New gardeners often desire an immediate harvest of fresh strawberries. However, the first year is for foundational development, requiring a choice between a small, immediate crop and a much larger, sustainable yield later. The decision to pick berries or remove blossoms depends on the plant’s biology and the specific variety. Managing energy output ensures the health and productivity of the patch for years to come.
The Importance of Root Establishment in Year One
For June-bearing strawberries, the first year must focus on building a strong structure beneath the soil. A newly planted strawberry must divert energy from fruit production into developing a robust root system and strengthening its crown. The crown is the compressed stem structure just above the ground where new leaves, roots, and flower buds originate.
Allowing a young plant to produce fruit forces it to expend energy on reproduction. This energy drain results in a smaller, weaker crown and a less expansive root network. An underdeveloped crown cannot store the carbohydrates needed to survive winter and initiate a massive crop the following spring. Sacrificing the first year’s fruit production correlates with a significantly heavier yield in the second year.
The Strategy: When and How to Remove Flowers
For June-bearing varieties, remove all flowers that appear during the first growing season. This practice, called “pinching,” redirects the plant’s resources. Eliminating flower buds as they emerge signals the plant to focus on vegetative growth instead of reproduction.
Perform this flower removal weekly, starting when the plant is put into the ground until it naturally stops flowering, typically by early July. To pinch the flowers, use your fingers or small shears to remove the entire flower stalk (peduncle) at its base near the crown. Managing runners (horizontal stems that produce new daughter plants) is also important, as they consume energy needed for crown development.
Redirecting energy into the crown and roots helps the plant achieve a larger diameter, which indicates vigor and future productivity. A larger crown allows the plant to set more flower buds in the fall, directly dictating the size of the harvest the following spring. A properly managed plant withstands environmental stresses better and produces a greater bounty in its second year.
Varieties Designed for First-Year Harvesting
While June-bearing varieties require complete flower removal, other types offer a partial harvest in their first year. Everbearing and Day-Neutral strawberries distribute energy differently, making them exceptions to the rule of waiting a full year.
Everbearing Varieties
Everbearing varieties produce a crop in the spring and a second, smaller crop in the late summer or early fall.
Day-Neutral Varieties
Day-Neutral varieties produce flowers and fruit continuously from late spring until the first hard frost, provided temperatures are within their ideal range.
For both types, the initial flush of blossoms after planting should still be removed for four to six weeks. This allows the young plant to establish a minimum baseline of root and crown strength.
After this initial establishment period, usually by mid-summer, allow subsequent flowers to develop into fruit. This strategy permits a light harvest in the first year without compromising the plant’s long-term health. Aggressive first-year harvesting is discouraged, as the primary goal remains ensuring a healthy, perennial patch.