Strawberries are a tasty and healthy berry that almost everyone loves. But growing it in your own garden plot is not easy. And if a gardener wants to start growing strawberries by growing home seedlings, he will have to put in a lot of effort and effort.
But things become much easier if you know some secrets. By following simple rules, you can grow seedlings yourself and get an excellent harvest.
Which variety is better to choose?
When choosing a variety, you should be extremely careful, taking into account not only the yield, but also what kind of soil is available on the site, what region you live in, and what care the berry requires in the future.
The following varieties have proven themselves best:
- Alpine small-fruited strawberries have excellent growth and productivity indicators, and at the same time a low price.
- Garden strawberries (large-fruited) - produce strong sprouts, which then quickly grow into bushes. But the price of raw materials is quite high, not everyone can afford it.
You can also use seeds collected from your own garden. But make sure that these are not F1 hybrids.
Preparation
At the next stage, you need to prepare the seeds so that they germinate faster and better. To do this, they are soaked for several days in purified water, which is changed twice a day.
After some time, the seeds are laid out on a strip of toilet paper and placed in a warm place, but not in direct sunlight.
Preparing the ground
As soon as the first shoots appear from the seeds, they can be planted in the ground. In this case, the acidity level should not exceed 5–6, and humus level should not be less than 2%.
An excellent option would be soil made from peat, vermicompost and sand mixed in a 3:1:1 ratio.
Planting seeds
To increase the number of seedlings, you also need to sow strawberries correctly:
- Make grooves in the prepared containers with soil, where you place the seeds using tweezers. The distance between the seeds should be at least 2 cm. Do not deepen the strawberries too much.
- The original way is “in the snow”. Place 1 cm of snow on top of the prepared soil. Scatter the seeds evenly over it. The snow will melt and the strawberries will be on the ground, slightly pulled into it. All that remains is to sprinkle it with a thin layer of soil.
Remember: proper landing is half the battle.
Crop care
Crops need to be kept warm, so it is better to cover them with glass or film. But to prevent the air in the box from stagnating, ventilate the containers once a day.
Mode is most important
Remember: not only ventilation is important, but also warmth and light. Spray the sprouts with a spray bottle and provide them with sunlight and warmth.
In such conditions, you will quickly see the results of your own work.
Plant transplantation
Seedlings can be replanted as soon as 2 full leaves appear. Lightly pick up the plant and cut off particularly long roots, if any.
Strawberries need to be replanted in containers at a distance of 8 cm from each other.Try to take seedlings with lumps of earth - this will make it easier for them to adapt to new living conditions.
Knowing these simple rules and sequence, all gardeners will definitely be able to grow strawberry seedlings themselves.
