Can You Use the Seeds of an Unripened Strawberry to Plant More?

Seed Use

• It's possible to grow new strawberry plants from strawberry seeds, but it requires selecting seeds from the best strawberries. Only use seeds from ripe strawberries for planting. Seeds from unripe strawberries don't germinate properly, and won't produce healthy strawberry plants.

Seperating Seeds

• Separate seeds from ripe strawberries for planting. Put about a pint of ripe strawberries in a blender with a cup of cold water. Turn the blender on at a high setting for about 3 to 5 seconds. Turn off the blender and allow about 60 seconds for the liquid and seeds to completely settle. Both the pulp and unripe seeds float on top of the liquid, while the ripe seeds fall to the bottom. Carefully pour out most of the liquid into a bowl or sink, taking care not to empty the ripe seeds. Once most of the liquid containing the pulp and unripe seeds is eliminated, use a spoon to scoop out the ripe seeds, rinse them clean and place them on a paper towel to dry. Seeds are ready for planting after they've had time to completely dry. Although it's a tedious task, the extra effort leads to a larger strawberry crop.

Varieties

• Choose the variety of strawberry that you want to grow for its seeds based on the area in which you live. Different strawberry types require different growing conditions. For example, Alpine strawberries grow better in cool-weather states with short growing seasons. Avalon strawberries, on the other hand, are early season berries and prefer conditions with warmer temperatures. Regardless of the strawberry variety you ultimately select for seeds, make sure the strawberry you use is ripe.

Considerations

• Strawberry growers have produced a variety of strawberry that self-pollinates to produce quality berries and higher yields. Strawberries that grow in the wild typically have male and female plants. The male's sole purpose is to provide pollen that's transferred to female plants by insects to produce fruit. However, although self-pollinating strawberries found in farmer's markets and grocery stores are often sweet and juicy; their seeds don't produce plants with the same genetic make-up of their parents. In other words, using seeds from a pint of great tasting strawberries won't necessarily lead to a plant that produces the same quality berries.