Strawberry Seeds - Alexandria

420 Seeds.

Other Names - Alpine Strawberry…

Alpine strawberries produce masses of small sized deep red fruits with an amazing old fashioned sweet intense flavour. Alexandria can be grown in pots and are an excellent choice for growing along pathways etc. as they produce very little, or no runners, keeping them small and compact and easy to manage.

• Delicious, small sized fruits bursting with flavour.
• Low maintenance, produces no runners.
• Popular with children.

Suitable For - Hanging baskets, fruit gardens, containers, patio's, rock gardens, edging to pathways, raised beds, front of borders

Sowing Months - January - April

Harvest - June - first frost

Soil Preperation

Add a good amount of well rotted manure or compost to the soil a few weeks before planting. If the soil is heavy clay or the drainage is poor mix in a generous amount of sand and gravel to the soil before planting. Remove any weeds. Use good quality potting compost if growing in containers.

Sowing Guide

Early Sowing/Module Sowing

Sow the seeds thinly on the surface of moist seed compost in trays, modules or pots.
Cover the seeds with vermiculite or compost.
Place in a propagator or if preferred a clear polythene bag and seal. Do not exclude light as the strawberry seeds need light to germinate. Protect from direct contact with hot sun.
Germinate at the temperature suggested above. Once germination has started remove from the bag or propagator and place in a cooler but not cold location. Protect from frost.
Transplant when large enough to handle into 7 - 10 cm pots.
Grow on in cool frost free conditions in a greenhouse or cold frame.
Plant out when all risk of frost has passed and the plants are growing strong.
Harden off over 7 - 10 days before planting out to reduce the chance of shock.

Direct Sowing

Not recommended for direct sowing.

Growing On

Strawberries can be grown through weed suppressant fabric. Not only will this help to control weed growth it will also help with moisture retention and helps to prevent the fruits from rotting or becoming dirty through contact with the soil. Alternatively an old traditional method which works just as well would be to mulch around each plant with a layer of straw.
Water newly planted strawberries well until established.
If growing in hanging baskets or containers the plants will benefit from a fortnightly feed with a liquid fertilizer.
Water the strawberries well throughout the growing season as they dislike dry conditions however avoid overwatering as they will struggle in sodden, waterlogged soils.
When watering, water around the base of the plants. Try to avoid wetting the fruits as much as possible to help prevent disease setting in.
After fruiting has finished cut down all foliage to just above crown level.
Strawberry plants should be replaced with new every 3 - 4 years. After this time they become less productive.

Harvesting

Harvest the fruits when they are bright red.
Strawberries are at their best when eaten fresh however they can be stored in the fridge for 2 - 3 days.