• Enjoy fresh strawberries all year long with indoor plants.Strawberry image by Sujit Mahapatra from Fotolia.com
  
  Few things signal the arrival of summer like fresh strawberries from the berry patch. Like other types of berries, strawberries produce seeds that grow readily in many climates, forming berry patches in a variety of soil conditions. In the garden, these plants often require root barriers to keep them from spreading and invading other garden plants and flowers. Extend your berry-picking season by growing some of these fruiting plants indoors during other seasons. Grown as house plants, strawberry plants provide attractive foliage and interesting growth habits, as well as tasty berries.
  
  

Stratify Seeds

• Check your package of strawberry seeds to find out if they have been stratified, or treated with a period of cold. Although commercial seeds normally receive treatment prior to packaging, seeds harvested from fresh berries require a stratification period. To stratify, place your strawberry seeds in a closed jar and set inside your freezer for two to four weeks. Remove the jar from the freezer and set them on the counter until they warm up to room temperature.
  
  

Planting Seeds

• Mix together equal parts of clean sand and loamy potting soil. Place this mixture in pots that measure at least 4 inches across the top and are about 8 inches deep. Use pots that have several small drainage holes near the bottom and drip trays. Place six or seven seeds across the top of the soil, and press gently into the surface of the soil. Sprinkle a pinch of potting soil mix over the seeds, just covering the surface.
  
  

Encourage Germination

• Mist the surface of your planted seeds with a fine spray of water. Avoid disturbing the shallow placement of your seeds. Set the planted pots in a sunny windowsill that provides at least eight hours of bright light. These seeds require warmth and light to germinate. Keep the soil slightly moist at all times.
  
  

Thinning Seedlings

• Look for seedlings to emerge in 2 to 3 weeks. Continue to mist the top of the soil once or twice each day. Thin the seedlings once they reach 2 to 3 inches tall. Leave only the strongest seedling in each pot. Allow your strawberry plants to mature in these large pots. Water the young seedling with a watering can, slowly applying the water until a few drops of moisture appear near the drainage holes. Continue to keep the soil slightly moist near the developing roots.
  
  

Feed Your Berries

• Apply a liquid fertilizer about once each month during periods of active growth, including blossoming and fruiting periods. Choose a fertilizer labeled for use on fruiting plants, including strawberry plants. Mix and apply the plant food according to the manufacturer's instructions on the label.
  
  

Placement

• Set your strawberry plants on top of brightly lit shelves or continue to grow them on the sunny windowsills. These plants also look attractive hanging from planters. Prune off dry or dead portions of the plants.