In America, strawberries are considered one of the most popular fruits, enjoyed especially as a dessert with fresh cream. Strawberries originated in Rome and Northern Europe and were brought to the US in the year 1835. Strawberries are harvested by hand and packed and shipped within a short span of time to avoid spoilage. Their seeds are used in nurseries to produce them on a large scale.

Strawberries are fruits that are made of tiny tan achenes, each of which houses a single seed. There are many ways to grow strawberries. They can be grown in a bed, hydroponically, as a ground cover, as an ornamental patio plant, or in a hanging basket.

Strawberries that are planted in the month of June produce a large and healthy crop of berries in late spring. The plants send out runners that root and develop into intertwined rows. They only bear fruit once a year and in the first year people need to pluck all blossoms from plants. It helps them become firmly established.
Strawberries bear fruit twice a year, once in spring and then again in autumn.

The Alpine Strawberry is the only strawberry that is regularly started from a seed. It is a day neutral cultivar that makes an excellent ground cover and has a fragrant blossoms and tasty red or white strawberries. The alpine strawberry reseeds abundantly from its own strawberry seeds. It bears fruit throughout the growing season.

Alpine strawberries are usually cold treated before being planted in the nursery beds. It involves placing the seeds in an airtight bag or jar and placing it in a freezer for two to four weeks. It gives them a winter exposure and on removing them from the freezer, they have to be left in the container without opening it for several hours. It helps them slowly get back to room temperature before planting.

{June 24, 2011}