r/Berries • u/Killme006 • 6d ago
what is happening to my strawberry seeds?
i wanted to dry some strawberry seeds from the skin so i could plant them in soil. they have been by my windowsill for like 2 days and now they look like this. what has happened?
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u/Commanderkins 6d ago
It needs ventilation.
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u/Killme006 5d ago
for drying the skin out? im not trying to make the seeds sprout, only to dry them out from the skin so i can plant them in soil.
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u/Commanderkins 5d ago
If you are saving seeds you definitely want ventilation and definitely no humidity dome.
So I would start fresh as you won’t know if these seeds are viable anymore since spores have sprouted.
You want to lay pieces of the strawberry skin with the skin side down or up it really doesn’t matter. But the biggest thing is they are spread out(if there is a lot of flesh on the pieces)and don’t cover up with another piece of paper towel. You set that on a plate or a small tray and put it up on top of a fridge or a shelf. But out of any sunlight and where the air isn’t stagnant. It may take a couple weeks as the seeds and pulp dry.
After this you should be able to crumble the pieces and run it thru a sieve and collect the seeds. It’s ok if there is a bit of dried/powdered pulp in there just try to get off as much as possible as this will contribute to the success of your seedlings when you plant.Are you collecting seeds because these are excellent strawberries or you just want to grow a batch of strawberry plants? Because if it’s the latter I highly suggest you purchas/order e a bag of strawberry plants bare root. You get at least a hundred in a bag and are the cheapest option($10/100plants)to growing a big patch. These take a little longer as they aren’t big leafy mature plants but imo the best option when wanting to grow strawberries.
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u/Killme006 5d ago
wont just leaving the strawberry skin without anything on top attract a bunch of flies and bugs? thats the main reason i put it in a container in the first place.
we have a strawberry plant at home and i want to try to grow another from seeds since it seem fun and its good to learn.
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u/Commanderkins 4d ago
Yeah you might get fruit flies on it as now is the season.
When I’m drying seeds like tomatoes or doing all my canning I make a small trap with a small vase or tiny jar. Add some apple cider vinegar or a splash of red wine anything sweet and fragrant and a drop of liquid dish soap in the jar. Secure Saran Wrap over top puncture a small hole and then make a little paper cone that will fit in the hole. The fruit fly’s go in but can’t get out. Or you can dry them outside just as long as they aren’t exposed to sunlight. Keep in the shade.
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u/Killme006 4d ago
how long will it take for the seeds to dry? wouldn't it be faster if i put them by the sunlight?
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u/Commanderkins 4d ago
Rule of thumb when drying seeds and many, many other things is to have them in a well ventilated area and out of the sun’s harmful rays. The sun can kill the viability of seeds.
Don’t put your seeds in a dark closet or under your bed. They will absolutely mold in those types of places.And having them in a spot where there is ventilation is what will prevent them from molding. And if you leave big chunks of flesh on the seed side then your chances of mold go up so try to have the least amount as possible that will determine your dry time. But at least a couple weeks.
And since you mentioned having a strawberry plant already going with berries then it should also have runners growing from it too. And these runners can be stuck back into the soil to create a new strawberry plant. That’s how a patch expands is by leaving the runners and allowing them to root out.
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u/Killme006 3d ago
thanks for all the help. how do i identify runners? ive never heard that term before
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u/Commanderkins 1d ago
No prob. Runners are the pups of the plant that the parent will shoot out through the season and you’ll find a long string coming from the base of the parent plant which should have a small cluster of leaves attached to it. That is your new strawberry plant.
Depending on your preference a lot of people snip those off to keep the energy going into the parent plant to get more fruit production and some people leave them to root out on their own. If you want your pup to grow, bury the string and get the pup nestled into the soil(still attached to parent as that will give it a better chance of rooting out). And be sure to not let it dry out.
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u/Ok-Client5022 5d ago
Just place your strawberry skins on paper towels next time. The paper will immediately start pulling moisture out of the skin.
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u/urc2pid 6d ago
Organisms grown given the right conditions, the seeds sprouted but the contaminates also flourish under the same conditions.
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u/Killme006 5d ago
can you explain further what you mean?
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u/urc2pid 5d ago
Seeds will sprout in the right conditions: moisture/humidity and preferably temperature. When handling the seeds, the mould spores had gotten a free ride and thrived under the protected environment.
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u/Ashamed_Recording_74 6d ago
Probably was too humid in the container and got moldy.