For the first time I am starting strawberry plants from seed. The package says to cold treat the seeds but no instructions are given. I would like to hear any information on this process. Additionaly I would like to know how early plant's should be started indoors and when to transplant. I could really use any advice. Thanks,
Tracy

When I started my strawberries from seed (Alpine), I did not start them indoors. I direct-sowed them into the garden early (about March) two years ago, and let the frost hit them a couple times before they sprouted. The first year, I had also planted spinach and onions in the same bed. Can't do that any longer, as teh strawberries have literally taken over that particular bed--I'm probably going to have to thin them this year. (Once the snow melts and I can FIND my garden, that is!

How is the flavor of the Alpine strawberries? I have never found berries to equal the flavor of the wild berries I picked as a child. I have debated starting the Alpine berries for quite a while.

When Ifirst started alpine strawberries years ago It didn't say to cool treat them. I just planted them. One of my online buddies here sent me a packet of temptation strawberry seeds and I just planted them,no treatment. I have saved apine by gathering dried fruit. They were placed in the freezer,thawed in the fridge and planted with great success. You may want to let the seeds stay in the fridge until your ready or go ahead and plant now and let them sprout on there own when temps warm up. Good luck and good eatting.

They have a very strong strawberry flavor. As with many fruit weather conditions affects flavor. I found they some times tasted sweet or tasted more like pineapples. It's hard to discribe. Ohhhh try using them to flavor milk, WOW!!! Igrew them in window boxes.

Tracybelle,

Check out these links. They have some info anyway. You may need to contact the company who packaged the seeds to find out defenite time to cold treat. That seems to vary according to the research I've done.

http://www.marshall.edu/cellcentral/arabidopsis.htm

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/pepper/2002074906031735.html

Good luck! And I hope the strawberries grow huge for you!

I started Alpine strawberries from seed about 6 years ago and they're really very easy to grow. I didn't cold treat them that I recall. I planted them in a bed by themselves outdoors in May and then transplanted them into my flower bed as a border. You'll find that they multiply rather quickly by developing 'baby' plants as part of the mother plant's clump (rather than spreading by runners as other strawberries do). After 3-4 years, you can divide one clump into a bunch of new plants. I've now moved my plants into my herb bed by the kitchen door so I can pop a few berries in my mouth when passing by! They flower and fruit all season long with small, oblong berries that have a distinct flavor. (10 berries barely cover the palm of your hand.) They're considered a gourmet fruit by the French and add a nice touch to a bowl of ice cream as a garnish. The birds enjoy the fruit as much as do I and my grandchildren!