Pick off any flowers that develop during the first

Pick off any flowers that develop during the first summer. The plants need to use all the food produced for the formation of runners that will produce fruit next year. Even if you left the flowers and harvested a few berries this year, they’d be small and of poor quality.

Within a few weeks of planting, your strawberry plants will start to develop runners. If allowed to grow without interference, they will form a matted row about two feet wide. If you choose let them grow this way, begin by planting them about two feet apart in the rows.

Another method is the hill system. Place plants 12 inches apart in the rows, but remove runners as soon as they appear. Larger crowns with extra-large berries result from, this method. Many homeowners prefer the hill system as it makes plants easier to manage.

A compromise between the two is the spaced row system. Plants are set 18 to 24 inches apart and runners from the plants are kept six to 12 inches apart until the desired stand is established. All late-forming runners are removed as they appear. Spaced rows produce large, uniform plants.

Keep weeds and grass pulled from your strawberry beds. Perform this job at least every two weeks in new beds. Cultivation must be shallow, to avoid root damage. A light mulch of one to two inches of straw, wood chips or pine needles will help preserve soil moisture and suppress weeds.

Your strawberries must continue to grow vigorously during the summer and fall to develop large crowns with flower buds for the crop next summer. Apply water during dry periods.

If the foliage becomes somewhat light green in late summer, broadcast one pound of 10-10-10 per 100 feet of row in late August or early September. Brush the fertilizer off the plants to avoid foliage injury.

Dr. Diane Relf is a horticulture specialist with Virginia Cooperative Extension and is a member of the faculty of Virginia Tech.