The practice of removing strawberry flowers, known as pinching or deadheading, is a management technique used for newly planted strawberries. For plants in their first year of growth, you should pinch off the flowers, as this action redirects the plant’s resources. The purpose of this initial removal is to prevent the plant from bearing fruit in its first season, allowing it to focus its limited energy on establishing a robust physical structure. This foundational work in the first year sets the stage for much larger and more consistent harvests in the years that follow.
Why Pinching Flowers Helps Plant Establishment
Strawberry plants have a fixed amount of energy, which they must allocate between vegetative growth (roots, crown, leaves) and reproductive growth (flowers and fruit). When a newly planted strawberry begins to flower, its natural drive is to produce seeds and fruit. This is an energy-intensive process that can consume a majority of its resources.
Allowing a young plant to fruit diverts energy away from building a strong root mass and a large crown. The crown is the short, compressed stem of the plant from which new leaves, flowers, and runners emerge, and its size is directly correlated with future yield. Redirecting this energy by pinching off flowers forces the plant to invest in subterranean and structural components. This results in a significantly larger, more resilient plant capable of producing a much higher overall yield starting in year two.
The Practical Guide to Pinching Flowers
The process of pinching flowers should begin immediately after planting and continue throughout the designated establishment period. This period varies depending on the variety of strawberry you are growing.
June-Bearing Varieties
For June-bearing varieties, which produce one large harvest early in the season, remove every flower that appears in the first growing season. This removal typically continues until mid-summer, around early July, after which the plant’s natural flowering cycle for that year concludes.
Everbearing and Day-Neutral Varieties
For everbearing or day-neutral varieties, which flower and fruit continuously throughout the season, remove all blossoms for the first four to six weeks after planting, or until the general cutoff date of early July. After this initial period, you can allow the subsequent flushes of flowers to develop into a small harvest for the first year.
Technique
The precise technique involves using your fingers or a small pair of shears to remove the flower bud or the entire flower cluster stem. You should snip or pinch the stem just below the flower or cluster, taking care not to damage the crown or surrounding leaves. If you miss the flower and a small, green fruit begins to form, you should remove this small fruit as well, as the goal is to prevent the energy expenditure required for fruit development.
Post-Establishment Care: Managing Flowers and Runners
Once the strawberry plants are fully established, generally from the second year onward, the approach to flower management reverses completely. At this stage, you should leave all flowers on the plants to ensure a maximum fruit yield. The plant has now developed the necessary root and crown structure to support a full harvest.
The long-term management strategy shifts to controlling runners, which are horizontal stems known as stolons that the plant sends out to propagate new plants. While runners are the plant’s natural way of spreading, allowing too many to root will lead to overcrowding, which reduces air circulation, increases the risk of disease, and lowers overall productivity.
For June-bearing varieties, which produce a high volume of runners, you should clip off any unwanted runners throughout the season to maintain adequate spacing and channel the plant’s energy into fruit production. Day-neutral and everbearing types naturally produce fewer runners because they prioritize continuous flowering, but any runners that do appear should be removed to maximize the plant’s focus on fruit development.