You have certainly come across the exotic strawberry tree on holiday in Portugal, Spain or other Mediterranean countries. You may have brought some fruit home with you to grow the attractive plant yourself. If garden friends are the owners of an Arbutus unedo, you can take cuttings and propagate the tree in this way. In any case, the effort is worthwhile, as early strawberry trees from the garden center are relatively expensive and difficult to obtain.
Strawberry trees can be grown from seeds or cuttings
Cultivation from seeds
Fresh seeds that you get from fruit should be planted as soon as possible. Soak bought, dried seeds in room-warm water for a day.
The strawberry tree is a cold germ, whose seeds need cold stimuli to open. That doesn't make breeding easy.
The following procedure has proven itself:
- Distribute seeds on moist sand and press lightly.
- Place in a warm place (about 20 degrees) and sprinkle regularly so that the substrate does not dry out. Covering to create a greenhouse climate is not necessary.
- After four weeks, fill the sand with the seeds in a plastic bag and seal it tightly.
- Place the bag in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator for another eight weeks. Check weekly that the sand and seed mixture is still wet and mix well.
The seeds are then placed in pots with soil. However, do not immediately expose them to higher temperatures. A temperature range between five and ten degrees is ideal, for example in a bright, cool basement room.
It may take some time for leaves to show, so don't lose patience. After about three to four months, the seedlings should have germinated and be big enough to separate.
Propagation from cuttings
Take cuttings from a vigorous mother plant, preferably in late summer or fall.
- Separate the shoot tips with about eight pairs of leaves.
- Defoliate except for two leaves.
- Place the cuttings individually in pots with low-nutrient potting soil.
- Pour on and cover with a hood or clear plastic bags.
- In a bright window seat with an average temperature of twenty degrees, the propagation quickly develops roots.
- As soon as they grow out of the bottom opening, transfer them to a larger container.
tips
Sand is not always germ-free and often begins to mold. To prevent this, you can sterilize it in the oven at 100 degrees top/bottom heat for about thirty minutes. This also works in the microwave at the highest wattage. The process here only takes five minutes.