How to Germinate Strawberries in Hot Water

Seal your strawberry seeds in a freezer bag and place them on the top shelf of the refrigerator. Keep them there for three to four weeks to simulate the cold weather needed to restart the growing process.

Remove the strawberry seeds from the refrigerator and steep the bag in hot water for 8 to 12 minutes. Do not use boiling water, it will cook the seed rather than break the dormant cycle.

Fill the bottom of an egg carton with high-quality starter soil.

Make an indentation in each separate section of the soil in the egg carton with the sharpened end of a pencil. Push the pencil in until it reaches the edge of the unsharpened wood of the pencil.

Place one seed in each of the indentations and lightly cover them with soil. Make sure the seeds are not covered with more than 1/8 inch of soil or they will fail to germinate.

Fill a misting bottle with water that is 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spray the soil until it is damp. Do not saturate the soil or the seeds will mold instead of germinate.

Place the egg carton in a dark area and keep the temperature between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Close the lid on the egg carton and wrap it to keep in the moisture. If you notice water condensing on the plastic wrap, unwrap the egg carton and let it air out for a few hours and then re-wrap it.

Place the carton in a warm windowsill and expose the strawberry plants to light only after they have germinated and the initial stems are visible through the soil.