Fruits · Easy
Alpine strawberry (wild strawberry)
Fragaria vesca
An alpine variety sown in spring, in a tower or small system, picked continuously all summer.
- EC (mS/cm)
- 1.8–2.2
- pH
- 6.0
- Cycle
- long / perennial
- Difficulty
- Easy
Sound origin
Fragaria vesca
The alpine strawberry (Fragaria vesca) grows wild across much of the Northern Hemisphere, in Europe, temperate Asia and North America. It is the most widespread wild strawberry in France, except in the Mediterranean region.
Source: Wikipedia
What it provides nutrients
No reference nutritional values have been published for this plant in the Ciqual table (ANSES) or in USDA data: we'd rather not make anything up.
Key steps
- Choose an alpine variety (“Rügen”, “Alexandria”, “Baron Solemacher”): everbearing, almost runnerless, with bigger fruit than the wild strawberry.
- Easy to sow: germination in 1 to 2 weeks at around 21 °C (70 °F), seeds just laid on the growing medium.
- Strawberry benchmarks for the solution: EC 1.8 to 2.2 mS/cm, pH 6.0 (Oklahoma State HLA-6722); start at the low end of the range.
- Crown level with the growing medium, never buried (University of Minnesota); perfect in a tower or small system thanks to its size.
- Indoors, a paintbrush in every open flower, every day; outdoors, insects take care of it.
- Pick when deep red, and often: the small fruits ripen continuously from early summer to fall.
In which system?
| Tower | NFT | Growing medium | Kratky |
|---|---|---|---|
Approximate calendar
| Sowing | Feb., Mar. |
| Plants | Apr., May |
| Harvest | June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct. |
Garden, patio, balcony: Belgian and northern French climate, earlier farther south. Estimates to adjust with your own dates.
Frequently asked questions
Alpine strawberry (wild strawberry) in hydroponics: what pH?
Recommended pH: 6.0 (Oklahoma State HLA-6722 benchmark). Measure every day at the same time and correct in small doses, after adjusting the EC.
Alpine strawberry (wild strawberry) in hydroponics: what EC?
Recommended electrical conductivity: 1.8–2.2 mS/cm (Oklahoma State HLA-6722 benchmark).
Alpine strawberry (wild strawberry): which hydroponic system?
Best suited: the vertical tower and growing medium (Dutch bucket). Alpine variety sown in spring, in a tower or small system, picked continuously all summer.
Alpine strawberry (wild strawberry): when to sow in Belgium?
Indicative window for a garden, patio or balcony in Belgium or northern France: February and March. Adjust with your own dates.
- Oklahoma State HLA-6722
- University of Minnesota Extension, Growing strawberries in the home garden, 2024
- Wikipedia, Fragaria vesca (alpine varieties, germination)