Can Tristar Strawberries Be Grown From Seed?

Growing Conditions

• Tristar strawberries are hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture Zone 2, which includes the northernmost states near Canada, so long as the plants are well-protected in the winter with organic or inorganic mulch. They grow well in other areas when plants have access to nutrient-rich, well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight. The tristar generates medium-sized, dark red strawberries throughout the summer and early fall. Plant them in potted containers for growing on patios and decks. Tristars produce few runners and are easy to contain in small areas.

How to Sow Seeds

• It's possible to start tristar strawberries from seed. Begin by preparing a seed tray for the seeds. Combine three parts peat to one part fortified garden soil and evenly apply it to the tray until the mixture is 1/2 inch deep. Dampen the soil with water, deposit the seeds uniformly over the soil, and place a light coating of peat moss over the top no more than 1/4 inch deep. Put the seed tray in a place that offers either plenty of indoor light and warmth, or direct sun exposure. Tristar strawberries take about three weeks to germinate. Once sprouts grow their third set of leaves, they're ready for transplanting in your garden or raised bed.

Production

• Regardless of whether you start tristar strawberries from seeds or from plants, the plants will lose nearly all of their productivity after one growing season, which is a characteristic associated with all day-neutral strawberry types. Day-neutral strawberries produce few runners, which limits their ability to reproduce. Either sow new seeds each year or mix tristar plants with other varieties, such as Honeoye or Gloosecap, which are both June-bearing strawberries, to ensure a good crop.

Considerations

• Since tristar is a hybrid and doesn't necessarily reproduce to exact form when propagated from seeds, slight variations are possible with these berries. A new plant started from seeds likely won't bear the same traits of its parents and the berries might differ in size, color and taste. A tristar cultivated from seeds is typically more vulnerable to disease than a plant obtained from a certified plant propagator, so an effective disease management strategy is often required.