Strawberries from seed

Jenny_Aster

I know strawberries can be tricky to propagate, some having to through stratification process. I'm thinking of sowing the seeds using the 'winter sowing' method which would use 'stratification', so no problem.

Is it worth growing from seed, or is it better to buy plants or plugins? 

Would the seeds grow true to their variety?

I'm looking for a medium size variety, prolific with a sweet strong flavour, which variety would you recommend?

Maybe I need two varieties, with one that's good for jam/freezing?

Thank you for sharing your experience   

Buttercupdays

I grew some red flowered 'Toscana' from  bought seed in 2020. Started them in the propagator with lots of other things and they were no trouble at all. Potted up, then planted in a trough and they've made loads of runners, so plenty to plant out. Can't vouch for the flavour though, something else always beat me to them!

Pete.8

One thing to consider is what you plan to do with your strawberries.
Most varieties produce their berries either Early in the season, Mid season or Late season. So you get loads of berries over a few weeks then they're finished for the year.
Such varieties are ideal for making jam as there will be lots ready all in one go.

Alternatively you can get Perpetual strawberries which produce berries over a long season - typically July until the weather turns in late Sept/Oct. but you'll get fewer berries at any one time and maybe not enough to make jam.

I got the latter - Perpetual strawberries (Mara des Bois)
The most flavoursome of all strawberries, but I find like @Buttercupdays that the slugs and mice tend to get the majority of them, but the few I get are lovely 
  

Jenny_Aster

Thank you @Buttercupdays, never thought I'd be sharing the strawberries 

Toscana looks like a 'Perpetual' strawberry that @Pete.8 has written about. 



Looks like I'll be planting several varieties, of which I might sow seeds and plant 'plugins'.

Thank you both. 

I've got a plan to sew and sow a few strawberry bags, which could help with any slug or mice problems. 

BobTheGardener

@Jenny_Aster The main problem will be finding seeds of varieties which have the characteristics you want.  You won't find seeds for most of the known cultivars, such as those listed by strawberry plant suppliers.

Most of the seeds which are available are for alpine types, the fruit of which are usually small (and either highly flavoured, bland or sometimes quite nasty.)

I wouldn't trust strawberry seeds seen available on ebay and similar sites unless you can find the same variety listed in a well known seed supplier's catalogue, as many are simply scams as such varieties don't even exist;  Be wary.

If you mean collecting seeds from existing plants, that may be worth trying and would make an interesting project, although some cultivars may be sterile, so runners would be the only way to grow those.

Allotment Boy

As well as the reasons given. I would go for plants or plugs, it may take 2-3 years to get a crop otherwise. 

Jenny_Aster

Thank you @BobTheGardener and @Allotment Boy great information. 

Looking online it appears plugs are cheaper than some strawberry seeds. So plugs it is