when can I let my new strawberry plants fruit?

[anthea]

At the beginning of April I planted 3 varieties of bare rooted strawberry plants (early: Honeoye;  mid: Hapil; perpetual: Aromel). They produced plenty of new leaves and now are flowering lots.

I read that I must remove the first season's flowers, to let the plants get a good start. So I am, but I wonder, do I need to do this for the whole of this year for all 3 varieties, or can I let any of them - eg the perpetual plants - start fruiting at some stage, and if so when?

[anthea]

[OllieC]

I wouldn't remove them! Apparently you get slightly higher yield over 3 years, but I'd rather have it spread out & anyway you'll have plenty of runners for a higher yield next year. I say let them fruit if they want to!

[antipodes]

heavens no!! I left on all my fruit on the perpetuals last year, I got loads of fruit even though they were first year and this year I can tell you that the harvest is looking very promising!
Perhpas that is something practised industrially? but i don't see why a home gardener would bother. My strawberries are my best achievement in teh garden and I always have a nice little chat with them every time I go and take all their fruit  ;D

[Patrick King]

i have let mine flower and i just picked my first strawberry today. yummie  ;D

[anthea]

Great news, thanks. I'd probably been influenced by all the warnings about not picking any asparagus this year!

[betula]

I planted mine last year.This year they are covered in flowers ,much better than last year. :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm picking all the flowers off mine, but they were only planted a couple of months ago, and they're in pots. If I'd planted them out properly last autumn, I'd probably let them fruit.

[Crystalmoon]

Oops I have let mine fruit & I only planted them a couple of months ago...been enjoying a couple of sweet strawberries every day this week. Will I have done alot of damage?

[kt.]

I harvested mine for the first time last year.  I thought I got loads of strawberries then.  This year, the plants are bigger, look healthier, and I am hoping to get a greater yield; which looks promising 8)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Oops I have let mine fruit & I only planted them a couple of months ago...been enjoying a couple of sweet strawberries every day this week. Will I have done alot of damage?

I don't suppose you've done much damage, but the energy which the plants have used to produce fruit would otherwise have gone into leaves and roots.