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?
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!
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
i have let mine flower and i just picked my first strawberry today. yummie ;D
Great news, thanks. I'd probably been influenced by all the warnings about not picking any asparagus this year!
I planted mine last year.This year they are covered in flowers ,much better than last year. :)
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.
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 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)
Quote from: Crystalmoon on May 16, 2008, 22:50:32
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.