Strawberry Plants - Are they really difficult to grow?

[S. McCormick]

I have been looking everywhere for strawberry seeds and every store I visit tells me they don't sell them because strawberries are very difficult to grow from seeds. Why is this? How can I ensure I have the prime growing conditions for them to actually sprout and grow? Where can I buy some? I would be growing them in a large lot on my back porch. Also, I live in SW Florida so it's always hot and humid. Thanks!

 

[Plantdoctor]

The usual way of growing strawberries is by buying in plants, seeds are available ,but most do not go down that route.

If your neighbours grow strawberries ,then you can.

 

[Durgan]

I grew them from seed just for fun a few years ago. I simply took a nice berry and took a few seeds and dried and planted. It took two years and they were exactly like the original. I don't grow them anymore due to birds and they take a bit of maintenance to have good production. What I am saying is there is other fruit that is almost as go with less effort.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

@S. McCormick I'd suggest just buying a plant. I imagine seeds are a couple bucks while a plant is maybe a dollar more, though I'm sure prices vary.

Strawberries spread very quickly by runners, so they've probably evolved to not grow well from seed. By adding an already-grown plant, you'll get runners sooner and new plants quicker. I went from just five plants in 2015 to probably well over 100 now. The specie I grow is fragaria virginiana "Wild Strawberry". It blankets my native garden like a ground cover. Adds a nice green blanket early in Spring will my other plants are just starting to grow.

 

[Beth_B]

Ditto buying the plant, and they do spread quickly. I'm not growing any but wild strawberries grow around here, they seem to like sandy soil. The wild ones are little but super-efficient! Birds get most of them though.

 

[headfullofbees]

Strawberries, especially June bearers, which tend to be the best, throw out runners.
Buy 6 plants, learn how to propagate runners, (which you'll have to do anyway, and have as many plants as you want in two years.

 

[jaxjames]

I have a question about strawberries:
I planted everbearings last November (I think) and they stopped producing a while ago. I fertilized them last week of April and they responded really well however still very little fruit. Anybody have advice on this? I can post pics if necessary.

Also when they were producing the strawberries were usually fairly small. Some of them were decent size but another problem is about 70% get eaten by bugs. So you'll go to pick a beautiful strawberry only to see something small has been nibbling on it.

EDIT: For fertilizer I side dressed using a tablespoon of 10-10-10

 

[Doelman]

I had serious issues with birds and squirrels eating all my strawberries, to the point where I was only getting maybe one out of ten berries. I pulled it out and grow other things there now, it's a pity since I absolutely love strawberries.

 

[Fernsdaddy]

I had serious issues with birds and squirrels eating all my strawberries, to the point where I was only getting maybe one out of ten berries. I pulled it out and grow other things there now, it's a pity since I absolutely love strawberries.

I had the same problem, so I planted a strawberry bed just for the birds and squirrels now I have all the berries I want and they have theirs.

 

[headfullofbees]

When I was a youngster, we used to put the groups of strawberries inside a lidless jam (jelly) jar, to keep birds, etc. off.

 

[Pulse]

I heard the seeds need to be frozen first. I bought a seed kit at big lots locally and still strawberry plants instructions said 5-7 days and im on day 14 lol


I have bareroots lol pak of 10 but I counted 11 in mine. It will be 7 days next Wednesday. If they don't grow im just gonna get a few plants.

 

[rockygapgardens]

Good questions. Strawberry plants are actual quite easy to grow. It's a great choice for beginners of traditional gardening or hydroponic/indoor growing.

Many plants (including strawberries) are not typically propagated by seed. Strawberries produce descendant plants directly by stem runners. These are traditionally sold bare-root by direct mail from growers selling online, or re-potted at your local nursery center.

This makes strawberries even easier, as the bare-root plants are usually established 1-year old plants at time of purchase, and will bear fruit the 2nd year.

Stem/runner-propagation also makes it easy to maintain a permanent strawberry bed.

I encourage you to grow strawberries -- the fruit is a delicious and rewarding harvest!