Winter is Prime Time for Starting Alpine Strawberries

When I was a young child, one of my favorite spring activities was gathering wild strawberries.  Tiny red fruit ripened on plants that grew low to the ground and my brother and I would spend hours searching for and plucking berries for my mother's delicious jam.  The fruit was so delicious and tempting, we ate as many as we placed in our small buckets and the task never really seemed like a chore.  When I began to grow Alpine strawberries several years ago, I rediscovered that unique flavor punch that is completely absent from supermarket strawberries, which are usually pretty tasteless and dry.  If you also love real strawberry flavor, include growing Alpines on your New Year's resolution list. 

Alpine strawberries sport beautiful, delicate blossoms

Starting Alpine strawberry plants from seed is relatively easy, but does require patience.  Before placing seeds in a small amount of sterile soil, store them in a freezer for a couple of weeks to trick them into a dormancy period.  The seeds are very tiny and although it is possible to sow them and thin later, I find it easier to take time to place single seeds in individual cells and transplant seedlings when they are about two to three inches in height.  It is necessary to keep the soil moist throughout the germination process and a plastic covering works well to hold in moisture.  Seedlings may take weeks to appear and a daily misting of water is helpful.  There are several varieties of Alpine strawberries, but I like Yellow Wonder and Red Wonder.  I find yellow seeds usually have a higher rate of germination and seedlings appear more quickly than red, but for an interesting combination of color and flavor, I love to grow them in close proximity.  Since birds typically avoid the yellow fruit color, that is a good choice for gardeners who have trouble protecting ripening fruit from hungry birds. 

Alpine strawberries are known by several names, including fraise des bois (berries of the woods)

With no runners, Alpine strawberries are excellent container plants and because they produce better in slightly cool growing conditions, they can be grown indoors.  When the plant blooms, whisk a small, soft brush across each blossom to help pollinate the plant.  Outdoors, pollinators will take care of this job and Alpines grow equally well in containers or raised beds.  Once established, Alpines are perennial plants that should produce fruit in the first season.  With just a few plants, you should have enough ripe strawberries to serve as a nice addition to morning cereals or evening desserts, if you can restrain yourself from just eating them as they ripen, fresh from the plant. 

Grandpup Winnie loves Alpine Strawberries, too!