10 Stages in the Strawberry Life Cycle (Free Printable)
When you bite into a strawberry, do you ever think about where it came from? This delicious fruit has an incredible journey that starts with a tiny seed and ends up on your plate. Let’s take a closer look at the Strawberry Life Cycle and the stages of growth of a strawberry. You will learn about the different stages of growth and what happens to the strawberry during each one. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of where your strawberries come from and how they grow!
And in addition, we have included a free printable to use to teach your child or your class as a visual guide to the Strawberry Life Cycle. The Printable is a simplified explanation including four stages of the life cycle of a Strawberry.
Table of Contents
What is the Life Cycle of the Strawberry
A strawberry plant goes through nine stages in its life cycle: Starting with seeds, then germination, plants are produced and matured. Next comes flowering, fruiting, and dormancy.
Stage One: Planting the Seeds.
The strawberry life cycle starts with a seed and the first stage of the strawberry life cycle is planting the seeds. This can be done in a number of ways, but the most common method is to plant them in a pot or container filled with soil. The seeds have a rounded shape and are brown in color.
Stage Two: Germination
Once the seeds have been planted, they need to be watered and kept in a warm place until they germinate. Germination usually takes around two to four weeks. The seeds are still very tiny at this time but will eventually produce runners, or stems that spread out and root in the ground.
Stage Three: The Seedlings Sprout
After about two weeks, the strawberry seeds will sprout and small seedlings will appear. At this stage, it is important to thin out the seedlings so that each one has enough space to grow. The seedlings should also be transplanted into larger pots or containers.
Stage Four: The Plants Grow
Once the seedlings have been transplanted, they will start to grow into full-fledged plants and put out new leaves and runners. At this stage, it is important to water them regularly and make sure they are getting enough sunlight. The plants will also need to be fertilized so that they can continue to grow healthy and strong.
Stage Five: The Flowers Bloom
After a few weeks of growth, the strawberry plants will start to produce flowers. These flowers are beautiful and fragrant, and they attract bees and other insects which help with pollination. Once the flowers have been pollinated, they will start to turn into small green berries.
Stage Six: The Berries Grow
As the berries continue to grow, they will start to turn red. This is the stage at which most people pick strawberries, as they are ripe and ready to eat at this point. However, you can also let the berries continue to grow so that they become even bigger and sweeter!
Stage Seven: The Berries Are Harvested
Once the berries have reached their desired size, it is time to harvest them. This can be done by hand or with a strawberry picking machine. After the berries have been picked, they need to be sorted and washed so that they are ready to eat.
Stage Eight: The Berries Are Eaten
This is the best part of the strawberry life cycle! The strawberries are now ripe and delicious, and they can be eaten fresh, made into jam, or used in any other way you can think of. Enjoy!
Stage Nine: The Plants Die
After the berries have been harvested, the strawberry plants will start to die. When the strawberry fruit is ripe, they are picked and eaten, and then the strawberry plant enters a period of dormancy until the next growing season. This is a natural part of the life cycle, and it means that new plants will need to be grown so that the cycle can continue.
Stage Ten: The Seeds Are Planted Again
And so the cycle begins anew! The seeds from the previous batch of strawberries are planted, and the process starts all over again. We hope you have enjoyed learning about the life cycle of a strawberry!
Overripe buds on Strawberries
The most important thing to remember about over ripe strawberries is that they should be refrigerated and used quickly. If left for too long, the fruit will start losing its color as well being more susceptible to bruising which makes it unsafe for consumption.
One of the most common fruits to go bad is strawberries. The delicious berry can become overripe and then moldy if not refrigerated properly but there’s a way you could save yourself from this problem! Put an inch (or more) in each container before putting them into storage so that their shape stays upright rather than laying flat.
When are Strawberries in Season
Is there a surefire way to know when strawberries will be in season?
Yes! The best time for juicy, sweet berries is from May through June.
The strawberry life cycle is a fascinating process. Each strawberry starts out as a tiny seed and grows into a delicious fruit that we can enjoy. The next time you eat a strawberry, think about all the steps it took to get from the seed to your plate! Thanks for reading!
Also, you might want to check out similar posts such as The Life Cycle of a Plant and The Pumpkin Life Cycle (Plus Free Printable).
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