Strawberry

In the bed: in autumn, remove only wilted and diseased foliage, then cover the shallow roots with a loose layer of straw, leaves or brushwood and leave the heart of the plant free. This protects against hard frost without snow cover and against temperature swings. Take the protection off only when no severe late frosts threaten, because the young flowers freeze easily; in a pot, place it against the house wall out of the wind, stand it on wood or polystyrene and wrap it in horticultural fleece or hessian, because pots lose soil warmth and are much more frost-sensitive than plants in the ground.

The simplest and most common method is propagation by runners: from the second year in place, the strawberry plant forms long, creeping shoots on which daughter plants develop. After harvest (July to August), press the young plants into the soil with a wire hook, or set them in small pots filled with soil, which you place around the mother plant. Leave the connection to the mother plant in place at first; it supplies the young plant until it has formed its own roots. Once the young plants look strong and show new leaves, cut the runner away from the mother plant with clean scissors. You can then plant the rooted young plants in their new spot from mid-July to the end of August. This is how you propagate true to type: the young plants are genetically identical to the mother plant.

For varieties without runners (e.g. some perpetual strawberries), divide older, congested clumps in spring after the last frost or in late summer after harvest. Dig up the plant and divide the rootstock into two or three pieces with a sharp, clean knife. Each piece must have enough roots and at least one intact crown bud. Replant the pieces immediately and water well. Work carefully here, because division damages the plant more easily than runner propagation.

Sowing from seed is more laborious and, for cultivated varieties (Fragaria × ananassa), does not come true to type: the offspring often differ from the mother plant in yield and fruit quality. It makes most sense for wild and alpine strawberries, runnerless perpetual strawberries or special seed-raised breeds. Strawberry seeds need light to germinate: do not cover them with soil, but lay them on moist seed compost, press them down only lightly and let them germinate in a bright place at 18 to 22 °C (February to March or August to September). Keep the temperature as constant as possible. Germination takes two to six weeks.