How to Get Strawberry Seeds

Co-authored by Andrew Carberry, MPH

Last Updated: January 31, 2024 Approved

Strawberry seeds are located around the exterior of the flesh. You can harvest them in order to plant your own strawberries. There are several ways to harvest the seeds, including scraping, blending, and drying.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Gathering the Seeds

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1
Blend the strawberries and strain out the seeds. One of the most common ways to remove strawberry seeds is to blend the berries and then extract the seeds from the pulp. To do this, you will need five or more mature, ripe, and healthy strawberries. You will destroy some of the seeds in the process, but strawberries have lots to spare.^{[1]
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- Place the berries in a blender and blend the fruit on low speed for 10 to 20 seconds. Set the blender aside and allow the mixture to settle.
- Skim off the top layer of floating seeds. You can discard these, because they are likely broken or not viable.
- Pour the pulp through a fine-mesh strainer with a bowl underneath to catch the pulp. You can eat this, use it for baking, or make jam.
- Move to a sink and run water through the strainer to help wash away excess pulp. When you're done, the strainer should have a bunch of unbroken seeds left in the bottom. Spread these out on a piece of paper towel and allow them to air dry. Remove any large bits of pulp that are still mixed in with the seeds.
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Scrape the seeds off. Another way to remove the seeds from a strawberry is to scrape them off with a knife. To start, place about five ripe and healthy strawberries in an airtight container and place them in the freezer overnight.^{[2]
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- The next day, remove the strawberries from the freezer. With a razor, utility knife, or sharp kitchen knife, gently scrape the sides of the strawberry and pick out the individual seeds. Don’t cut too deeply into the berry. Be very careful not to cut yourself.
- Place the harvested seeds on a sheet of clean paper towel and leave them to dry. Use the strawberries for eating or cooking.
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3
Dry the strawberries and rub the seeds off. Another way to remove strawberry seeds is to cut off strips of flesh from the berry and allow them to dry. Once dry, you can easily rub the seeds off with your fingers. This method is safer than the scraping method. Use about four ripe strawberries.^{[3]
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- Place the strawberries on a flat cutting board. With a sharp knife, carefully peel off vertical strips (from the stem to the tip) from the outer layer of the strawberries. Cut just deep enough to get the seeds and a little flesh.
- Lay the strips seeds-up on a piece of clean paper towel. Gently press the strips down into the paper towel. Place the paper towel and the strips somewhere warm and dry, but out of direct sunlight. Leave them to fully dry out over the next few days.
- When the strips are completely dry, lay the paper towel down on a flat surface. Gently rub your finger over every strip of dried strawberry flesh. As you run your finger over the strawberry, the seeds will come loose.
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Buy the seeds. Instead of harvesting your own strawberry seeds, you can also purchase seeds from nurseries and online. Or, if you prefer, you can also purchase a seedling plant, which will be much easier to grow.
- If you buy seeds, you'll have to germinate them and transplant the seedlings once they sprout.
- When you buy strawberry seeds or established seedlings, you're more likely to get a recognized strawberry variety. On the other hand, if you harvest seeds from a store-bought strawberry, the resulting plant may not yield the same type of fruit as the parent, especially if the original strawberry was a hybrid.^{[4]
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Part 2

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Germinating Strawberry Seeds

