The goal is to test how to adapt strawberries to fruit without air conditioning in Singapore.
Jan 3 2016 – Success!!!Jan 7 2016 – Made in Singapore strawberry!! First fruit in outdoors garden without air-conditioning
On October 19 2015, I began the first outdoor trial with Alpine strawberries from my niece’s sickly lot.
These outdoor plants had a traumatic start ! 🙂
August 31 2015 – Niece and nephew germinated 16 strawberry seedling in this paper cup!Aug 31 2015 – strawberry babies living in an overcrowded environment! 🙂Aug 31 – Here’s what cramped strawberries looked like! 🙂August 31 2015 – Summer moved cramped strawberry babies to bigger containerOct 24 – 2nd Trauma , Strawberries suffered heat stroke on niece’s hot balcony. Treatment in special compost and iced soil immediately!Oct 30 – Strawberries recovered quickly.January 5 2016 – Finally understood why my plants disappeared!Iced bottles and ice kept our soil cool for strawberries in outdoor gardenOct 30 2015 – Strawberry plants recovering well without airconditioningDecember 19 2015 – Strawberry plant s continue to flower and fruit in our outdoor garden without air conditioningDec 20 2015 – More strawberry fruits in outdoor garden pots!Dec 25 2015 – Strawberry growing over the rim of a 30L pot 🙂Dec 31 2015 – Strawberry is healthy and growing biggerJan 1 2016 – Strawberry plants developing fruit in outdoors Singapore garden
Summer and I decided to self pollinate the strawberry flowers in the garden instead of depending on bees on December 13 2015.
We are keeping fingers crossed that this will be the start of strawberries gardening in Singapore! 🙂
January 3 2016 – Summer with the strawberry fruit that she help “developed” !
Our strawberries compost was prepared 6 months ahead of our outdoors strawberries trials.
Kitchen green waste for our organic compost : peels etc, dried leaves to absorb moistureLots of ground coffee in the compost pot for acidic soil!Preparing compost for strawberries ahead of time.
Jan 2016 Update – Problems encountered in outdoors trials – PESTS!
Jan 2016 – Snails or Grasshoppers ate outdoor strawberry leaves until only a stump remained.Jan 2016 – Strawberry plants can grow from bare roots. Healthy roots are white colour.Jan 24 2016 – More signs of recovery. Strawberry plants can re- grow from bare roots
For Singapore or any tropical region, it is best to begin strawberries indoors, preferably in June or earlier. (Please read how to germinate strawberry seeds)
Prepare compost or acidic soil early. Allow raw greens to break down completely before using.
Move strawberries outdoors from October or when cooler rainy season begins.
Strawberries are quite hardy from 3 – 4 months stage. Ours survived haze, wind and thunderstorms.
Red strawberry variety are sun loving as long as the soil stayed cool.
Acidic and rich compost needed for better fruits quality.
DISCLAIMER – Please note, the above information are for seeds grown strawberries based on my own experience and observations. They may not apply to nurseries bought strawberries.
When I have excess seedlings (young plants) from germinating experiments, I do sell the extra plants. Announcement of these are usually posted in my gardening group. However, our germination data on how-to is completed for the normal red variety. Can try from seeds as well. These seeds can bought from some nurseries like FAR EAST FLORA and sometimes even FairPrice Plus.
Should try! Although small in size compared to supermarkets, home grown strawberries taste really good! Growing them in the tropics, mean there is no season, but the fruits remain small. If weather is cooler or less daylight as typical of winter hours, the plants can rest and grow better. With no rest, our plants are still alive but fruits remain small. Some of the original batch from 2015, are still alive and occasionally still fruiting in spite of the heat. Outdoor plants are growing in our own compost (from recycled green waste) and pollinated naturally.
Hi,
I just wanted to ask if you know where i can get some strawberry seedlings here in Singapore. I want to try growing them as well.
Thank you
When I have excess seedlings (young plants) from germinating experiments, I do sell the extra plants. Announcement of these are usually posted in my gardening group. However, our germination data on how-to is completed for the normal red variety. Can try from seeds as well. These seeds can bought from some nurseries like FAR EAST FLORA and sometimes even FairPrice Plus.
How are the strawberries progressing in 2017? I’m curious to try this in southern India
Should try! Although small in size compared to supermarkets, home grown strawberries taste really good! Growing them in the tropics, mean there is no season, but the fruits remain small. If weather is cooler or less daylight as typical of winter hours, the plants can rest and grow better. With no rest, our plants are still alive but fruits remain small. Some of the original batch from 2015, are still alive and occasionally still fruiting in spite of the heat. Outdoor plants are growing in our own compost (from recycled green waste) and pollinated naturally.