It is possible to grow strawberries from the seeds of strawberries you bought from the store, though there is a high possibility that the strawberries are all hybrid. They will not likely produce the same strawberries with the same size or appearance.
You will also have no assurance that it will grow when you plant the seeds, or if they develop, will they grow fruits at all?
There are steps, so you can start growing your strawberries and you can also keep your plant indoors so you will have a steady environment for your plants.
Table of Contents
5 Steps to Grow Strawberries From Grocery Store Fruit
Prepare your supplies – How To Prepare Strawberry Seeds
- You will need a fresh strawberry from the shop, even just a few pieces will do.
- Toothpick or anything pointed so you can harvest the seeds.
- Soil that you can buy from the garden shop or you can get outdoors.
- A small container where you can place the harvested seeds in.
How To Extract The Seeds From a Strawberry
You can find the strawberry seeds outside the fruit, unlike other fruits where the seeds are inside.
The brown, tiny specks outside a strawberry fruit, you can pick each with the use of a toothpick and then place them in the container you prepared.
You may also use a paper towel to place the seeds in, so you can dry the seeds after taking them all from the fruit.
Prepare the Seedling Pots For Planting
You can use any small container, or you can also use a portioned toilet paper roll with slits on the side.
The toilet paper rolls are your substitute container if you can’t find any recyclable containers around.
Fill up the makeshift pot with soil, place the soil loosely, and there is no need to pack it full. Well-drained soil is the best soil to use germinating seeds.
Pour just a bit of water in each pot so there is ideal wetness, but should not be overly soaked in water.
Planting The Strawberry Seeds
Get the seeds that you picked and let a few drops in each pot. You need not push them underneath the soil, but rather let them fall, even just on top of the soil.
You can now put the pots in one big plastic container and then place a clear plastic bag to cover the entire pots. This will keep the environment for the seeds perfectly warm, and humid.
You can use the space near your window or area, where there is enough sunlight for the seeds. Observe the soil and water, and if there is the drying of the soil, you may need to water it from time to time.
Time and patience are the solutions here, as you will need to wait for the seeds to germinate. It will take at least 2 to 3 weeks before you see any changes or any appearance of seedlings.
When you see any seedling already resurfacing, remove the plastic covering for all the pots, and then it is time for the next step. Remember to remove the plastic covering the pots, cause when paired with the sun’s heat and the humid environment inside the plastic, it can burn your seedling if not left open.
When And How To Transplant The Seedlings To A Bigger Container
Once there are seedlings that appeared, it is time to transplant them to another bigger container. You can follow the same procedure, and you also have the option to keep your seedlings indoor so you can still protect it from insects and other pests until it is hardy and can survive outdoors.
When keeping your seedlings indoors, you may be required to provide grow lights to provide sun-like light quality. This will help your seedlings grow faster and more hardy.
Keeping your seedlings indoor may be better during cold weather as well, and you can be sure that your seedlings will not be exposed to extreme weather conditions that will surely lead to their demise.
When there is ideal weather, though, you can arrange your seedlings in a bigger pot, then set them outdoors for a few hours daily, and then you need to place them back indoors until the plant has grown bigger and is thriving.
What Do You Need To Consider When Growing Your Own Strawberries?
Water Requirements For Your Strawberry Plants
Regular watering is needed, especially when you have your strawberries during dry periods. Watering helps your plant to grow healthy and likewise produce sweet fruits.
Do not put too much water, though, cause they will not thrive with standing water all the time. There must also be good drainage cause strawberries are shallow-rooted and require just the exact moisture to flourish.
Fertilizing Your Strawberry Plants
Use a balance of 10-10-10 solution and should be added before you plant your strawberry. It requires fertilizer to increase the soil nitrogen levels.
Too much nitrogen in the soil, though, will result in soft strawberries, which are not ideal at all.
How To Protect Your Strawberry Plants’s Growth
You may grow another strawberry from the store-bought strawberries, but remember there also other factors you need to consider, such as how you will protect your plant from creatures and critters alike. Birds are not the only enemy you need to watch out for, but also slugs and fungal diseases.
You can bring your seeds to grow and produce strawberries, but sometimes the fruit quality is far from the store-bought fruit. Sometimes the harvest is deformed, pale, small, and even bland with no hint of sweetness.
This is the problem with growing strawberries because one mistake and issues not addressed fast may cause you to have disappointing results.
Harvesting Your Fruit
When you see strawberries that are already red, round, and shiny, it is a sign that it is time for you to harvest your produce.
Do not wait for days before you harvest your strawberries cause you need to pick them when they taste the sweetest.
You’ll know it is time to harvest when the green color changed to red, and the tip is red as well. The berries will feel soft to touch, and you need not wait for your strawberries be overripe before you collect them.
