A Detailed Guide to Harvesting Strawberry Seeds and Raising Seedlings

Strawberry is a common fruit of ours, sweet and tart, nutritious, and favored by many consumers. Nowadays many farmers grow strawberries, and the quality of strawberry seedlings directly relates to the survival rate after transplanting, and affects strawberry yield and quality, so raising strawberry seedlings is very critical. So how do you harvest strawberry seeds? What seedling-raising methods are there? Let's take a look together below.

1. How do you harvest strawberry seeds?

Method 1: Use a knife to shave off a thin layer of the strawberry skin bearing the seeds, then spread it on paper, plastic film or another movable flat surface, and place it somewhere with direct sunlight. After drying, the skin loses moisture and its ability to hold the seeds decreases, so you can gently peel off the seeds one by one by hand.

Method 2: Cut off the seed-bearing skin with a knife and put it into a non-metal container such as glass or ceramic to ferment. After 2~3 days, pour water into the container, stir with chopsticks or a stick, and let it sit for a while. When the seeds sink to the bottom, pour off the water on top, repeat 2~3 times, and the gelatinous substance formed by the fermented flesh can be washed away. After the seeds are washed clean, dry them.

2. What seedling-raising methods are there for strawberries?

1. High-mountain seedling raising

This means raising seedlings in high-cold areas above 800 m in altitude. The higher the altitude, the lower the summer temperature; raising seedlings here is good for the growth and development of the nutrient seedlings, which have strong vitality, a good root system, sturdy young plants, and more numerous and plump flower bud differentiation. The nursery plot should be chosen from an area where strawberries have never been grown, with plenty of base fertilizer applied. After preparing the soil and making beds, choose robust seedlings as mother plants ready for planting. The planting distance for mother plants in the nursery is 40 cm x 80 cm. When the temperature reaches 18~20 degrees C, the seedlings can be moved and transplanted. After planting, management should be strengthened. By June to July, large numbers of runner seedlings will be produced, flower bud differentiation can occur in August, and in late September each year the seedlings can be collected and taken down the mountain for transplanting. Generally, planted mother plants can be used continuously for 2~3 years. Starting from the second year, to encourage the mother plants to grow more new roots, in May the new stems that grow should be earthed up along with fertilization, to promote continued vigorous growth of the mother plants and increase the number of runner seedlings produced.

2. Temporary planting for seedling raising

Temporary planting for seedling raising means digging out the runner daughter seedlings of the mother plants in the propagation nursery and temporary-planting them. For forcing cultivation, high-quality seedlings that can extend the harvest period are required. Such high-quality seedlings are best represented by nutrient seedlings that have undergone temporary planting. The period for temporary planting is best from late August to early September. The plant and row spacing is 15 cm x 18 cm. When temporary-planting nutrient seedlings, they should be moved with soil, and divided into beds according to the size and strength of the seedlings for easier management. After temporary planting, water thoroughly to avoid transplant shock. If there is intense sunlight, drought and high temperature, shade and cool them appropriately during the day.

After they survive, remove the shade material again. Generally, about 15 days after temporary planting, the nutrient seedlings can resume growth. Temporary-planted seedlings need careful management: timely cultivating and weeding, topdressing and watering, and removing dead and diseased leaves at the right time. In the early stage, apply a quick-acting compound fertilizer once about every 10 days; in the later stage, apply only phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and control watering, to help promote flower bud differentiation and robust growth of the nutrient seedlings. The temporary planting period needs 50~60 days; beyond 60 days the root system begins to age, and aged seedlings easily form. Therefore, the temporary planting period should be 50~60 days before local transplanting. Late September to early October is exactly the flower bud formation period of temporary-planted seedlings, so runners should be removed in time to promote flower bud formation. By mid-October, ideal high-quality strong seedlings can be raised, ready for transplanting.

3. Plastic pot seedling raising

Plastic pot seedling raising for strawberries is a new seedling-raising method adopted in Japan in recent years. This seedling-raising method has simple management techniques, can promote flower bud differentiation of the seedlings, bring earlier fruiting, reduce labor for propagation, and to a certain extent also alleviate the obstacles of many years of continuous strawberry cropping, increasing yield. Generally, black round plastic pots with a diameter of 12 cm are used, filled with 750 grams of loose, disease- and pest-free nutrient soil. The soil pH should be between 6.5~6.8, and it should have good water retention. After the soil is put in, move the seedlings into the pots. Potting should be done from June to August, generally starting in early to mid-June, moving rooted seedlings with 2~3 leaves into the pots one after another; rooted new-stem divided seedlings can also be potted. In early August, the main task is to change the seedlings raised in the seedbed to hardening off and pot them.

After the seedlings are potted, arrange them well. Before July, water once a day; after August, the number of waterings can be appropriately reduced. For topdressing, use liquid fertilizer made from compound fertilizer. From July to August, topdress once every 7~10 days, applying 100 ml per pot of a 400~600 times diluted liquid fertilizer of the three elements. Before flower bud differentiation, stop using nitrogen fertilizer and use only phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, applying once about every 7 days, to promote flower bud differentiation; by autumn they can be transplanted. Forcing cultivation is best suited to plastic-pot seedlings; after planting, such seedlings grow and develop quickly and bear fruit early, and strawberry fruit can be harvested by December.

The above is an introduction to strawberries. There are many seedling-raising methods for strawberries, and each method has different advantages and disadvantages. Farmers can choose according to their own actual situation and soil, climate, etc., to achieve the goal of high yield.

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