Strawberry seeds need to be cold treated to encourage germination. If your selected seeds require this, fear not. It is easy. Simply wrap your seeds, put them in an airtight container, and place them in a freezer. This simulates winter conditions, and the warming period lets the seed know it is time to come to life. After keeping the strawberry seeds below freezing for two weeks, remove the seeds from the freezer. Leave them in the jar or container as they gradually warm up to room temperature.
Once your strawberry seeds are at room temperature and are ready plant, you need to create a hospitable place for your seeds to begin their journey to planthood. A seed tray works well. Obtain a seed tray and prepare it. A good mix for starting strawberry seeds is 3 parts peat to 1 part organic-rich soil. Spread this out in your seed tray to a depth of about one half of an inch.
Moisten the mixture with water until it is uniformly damp. Sprinkle your strawberry seeds over the damp mixture and then cover the seeds with a very thin dusting of peat moss. Ensure that the strawberry seeds are not completely covered and are exposed to light. Keep them indoors in a well-lighted room and in direct sunlight, if possible. In two to three weeks, the strawberry seeds should germinate.
Keep the soil moist well-lighted. Warmth can help the seeds germinate, so the top of a refrigerator or on a bottom heat pad can be suitable places for germination. If the strawberry plant seedlings aren’t in direct sunlight with supplemental light, consider providing additional artificial light. A fluorescent shop light or grow light will do the trick. Position the light source 3 to 4 inches from the seedlings, and raise the light as the strawberry plants grow. If the strawberry seeds sprout too close to each other, thin them when they are between 1 and 2 inches tall, keeping the biggest and most vigorous seedlings. Gently transfer the strawberry seedlings to larger containers or pots after they gain their 3rd leaves.
If weather allows, the strawberry seedlings can be planted directly outside, or in the containers/pots can be replanted outside. If the strawberry seeds were started indoors, the young strawberry plants need to be hardened off prior to planting outside. When the temperature rises into the 15-20 degrees, begin taking the plants outside in the shade for several hours each day. Gradually increase the time the plants are outdoors, eventually leaving them outside overnight as the temperature allows. Begin moving them into the sun for increasing periods of time to finish the hardening off process prior to planting. This ensures your plants won’t be damaged or killed by their environmental changes.