Do you love strawberries , strawberry jam, strawberry sorbet, strawberry desserts … and would you like to grow them at home? They are so easy to plant! Here’s how to grow strawberries without costing you a penny:
Material
– At least one fresh strawberry
– Rolls of toilet paper (or empty yogurt pots)
– A toothpick
– Scissors
– A plastic bin
– A large transparent plastic bag (or cling film)
Steps to follow
Using the toothpick, remove the seeds from the surface of the strawberry . No problem if strawberry flesh gets stuck on the seeds. Place them on an absorbent paper towel. If you get more seeds than you need, you can dry them and save them to plant next year.
Then create small pots with the toilet paper rolls (as in the photos). Fill them with soil (no need to pack). Water them then place 2 strawberry seeds in each small pot without burying them.
Place the strawberry seedling pots in the plastic tray, then put everything in the plastic bag (or cover with cling film). Place your mini greenhouse thus created on the edge of a window or in a sunny (or at least well lit) location.
Open the bag regularly to check the humidity of the soil and allow air to circulate in the mini greenhouse.
The small strawberry plants will start to be visible after about 2 to 3 weeks. At this point you must remove the plastic bag. Keep the soil always moist so that the strawberries continue to grow.
Once your strawberry plants become larger and easier to handle, place them in flower pots. If you plan to plant them in the garden, give them time to acclimate to outdoor conditions by leaving them outside a little longer each day for a week. Be sure to cover them with netting as protection against birds.
The best time to plant strawberry seeds is between April and September. They will give their first harvest next year. Be sure to pinch off the flowers before frost arrives to strengthen the strawberries for the next harvest.
Strawberries are resistant and decorative plants. Give them special strawberry fertilizer at the beginning of spring (April) and after the first harvest (June, July). You will always have delicious strawberries on hand without having to buy them.