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1
Freeze the seeds. Strawberry seeds will germinate much faster if you freeze them first, because this tricks the seeds into going through their regular winter cycle. When the seeds thaw and warm up, they get kicked into their spring cycle and begin to germinate right away.
- Place the dry seeds in an airtight sealable bag or container. Leave them in the freezer for three to four weeks.^{[5]
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- Strawberry seeds should be started inside in winter or early spring, about 10 weeks before the last frost. Make sure you give yourself time to freeze the seeds before this date.
2
Thaw the seeds. When you're ready to plant, remove the seeds from the freezer and allow them to warm up to room temperature. Leave them in the air-tight container until they’ve warmed up.
- It’s important to keep the seeds out of the air as they warm, because you want them to stay dry as they warm up, otherwise they could be damaged by the cold moisture.^{[6]
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Plant the seeds. Fill a seed tray with about an inch (2.5 cm) of starter mix. Strawberries like soil that’s fertile and slightly acidic. The ideal pH is around 6, so add a bit of sulphur powder to the mix if necessary.^{[7]
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- Add enough water to make the soil damp, and sprinkle the strawberry seeds over the soil. Cover the top of the seeds with a thin layer of soil or peat moss so the seeds will still get sun. Cover the seed tray with a layer of plastic wrap.
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Keep the seeds warm and moist until they germinate. Place the seed tray in direct sunlight. When the soil starts to dry out, add a bit more water to keep the soil damp until the seeds germinate. When you water the soil, fully unwrap the plastic to give the seeds some air.^{[8]
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- Strawberry seed germination can take as little as one week or as many as six, so be patient with them.
- Completely remove the plastic wrap once the seeds start to germinate.
- The seedlings are ready to be transplanted once they’ve grown three or four leaves each.

Part 3

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Transplanting Seedlings

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1
Choose a spot for the plants. Strawberries can be planted into pots or raised garden beds as long as three weeks have elapsed since the last frost. They like lots of sun, so choose a location that gets between 6 and 10 hours of sun per day.^{[9]
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- To make a simple raised garden bed, lay down a piece of plastic on the site where you want the bed to be.
- Use pieces of wood, logs, cinder blocks, bricks, or any other material to build up a square or rectangular barrier around the edge of the plastic that will keep the soil in place. Make sure the barrier is at least 10 inches high.
- Fill the center with soil that’s at least 8 inches (20.3 cm) deep.
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Choose and prepare the soil. Strawberries like soil that’s moist but not wet, so you need a well-draining soil. A good option is a sandy loam mixed with compost or manure.^{[10]
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- Use about one-third compost or manure and two-thirds loam.
3
Plant the strawberries. For each plant, dig a 6-inch (15.2 cm) hole into the soil. Place the plant into the soil, and try to disturb the roots as little as possible.^{[11]
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- Fill the hole around the roots with soil and pack it down to remove air pockets.
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Water the plants as they grow. After planting the strawberries, water them. Give them more water anytime the soil starts to dry out, especially when the weather becomes hot and dry.^{[12]
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- Water strawberry plants in the early morning, and add the water directly to the soil. Do not get the fruit or leaves wet.
- To help keep the soil moist, add a layer of clean straw to the surface of the soil.
- You may have to wait until next year for the plants to bear fruit.
- It’s recommended that you remove all the flowers during the first year of growth in order to allow the plant to mature before growing berries. This may be difficult, but it will give you a much better harvest the second year.
- Alternatively, start your plants in the fall and harvest the following spring.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Can you plant the seeds straight from the strawberry?

Andrew Carberry, MPH
Food Systems Expert
Andrew Carberry is a Food Systems Expert and the Senior Program Associate at the Wallace Center at Winrock International in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked in food systems since 2008 and has experience working on farm-to-school projects, food safety programs, and working with local and state coalitions in Arkansas. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds a Masters degree in public health and nutrition from the University of Tennessee.

Andrew Carberry, MPH

Food Systems Expert

Expert Answer

The seeds need to undergo a process called stratification, where they are chilled to winter temperatures. You could plant them outside straight out of the berry, but they may not come up until the following spring.

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Question

Can I plant strawberry seeds any time?

Community Answer

You should try to plant strawberry seeds around spring time.

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Can I grow strawberries in the Philippines through the process of freezing the seeds before planting?

Terry Schwartz

Community Answer

Where you live is quite warm and moist, so planting them in the ground right away is best. Freezing is only for those who don’t have moist temperatures. If you want it done really really fast, then yes, freezing strawberries for that amount of time is best.

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