Help with transplanted strawberries

[CARS]

A week or so ago I transplanted 80, 1 year old strawberry plants from my parents bed.

My dad said I need to clip the blossoms for the first year. I understand that. But these are already a year old, just transplanted.

Do I need to do something or just let them go? What are the future consequences if I let them bear fruit this year??

(of course, it's in the 30's again at night so I am sure they are probably trying to go dormant :/ )

 

[Greensage45]

Hi,

I would tend to put faith behind the person that passed these onto you. They would have a better grasp of what kind of strawberry and how best to cultivate them. They may be June-bearing or Ever-bearing.

I remember years ago reading that the strawberry naturally carries a virus that causes the plant to degenerate, eventually destroying the vitality and fruiting abilities. One of the techniques is to run a continuous rotation of the 'runner stock' in order to phase out the too adult plants (as to when a plant has reached that is beyond me).

I am one of those folks that is allergic to strawberries. I do, however, adore the plant and I love giving the fruit away; everyone smiles at a strawberry. I especially love in the fall when a big patch of strawberries, that have been naturalized in the garden, turns red to orange in the Fall.

Again, I would go with the source on instructions, I bet your Dad has a good crop every year.

Ron

 

[momofdrew]

Father knows best!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I had not heard about the virus, but that would help explain why strawberries only last so long. I have heard of two year and three year rotations with them and I've seen a patch go to practically nothing after a few years of being left alone.

Dad used to plow up his strawberry rows every year. This was an established patch so don't do it the first year. He would plow up the row and leave the new plants that grew in the middle of the old rows to form next year's rows. This was easy to do with a horse-drawn plow. With cow manure and lots of leaves raked on in the fall, that patch produced well for years, until Dad was no longer able to maintain it. Now, it's gone.

 

[aidenbaby]

The reason you clip the first year's fruit (or in the case of everbearing fruit until June/July) is to let the roots become established. It'll kill itself to produce fruit instead of creating good foundation roots otherwise.