The seeds of strawberries are found on the outside of the fruit, along the entire surface. You can pick them up to grow strawberries yourself! This can be done in different ways, for example by scraping, blending or drying the strawberry.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Collecting the Seeds
Step 1. Blend the strawberries and filter the seeds
This is one of the most common methods of removing seeds and extracting them from the pulp. To proceed, you need to take five or more ripe and healthy fruits; some seeds are likely to be destroyed in the process, but strawberries actually contain a lot of them.
- Put the fruit in a blender, turn the blender on at low speed for 10 to 20 seconds and then set the appliance aside, allowing the mixture to settle.
- Remove the top layer of floating seeds; you can throw them away as they are probably broken or unusable.
- Run the mash through a fine mesh sieve and pour it into a bowl that you placed under it; you can use it to prepare a jam or a baked product.
- Go to the sink and run running water over the sieve to rinse away the excess pulp. When finished, you should see a bunch of whole seeds at the bottom of the colander; spread them on a paper towel and let them air dry. Remove the larger pieces of pulp that are left between the seeds.
Step 2. Scrape off the seeds
Another technique is to scrape the outside of the strawberry with a knife; To start, put five ripe, healthy strawberries in an airtight container and store it in the freezer overnight.
- The next day, remove the strawberries from the freezer and with a razor, cutter or sharp kitchen knife, gently scrape the outer surfaces of the strawberry to collect the individual seeds; do not penetrate too deep and proceed very carefully to avoid cutting yourself.
- Place the collected seeds on a clean paper towel and let them dry; you can eat what's left of the strawberries or you can use them in the kitchen.
Step 3. Dry the strawberries and scrub the seeds away
Another method is to cut the fruit into strips and allow them to dehydrate; once dried, you can easily remove the seeds with your fingers. This is a safer method than using a knife; again, use about four ripe fruits.
- Put the strawberries on a flat cutting board; carefully cut them into vertical strips (from stem to tip) starting from the outermost side of the fruit and using a sharp knife; make an incision deep enough to separate the seeds and a small amount of pulp.
- Arrange the strips on a clean paper towel and gently press them down; afterwards, place the napkin in a warm and dry place, but not in direct sunlight. Wait a few days for the strips to dry completely.
- Once well dehydrated, transfer the paper towel to a flat surface and gently rub each dry strip using your fingers; this way, you should be able to remove the seeds easily.
Step 4. Buy them
Instead of picking them from strawberries yourself, you can buy them at nurseries, garden centers or even online; if you prefer, you can also buy a seedling, which is much easier to grow.
- If you decide to buy seeds, you need to germinate them and move them to the garden once they sprout.
- When you choose to buy preserved seeds or seedlings, you are more likely to get a recognized strawberry variety; in other words, if you collect the seeds from the strawberries you buy at the store, the resulting plant may not be the same variety as the "mother" fruit, especially if the latter is a hybrid.
Part 2 of 3: Germinating Strawberry Seeds
Step 1. Freeze them
If you put them in the freezer, you can make them germinate much faster, because in this way you simulate the cycle of winter; then when they melt and warm up, they immediately enter the spring phase and immediately begin to sprout.
- Place the dried seeds in an airtight bag or container and leave them in the freezer for three to four weeks.
- Strawberry seeds should be started in winter or early spring, about ten weeks before the last expected frost; make sure you have time to freeze them before that date.
Step 2. Defrost them
When you are ready to plant them, remove them from the freezer and wait for them to reach room temperature; leave them in the sealed container until they are properly heated.
During this phase it is important that they are not exposed to the air, as they must remain dry as they heat up, otherwise they could be damaged by cold humidity
Step 3. Plant them
Fill a germinator with 2-3 cm of soil for sowing; strawberries grow best in fertile and slightly acidic soil; the ideal pH has an approximate value of 6, so add some sulfur powder if necessary.
Pour enough water to moisten the soil and spread the seeds over the soil; cover the surface with a thin layer of earth or peat, so that they are not exposed to sunlight. Finally, protect the seedbed with cling film
Step 4. Keep the seeds warm and moist until they sprout
Expose the germinator to direct sunlight; when the soil begins to dry out, add a little water so that it always stays moist until the seedlings sprout. When watering, remove the cling film completely to allow the seeds to get some air.
- The germination process typically takes one to more than six weeks, so you need to be patient.
- Remove the film completely once the seeds have started to germinate.
- Once the seedlings have sprouted and have developed three or four leaves, they are ready to be transplanted.
Part 3 of 3: Transfer the seedlings
Step 1. Choose the right place
Strawberries can grow in pots or in a raised flowerbed once three weeks have passed since the last frost. These plants prefer a lot of sun, so you need to choose a location with 6 to 10 hours of direct sunlight every day.
- To make a simple raised sod, spread a piece of plastic on the ground where you want to plant the strawberries.
- Use pieces of wood, logs, cinder blocks, bricks or any other material to build a rectangular or square barrier around the perimeter of the plastic sheet you placed on the ground; make sure that this barrier is at least 25 cm high.
- Fill the center of the bed with at least 20 cm of soil.
Step 2. Choose and prepare the ground
Strawberries thrive in moist but not soggy soil, so make sure it's well-draining. A great option is a mixture of sandy silt and compost or manure.
Use about a third of compost or manure and two thirds of silt
Step 3. Plant the strawberries
For each plant create a hole about 15 cm deep, then bury it trying to touch the roots as little as possible; leave 60 cm of space between one plant and another.
Fill the hole around the roots with soil and press it down to eliminate possible air pockets
Step 4. Water the seedlings as they grow
Once buried, they must receive water; wet them whenever the soil dries up, especially when the weather starts to get hot and dry.
- Water them early in the morning and add water directly to the soil; do not wet the fruits or leaves.
- To keep the soil more moist, you can add a layer of straw to the surface.
- You may also have to wait until the next year before reaping the benefits.
- It is advisable to remove all flowers during the first year of growth to allow the plant to mature before producing berries. It might be a tough job, but this way you will have a much better harvest in the second year.
- Alternatively, you can plant strawberries in the fall and harvest the first fruits the following spring.
