Okay, here is my sharing about how I planted my alpine strawberries:
I wanted to get some of those cute little alpine strawberries. So I bought a pack of seeds online. I read somewhere that these seeds need a cold period to germinate, so I put them in the fridge for a couple of weeks. I don’t know if it’s true, but I did it anyway.
After their time in the fridge, I planted the seeds in a seed tray. I just sprinkled them on top of the soil and lightly covered them. Then I watered the tray and covered it with a plastic dome to keep it moist. I placed the tray in a warm spot, but not in direct sunlight. The seeds are so tiny, and I was worried they might dry out or get washed away, so I was careful to keep the soil moist at all times.
It took a while, but finally, I saw some tiny sprouts. I was so excited! I removed the plastic dome and moved the tray to a sunny windowsill. I continued to water them regularly, making sure the soil didn’t dry out. I’ve heard that these little guys like moist soil, so I was pretty diligent about that.
Once the seedlings were a bit bigger, I transplanted them into individual pots. I used a well-draining potting mix. I also started fertilizing them every couple of weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer. I just followed the instructions on the bottle, nothing fancy. Some folks say that a 10-10-10 or 12-12-12 fertilizer works, and some prefer organic fertilizer like blood meal, kelp meal, and so on. I used the liquid fertilizer because it is easy to use.
When the weather warmed up, I moved the pots outside. I found a spot that gets a good amount of sun but also some shade in the afternoon. I think alpine strawberries can handle full sun, but I didn’t want to risk it. I made sure to water them regularly, especially during hot weather.
- I planted the seeds in a seed tray.
- I transplanted the seedlings into individual pots.
- I fertilized them every couple of weeks.
- I watered them regularly.
- I moved them outside when the weather was warm.
My Harvest
After a few months, my little strawberry plants started to flower. And then, the best part, they started to produce fruit! Tiny, bright red, and super sweet strawberries. They were so good! I’ve been harvesting them regularly, and they just keep coming. I feel like they are everbearing. They say these plants are perennial, so I’m hoping they’ll come back next year too. I’ll probably cover them with some mulch over the winter to protect them.
All in all, growing alpine strawberries has been a fun and rewarding experience. It took some patience, but it was totally worth it. And they tasted way better than the ones from the grocery store!
