HOW TO GROW FOREST STRAWBERRIES – A SMALL, DELICIOUS FRUIT FROM SEED

HOW TO GROW FOREST STRAWBERRIES – A SMALL, DELICIOUS FRUIT FROM SEED

If choosing a favorite backyard fruit, many people will choose strawberries. But now, let’s try a new type of wild strawberry that’s different from regular strawberries. Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is a strawberry variety that produces small but incredibly sweet fruits, fragrant with pineapple and is much tastier than its large, commercially grown relative (Fragaria x ananassa). Pop a strawberry into your mouth and get ready for a delicious burst of sugar with a flavor that’s a combination of pineapple and berry with floral notes. Delicious. And most importantly, they are easy to grow.

What are wild strawberries?

Wild strawberries are called Alpine strawberries. Wild strawberries were originally native to Europe and Asia, but these plants have been bred and cultivated to select varieties known for their superior flavor compared to native wild strawberries. The fruit of the strawberry plant is small and cone-shaped. Known as fraises des bois in French (meaning “berries of the forest”), they are honored and treasured.

Growing wild strawberries from seeds

Wild strawberries are surprisingly easy to grow from seed, making this an easy way to start a new garden of wild strawberries. Doing so is inexpensive, fun, and the trees often produce fruit the same year they were started from seed. The best way to start growing wild strawberries from seed is to sow the seeds in a pot in a cool, well-lit place. It may take several weeks for the seeds to germinate, but once they do, they grow quickly. The ideal soil temperature for germination is between 15 and 23 degrees Celsius. An alternative method is to start seeds outdoors in a protected area, such as in a raised bed. Keep the seeding area moist and cover the seeds only lightly with soil or rice husks after planting. They need light to germinate, so just cover with a small layer of dust to keep the seeds from washing away.

To plant wild strawberry plants, space them about 20 to 25cm apart. Be sure to keep the top of the plant (where the bud system emerges from the root system) above ground when planting, and cover newly planted wild strawberry plants with a 3 to 5cm layer of shredded leaves, straw or compost. You should plant a mixture of both red and white varieties for more varied sweetness and an even more enjoyable harvest. No matter what type or variety you grow, all wild strawberries are not only good for eating fresh, they also make a fragrant and delicious jam, wonderful strawberry syrup and homemade ice cream.

How to care for wild strawberries

You will be delighted to see wild strawberries produce succulent fruits. They are really pretty little trees. Thriving in full sun to partial shade with well-drained soil, wild strawberries are a good choice for gardeners with moderate amounts of shade. Wild strawberries can tolerate more shade than regular strawberries. And, because the plants form such neat clumps, they also make a weed-resistant ground cover that produces excellent edible fruit. Wild strawberry plants require minimal care. Add a layer of compost to the growing area each spring or fertilize with granular organic fertilizer at the beginning of each growing season, before the plants bloom. Keep them well watered during times of drought and remove any rotten or diseased fruit as soon as discovered. Wild strawberries are much more resistant to pests than their common counterparts. Part of caring for wild strawberries also involves harvesting the berries regularly, which is not difficult to do. You’ll look forward to picking them from the tree every day! Regular harvesting helps the tree have high yields and limits fungal diseases that can stick to old fruit on the tree for too long. Because bees need to move pollen from flower to flower, plant a variety of flowering herbs, annuals, and other plants near your wild strawberries. This encourages a healthy diversity of bee pollinators, encouraging fruit set and maximum fruit size. Hope you create for yourself a wild strawberry garden with these small and sweet fruits. And your family will enjoy the taste of juicy berries with a unique pineapple flavor.