It is generally considered to be more difficult to start strawberry plants from seed than it is to work with young plants but that is not to say that sowing from seed is very difficult. If you are a beginner then it is reasonable to expect that your yield may be slightly lower if you choose to start from seed but if you are careful and look after your seedlings then there is no reason why you cannot produce some great quality fruit. Regardless of which route you choose, the first step is to decide on a variety that is suitable for where you intend to plant. Strawberries generally fall into the following types: June-bearing, evergreen or day-neutral. June-bearing plants commonly produce large fruits and, as their name suggests, will produce a crop of fruit over a 2-3 week period around June. Everbearing strawberry varieties produce two (and sometimes 3) crops of fruit per year in spring and late summer or early fall. Day-neutral strawberry varieties will give you fruit in the first year, generally produce smaller fruits but will produce whenever the temperature is between 35-85 F.
Starting from seed
Depending on the variety of strawberry you have chosen, it may be necessary to cold treat your seeds before germination. This can be achieved by simply placing them in the freezer for 2-4 weeks before sowing. Strawberry seeds should be sown in trays containing a good quality potting medium (see https://www.plantvillage.com/posts/84). The seeds should be sown to a depth of approximately 0.25 in and should germinate in 2-3 weeks. Be sure to keep the seeds moist. After germination, thin 1-2 in tall seedlings if they are too close together and replant when they have 3 leaves. You can choose to replant in pots or in the garden, but if planting outside be sure to harden the seedlings off before you put them in the ground.
Planting
Strawberries are most commonly planted in the garden but can also be grown in containers on patios or balconies too. You should choose to plant in an area that receives full sun and also in an area where Verticillium-prone plants such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers or melons have not been grown over the preceding 4-5 years as strawberries are very susceptible to the disease and spores may still be present in the soil. For information on soil and plant spacings see https://www.plantvillage.com/topics/s....
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