How to Plant, Grow and Harvest Strawberry Plant

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    Strawberry is round, and the lower part is long, so this sweet and sour fruit is delicious. If we look at its history, we can see that strawberries originated in Northern Europe, but their varieties are produced in Russia, Chile, and the United States of America.
    At first, their name was Strawberry, but later, it became Strawberry. Strawberries have become famous nationwide for their incomparable taste and bright colour. They are used to make delicious foods such as candies, cakes, jams, ice creams, and other products.
    Also, artificially produced strawberries make perfume, soap, lip gel, and other necessities. Its cultivation is widely done commercially throughout the country. The fruits grown in your garden are juicier and more delicious than buying strawberries from supermarkets or stores.

    How Helpful are Strawberries for Our Health?

    Strawberries contain carbohydrates along with vitamins and minerals we need. A 100-gram strawberry contains 1% protein, 8% carbohydrates, and other negligible fat. It also includes 33% kcal. Vitamin C is present in strawberries in good amounts. Small levels of fatty acids are also present.

    Strawberries are rich in beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants, such as pelargonidin, ellagic acid, ellagitannins, and procyanidins. We are getting into the habit of eating strawberries at our peak.

    Strawberry Plant Care

    We will learn about strawberry plant care

    What are the seeds of strawberry plants?

    Yes, it is a seed.

    How to plant strawberry plants from seed?

    To collect strawberry plant seeds, you need to pick ripe strawberry fruit. The seeds are on the surface of the strawberry fruit. Usually, when you pick up the fruit, you will see tiny seeds on the body of the fruit, which are your strawberry seeds.

    The first thing I do is collect the seeds. I cut the top of the strawberry with a sharp knife a little too deeply to leave the seeds intact. After cutting the fruit, I place the seeds on a tissue paper-lined tray and let them dry in the sun for 3-4 days. Once fully dry, I gently rub the dried fruit against the tissue paper to release the seeds.

    This method makes it easy to collect the seeds. When your seedlings grow to 3-4 stems each, you will transfer them to another tub, where they will remain from flowering to fruiting.

    The way I prepare seedling soil with 3-4 sticks is – 50% garden soil, or you can also use potting soil, mix it with 30% compost and 20% cocopeat, and transplant it into a 6/7-inch deep tub.

    Picture creadit: Freepik

    Is it possible to grow seedlings from seeds?

    Yes, you can grow seedlings from seeds. Strawberry seedlings take a bit more time, but you can see. It is possible to get healthy seedlings if you plant them yourself. As I prepare the soil for planting, I use coconut 70% and organic manure 30%.

    You can use any organic fertilizers, such as dung manure, compost manure, vermicompost manure, etc. Put the mixed soil in a pan or tub and spread the seeds around nicely. Sprinkle water a small amount by hand, taking care not to give excess water. Close the mouth of the tub with plastic polythene.

    This way, your seeds will turn into seedlings in a minimum of 12-15 days and a maximum of 30-35 days. There is nothing to fear; if it takes a little longer to wait patiently, they will make you happy in due time. I choose tubs with adequate drainage and allow the fruit to hang outside. If the fruit sticks to the ground, there is a risk of rotting.

    How to put the size of the tub?

    If you want to pot the plant for a long time, plant it in a tub 6 inches high and 6 inches in diameter, choosing a tub with enough drainage holes under it.

    Soil

    While preparing the soil, we must remember that strawberry plants do not like wet soil or excess water. I use garden soil, potting soil, compost fertilizer, a small amount of herbicide, and 10-15% perlite. The brown top portion of the strawberry plant should not be buried in the soil while transplanting the seedlings. It would be beneficial if you placed the seedlings with the awareness that this crown section produces more branches.

    Water

    Strawberry plants do not like excess water, so you should water them according to the condition of their leaves and soil moisture.

    What kind of light do strawberry plants need?

    Strawberries grow best from 8° to 25°C, with 5-7 hours of sun exposure. Any more than that, and the leaves risk burning.

    Best placed in bright, indirect light, Sade is perfect for this. Strawberry plants need a lot of light. You can’t keep them indoors. But you can keep it correctly in your south window with enough light and air movement. Strawberry plants’ fruit and blooms will be harmed by winter temperatures below 32°F, but if they are acclimated to milder temperatures, their crown and leaves will withstand low 20s temps.

    If you have strawberries outside in the backyard during the winter and the ground frosts, saving your strawberry plants is impossible.

    Fertilizer when?

    You can use organic fertilizers during the growing season of strawberry plants. When preparing the soil for the plants, you will use compost fertilizer, and I always add mustard leaf rotted water, NPK, to the strawberry plants.

    I apply these every two months. They play a very effective role in plant growth. We will apply fertilizer when the strawberry plant is flowering because this is when the plant needs a lot of energy. It is best to use organic fertilizers.

    If black spots appear on the leaves, I spray a good-quality fungicide.

    Picture creadit: Freepik

    Mulching

    Be sure to mulch the topsoil of your strawberry plants. Mulching maintains moisture in the soil, and the fruits stick to the soil and do not rot, so you will likely get more fruits. I use straw for mulching; it is very light and crunchy, which is very useful. Mulching gives your fruit a safe place to grow.

    Runner

    A runner is a long branch with leaves above its head that emerges from a strawberry plant. This section makes it simple to propagate seedlings from the parent plant. The mother plant shoots out and runs to extend itself rapidly.

    You can plant seedlings from runners in less time than from seeds, and the planting ratio is 99.99%. Even if you are working with strawberry plants for the first time, you can plant seedlings from runners. Runners look taller than the offspring of the mother plant; you can make small plants with these. You will cut the runners with a sharp knife and soak them in water for 5-7 days in a room with a low temperature. You will see that the runners have new roots, then you will lift the runners from the water and place them in the coco coir. This way, you can increase their population of runners.

    Harvesting Time

    Although strawberry is a winter fruit, the fruit can be harvested in summer (June-July). To protect the fruit from birds, surround the fruit with a net or silt. If the mother tree survives for a few years, you will initially get smaller fruit, but in the second, third, fourth, and fourth years, you will get a bigger and higher flowering rate than last year.

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