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ID jit
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Propagating Strawberries from Seeds on Fruit ???

Would this be as easy as just cutting up a few berries so I have a 6 dozen or so seeds and just putting them in pots and covering with starter mix and keeping them watered?

Have a bunch of plants, some are producing these really large berries and I would like to propagate these. Thus far I have only propagated by rooting runners.

Most of the plants I have now throw out a lot of runners. Am thinking that because I started with a very small group of plants which escaped from a hanging planter via runners and that I have propagated several generations of runner plants, I have tilted the balance, so to speak, toward runner producing plants. I would like to change this if I can, or would like to try to anyways.

Have a few berries the the bugs got to before I did and they were really nice berries. Am thinking if I am going to be propagating my own plants, I might as well try to head toward some aspect of fruit production rather than regenerating plants prone to throwing runners.

So, any ideas on how to go from seeds on over ripe, bug nibbled berries to getting plants?

Thanks much.

JONA
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Hi ID.
Growing straws from seed......
If the berry is ripe...so are the seeds.
How to get the seeds off the berry.
Put several berries in a blender...run on slow until you have a pulp. Strain through a fine strainer and spread the seeds on paper to completely dry.
Or.....gently scrape the seeds off the berries and again spread on paper to completely dry.
Once dry gently rub the seeds between your fingers to ensure they are free of any remaining pulp.
It's really essential that the seeds are bone dry.
Place in an airtight container and put in the freezer for two or three weeks to ensure thorough chill factor.
On removal allow to warm up to room temperature before opening the container...this is to ensure that no condensation appears on the seeds as they warm up and cause mold before germination.
Sow shallowly as normal.

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ID jit
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Thanks for the info.... pretty much tells me I have another doomed experiment in the works.

Took sort of the naturalist's approach.... fruit has seeds.... fruit rots and or the seeds find their way to the ground... plants come up to start it all over again. I ASSUMED seeds would germinate without laying dormant through the winter....... Carefully and thinly sliced of a dozen or so seeds from a berry and put the whole thing about 1/8" under some damp seed starter mix. Did 2 albions and 2 of the umknows I have..... not going to be surprised if nothing happens now.

Plan B seems really clear..... follow the damn instructions!

JONA
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I know ID....nature has her way.
If you think about it though...if it was that easy all orchards would be full of apple seedlings and all strawberry patches new plants. Doesn't happen though!.

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ID jit
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(Valid point!)
It's my delusion and I am sticking to it!
(... until I need to make those for peat pots of starter mix disappear or look like they are actually doing something.)

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ID jit
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JONA wrote:Hi ID.
Growing straws from seed......
If the berry is ripe...so are the seeds.
How to get the seeds off the berry.
Put several berries in a blender...run on slow until you have a pulp. Strain through a fine strainer and spread the seeds on paper to completely dry.
Or.....gently scrape the seeds off the berries and again spread on paper to completely dry.
Once dry gently rub the seeds between your fingers to ensure they are free of any remaining pulp.
It's really essential that the seeds are bone dry.
Place in an airtight container and put in the freezer for two or three weeks to ensure thorough chill factor.
On removal allow to warm up to room temperature before opening the container...this is to ensure that no condensation appears on the seeds as they warm up and cause mold before germination.
Sow shallowly as normal.
Expletive! Those self-edits are euphemistically tiny!

Had to break into the fly tying kit for the 4.0 cheaters, needle point tweezers my tiniest bodkin and an exacto knife to deal with them, and I am not even sure I captured any. I think I have somewhere between one and two dozen drying on a coffee filter right now. I know there are hard little bumps there, but I WILL NOT claim I can identify them as seeds.

JONA
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Sure are a glutton for punishment ID jit !

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ID jit
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JONA wrote:Sure are a glutton for punishment ID jit !
Ya Thunk??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

I tried the pulp and strain method and it didn't work out too well for me. Tried scraping and I seemed to be getting more berry then seeds and still had a hard time separating out the seeds. So, picking the seeds of was the next option. Wish I could just get the berry in my fly tying vice so it would hold still!

I'll try anything once. A glorious failure is better than no attempt in my world.



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