Also for a lot of AeroGardeners with families, you will probably agree with me that your kids are not so fond of vegetables and would prefer some fruit made desserts. If that is the case for you, you can try growing strawberries indoors. In this article, I am going to describe the whole process and tell you what to be careful about.

Can you grow Strawberries with AeroGarden?

Yes. Amongst many other plants, you can also grow fresh strawberries in your indoor garden, but the process will not be as easy as you are used to. Since you can’t buy strawberry seeds in the form of seed pods, you will have to make your own seed pods. The best way to do this is either to reuse the plastic parts from your previously grown seed pods or to make your own with buying the grow anything seed pod kit.

How to make your own Strawberry seed pod kits?

There are two methods that are best for making your own strawberry seed pods. You can either reuse the plastic parts (grow domes and grow baskets) from your previous seed pods and just buy new grow sponges, paper labels and additional nutrients, or you can buy all the parts that you need. If you need all the parts, then I would recommend that you get the grow anything seed pod kit.

So once you have all the parts that you will need, you can start putting it all together. You will also need some Strawberry Crowns of course.

STEP 1: Prepare the roots of your Strawberries

When you buy strawberry crowns, the roots will be much longer than you want them to be to fit into the seed pods, so make sure that you give them a “haircut” before inserting them into your grow sponges. Also, watch for dirt. If there is any dirt left on your roots it would be best to clean it off. You can put them under running water to make this step easier.

STEP 2: Insert the strawberry crowns, roots first into the grow sponge

Gently hold the strawberry plant by the stem and insert it into the grow sponge. If there are still too many roots you can either cut some more off with scissors or you can cut the grow sponge so that it will look like it is opened. Some people have also tried by not using a grow sponge at all, but if you compare their results to mine you will see that it is not a smart idea to do so.

STEP 3: Put your grow sponge into the grow basket

Once you have made sure that your plants are staying put in the grow sponges, it is time to insert them into your grow sponges. Like I’ve mentioned before, you can either take your old grow baskets or buy new ones. I always recommend that you use the old ones because this option is much more nature friendly and also costs less. So you get to save the planet AND save some money! How awesome is that?

STEP 4: Install the strawberry seed pods into your AeroGarden

Once your seed pods are prepared it is time to install them into your AeroGarden seed pod slots. You will have to be careful not to touch the plants at all. Just put them in and then push down on the top part of your grow baskets. Once you hear a click, you know that the seed pod is installed.

STEP 5: Add water and liquid nutrients

Without water, there is no life and since strawberries are such watery and juicy fruits, they will need a lot of it. Make sure to check for the “add water” sign on your smart garden every week. Do not forget about the liquid nutrients, since they act like a fertilizer that stimulates the plant’s growth. When your nutrients are low, you should also get notified by the garden itself.

STEP 6: Pollinate your strawberries

Since there are no natural pollinators like bees, wind or other insects like butterflies indoors, you will have to pollinate your strawberry flowers yourself. There are two methods to do it.

The first method is to get a fan, point it towards your strawberry plant and turn it on, on the lowest possible setting. This will create a nice soft wind that will help with the pollination, but this is not my favorite method, because it is not as efficient as the second one, where you will definitely pollinate all the flowers on your strawberry plant.

So the second method is to get a cotton swab or a small brush and gently rub the top of the flower. Strawberries have the male parts right above the female parts and are therefore one of the easiest plants to pollinate by yourself. Just keep in mind that you have to be gentle. Too much force will ruin the flowers.  

Alternative:

You can also buy an AeroGarden grow bowl and grow your strawberries in there. More so the packet even comes with strawberry crowns included!

IMPORTANT!

You do not want to grow strawberries from seeds, because it will last more than a whole year to see even the tiniest bit of results. Instead, you should buy strawberry crowns and significantly shorten the waiting period. You can buy strawberry crowns online on amazon. Check the latest price here.

How to care for AeroGarden strawberries?

Once you see some early success it is highly recommended that you check on your strawberries daily. If you see any dead leaves (they will turn brown) you will have to cut them off right away. Just use scissors or gardening shears and cut them at the base of the stem. Once you have cut them off you also have to throw them out. If you leave dead leaves just laying next to your plants, you will have problems with bugs. Always keep the growth environment of all your plants as clean as possible.

When will my AeroGarden strawberries be ready for harvest?

If you have done everything correctly then you should just in a couple of weeks be seeing flowers on top of your strawberry plant. And if you pollinate them as soon as you can it should take about another 3 weeks until your first harvest. Once you have harvested your first strawberry, you will be able to tell the difference between homegrown and store-bought for sure.

How long will my AeroGarden Strawberries last?

Your strawberries, if provided with proper care and enough water with nutrients should last at least 6 months in total. I have even seen them growing for much longer and also for a much shorter time period.

What do I do when my strawberries die?

When your plants die, you have to take out the seed pods and clean your aerogarden. This is really important!! A dirty water bowl is a bad environment for your plants and will result in a poor harvest. You can clean your Aerogarden with chlorine bleach or white vinegar but I would go with vinegar since it is more nature friendly.

How to transplant AeroGarden strawberries outside?

Step 1: Prepare flowering pots

Get some flowering pots or containers preferably with holes on the bottom and fill them up halfway with pre fertilized soil.

Step 2: Take the strawberry plants out of the grow baskets

If they won’t go easily, try to wiggle them around for a bit or try cutting away some roots. I would highly recommend that you keep the old grow baskets and grow domes and reuse them later. This way you will save a lot of money.

Step 3: Insert the plants into the pots and add more soil

Once you add your plants in your containers you will have to fill the remaining space of your container with pre fertilized soil but make sure to keep at least ½ an inch of free space on the top, so you won’t make a mess when you will water the plant.

Step 4: Start moving your plant outdoors

You should start by having your plant outside for 1 hour and then every next day for an hour more than the previous one. After about 2 weeks your strawberry plant will be completely acclimated to the outdoors. This means that you can now dig a hole in your garden and plant your strawberry plant in. Just make sure that the soil is wet. Do not let your strawberries feel thirsty.

Important! Make sure that the temperatures outside are high enough before you transplant strawberries. Cold weather or frost will kill them and all of your hard work will go to waste.

Conclusion:

You can grow strawberries indoors with an aerogarden but you will have to make your own seed pods. Make sure that you buy strawberry crowns instead of seeds. If you grow them from seeds it might take even a couple of years before you harvest your first strawberry! You can also transplant them outside and continue growing them throughout the summer. Always make sure to clean and sanitize your AeroGarden after every last harvest or transplanting.

Thank you for reading this article. If you have ever tried growing strawberries indoors and would like to share your experience, or you just have some additional questions, please feel free to drop a comment down below. Have a nice day!