How to Prune Strawberry Plants

Sweet and juicy strawberries are one the simplest and fastest fruits to grow. They do not require rigorous maintenance to bud into succulent, edible fruits. Strawberry plants also do not require heavy pruning, but the light pruning needed is just as important as in any other edible plant.

It is important to prune strawberry plants, as it helps to stimulate strong growth, maintain the size and shape of the plant, and overall quality of your fruit. Strawberry plants put out runners that take a grip once in contact with the soil. You would want to leave your runners to grow if you want a strawberry patch. However, the new plants suck energy from the adult bush, leaving you with smaller or less desirable fruits.

To maintain a well-pruned, neat, and easily harvested strawberry patch, you should follow these pruning techniques.

How to Grow and Prune Strawberry Plants

1. Start Prunning in the First Year

Pruning should start early so that the plants can have quality growth. Pinch off the blossoms/flowers that form on the strawberry plant in the first year. Doing this will ensure that energy is stored for the plant to produce fruit for the next season. Also, remove weeds that may choke the strawberry seedlings before they are firmly rooted.

2. Trim Runners

Runners are shoots and trails sent out from each mother plant. These runners grow to be overbearing as they drain essential nutrients that should go to the main plant. For the strawberry plant to produce fruit (maximize production), you need to trim the runners.

Leave the first set of runners to grow until the space between the main rows is 12 inches wide. Remove all runners, leaving out 6 secondary runners from the first runner growth. Trace this by locating the main stem where the runners branch off, then pull it off carefully.

This is important so you don't lose control of the strawberry patch and to prevent the quality of the fruit from declining.

3. Root the Secondary Runners

Use runners to plant new plants. Realign the secondary runners from the first growth so that they are 10 inches apart. Tertiary (third set) runners soon start to grow. Press the stems and leaves of the secondary runners ½inch into the soil, securing them with bent twigs. This will serve as roots for the tertiary tubers, which will give off strawberries.

4. Pull of New Runners

New runners will soon begin to grow from the tertiary runners. Pull of these new runners that may form around the strawberries. This will help to maximize fruit production.

5. Old Growth Should Be Replaced With New Runners

You should dig up old/fading vines every 2 to 3 years and replace them with secondary or tertiary runners. This will help maintain and keep your strawberry patch productive.

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How and When Should I Prune Strawberry Plants?

In the summer months, juicy sweet strawberries are one of the best delights you could have. Although these plants do not need serious pruning as other berry bushes do, they require simple maintenance in the summer towards the end of the season as they grow.

The strawberry plants give out runners with plantlets at the end, which end up getting a root whenever they touch the soil. If you want your berries to grow in patches, then free the runners and let them grow.

But if you want these new plants to get their power from the adult bush, then you will end up getting smaller fruits that you may not like.

Tips for Pruning Strawberry Plants

First Season Pinching and Trimming Back of Strawberry Plants

Get rid of the flower stalks of the strawberries, which grew out in June. You should get more berries if you let the plants grow in size before the fruiting. Let the flowers get fruit for the period of the season. Get rid of the flower stalks patiently with your forefinger and your thumb, and try as much as possible to prevent spoiling the stalk of the strawberry plant.

If you’re not sure of the type of strawberry you are pruning, you need to ask any berry pruner around for you to be specific.

Trimming the Runners

Cut back the runners from behind. These runners are little shoots and trails from the main berry plant. Cut these back to the original plant. This is necessary, so the important nutrients are not drained. Some berry pruners prefer to allow the runners to remain on strawberries from June. These work also, but a lot of the strawberry patch could be lost in their control and the quality of your berries would decline at a high rate.

Runners could also be used. When the runner begins, it would start rooting. And after it has properly rooted, lose it from its mother plant.

Post Season Trimming

At the end of the season of production, the strawberry plants should be pruned back to the end. Trim them about an inch higher than the soil, then run the streets with a lawnmower. Arrange the mower high so the plants will not be ripped from the roots.

This would keep them productive through the pruning season. Settle down and prune roots that are damaged, and cut very long roots to about 5 inches.

Winter Protection for the Strawberries

After mowing the berry plants, to protect the berries from injury through the winter, a huge layer of mulch is necessary. If the plants are not protected, the low temperatures from winter could easily kill the buds of the fruit and destroy the crowns and roots.

And this is how and when you should prune strawberry plants.

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