9 Strawberry Growing Stages: Understanding the Life Cycle

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The life cycle of a strawberry plant is quite fascinating. Strawberry transplants take around 90 days (3 months) to produce fruits. However, growing strawberries from seeds could take much longer.

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Strawberry seeds can be sown anytime from January through to April. When sowing, overseed to increase the probability of germination.

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Stage 1. Seeds

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The tiny plant emerges from the seed and grows its first set of leaves (cotyledons). This process usually takes around 2-3 weeks.

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Stage 2. Germination

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The plant will produce more leaves and grow taller as it establishes a strong root system to support future growth and fruit production.

Stage 3.  Vegetative Growth

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Stage 4. Flowering

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This is when the plant starts producing flowers. These flowers of a strawberry plant are small and white with five petals

Stage 5. Pollination

During the pollination stage, pollen from the stamens (male part) is transferred to the pistil (female part). This can happen through self-pollination or cross-pollination.

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Stage 6.  Fruit Development

After pollination, the fruit begins to form. The fertilized flowers develop into a small, green bud. As it grows, it turns into the delicious red fruit we all love.

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Stage 7. Harvest

Once the strawberry fruit has fully turned red, it’s time to harvest. To harvest strawberries, gently twist the fruit off the stem or use scissors to cut the stem just above the fruit.

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Stage 8. Formation of Runners

After harvest, the plant starts to form runners. Runners are long, thin stems with a small strawberry plant attached to the end that grows from the mother plant’s base.

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Stage 9. Dormancy

After the formation of runners, the strawberry plant enters the dormancy stage and the growth stops. Dormancy is triggered by lower temperatures and a reduction in day length. 

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