and unevenly. Sow it on the surface of a fine mix, keep it moist and warm, and expect weeks rather than days before the last seedlings appear.
About 18-27 °C (64-81 °F); RHS uses about 18 °C (64 °F).
On the surface; at most a fine dusting of sand.
First seedlings in 1-2 weeks; stragglers for 7 weeks or more.
Light strongly improves germination.
Optional cold treatment: 3 months moist at 4-7 °C (39-45 °F) speeds germination.
Sow in trays indoors, prick out, then plant out.
Strawberry 'seeds' are the small achenes on the outside of the fruit. Sow them thinly; mixing with a pinch of dry fine sand helps spread them evenly.
Not needed. In research, acid treatment and abrading the seed coat did not significantly improve germination of whole seed.
Optional. Seed kept moist at 4-7 °C (39-45 °F) for three months germinated quickly: about 88% within two weeks in light. Without chilling, seed still germinates but more slowly and unevenly. A refrigerator works, which is useful in warm climates.
Not needed. Keep the sown surface moist instead.
The RHS germinates strawberry at about 18 °C (64 °F); research trials ran at 21-27 °C (70-81 °F). In tropical lowlands sow in the cool season or indoors, out of the hottest weather.
Press seed onto the surface of the mix. Light matters: in a USDA trial 46% of unchilled seed germinated in light after four weeks against 2% in darkness. If you cover it at all, use only a fine dusting of sharp sand.
Fine, peat-free seed compost, smooth and level on top.
Water from below or mist so the tiny seeds are not washed away, and cover the tray with clear film or a lid to keep the surface moist. Ventilate daily.
Place the tray in bright light out of direct midday sun, or under grow lights.
Whole seed starts to germinate after about 7-10 days and can keep emerging for more than 7 weeks. Do not discard the tray early.
When seedlings have their first true leaves, prick them out into small pots. Handle them by a leaf, not the stem.
Plant out once each plant has a good root system. Set the crown resting on the soil surface, 35-40 cm (14-16 in) apart in rows about 75 cm (30 in) apart, or about 20 cm (8 in) apart in containers.
Water regularly while plants establish, avoiding wetting the crown. Alpine strawberries from seed often fruit in their first year.
Cause: seed buried too deep, kept in the dark or allowed to dry. Fix: surface-sow in light, keep covered and moist, and wait at least 7 weeks.
Cause: damping off in a wet, airless tray. Fix: ventilate daily, water from below and do not overcrowd.
Cause: grey mould (Botrytis), worse with wet crowns and fruit. Fix: water in the morning at soil level and put dry straw under the fruit.
Cause: vine weevil grubs eating roots, mainly in containers. Fix: check roots and use biological control (nematodes).
Cause: birds and squirrels. Fix: cover plants with taut netting on a frame.
Full sun, shelter, and fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. On heavy soil use raised beds. Avoid frost pockets, as late frost kills the flowers.
When fruit forms, tuck dry straw under the plants to keep berries clean; remove it in autumn.
Seedlings vary. Once you find a good one, multiply it by pegging its runners into small pots in late summer; runner plants are identical to the parent.
Replace plants every 3-4 years and move to new ground to avoid disease build-up.
Pick berries when bright red all over, ideally in the warmest part of the day; they do not ripen further after picking.
Sow strawberry seed on the surface in good light and give it time.
Barely. Light strongly improves germination, so press the seed onto the surface and use, at most, a fine dusting of sand.
It is not essential, but three months moist at 4-7 °C (39-45 °F) makes germination much faster and more even.
Strawberry seed germinates over a long period. Some seedlings appear after 1-2 weeks, others after 7 weeks or more.
Not for garden strawberries: the hybrid does not come true from seed. Keep a good seedling going by rooting its runners.