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Home » Strawberry Questions & Answers

First Year Strawberry Production?

Modified: Feb 9, 2022 by Mr. Strawberry · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

Farmer holding wooden crates full of freshly picked ripe strawberries

Question: First Year Strawberry Production?

Troy asked:

What kind of production can you expect off the first year of a plant propagated from a runner?

Answer to: First Year Strawberry Production?

Strawberry plants with ripe fruits on straw mulch at strawberry field

Troy,
Strawberry production varies greatly depending on the climate, cultivar, and conditions in which you grow the strawberry plants. If you are asking about production during the first year a plant is in the ground (if planted in the spring), you shouldn’t get any production. The flowers should be pinched off to ensure maximal root establishment and maximum flower bud formation for harvest the following year (see the Growing Strawberries page for more information). If you are asking about a runner plant that establishes itself (or is planted) prior to winter, the following spring should bring a full harvest from your plants. In general, however, an established strawberry plant can be expected to produce about one quart of strawberries.

This is a question submitted to StrawberryPlants.org by a reader. See the Strawberry FAQ for more questions and answers.

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Comments

  1. Romie Schwieterman

    July 26, 2023 at 8:20 pm

    What if i let all my plants and runners go in my 4′ X 8′ raised bed? Don’t a lot of gardeners just plant, pick, and let em go ??

    Reply
    • Mary Ward

      July 28, 2023 at 10:49 am

      Yes, many do and I’ve done it myself. After a few years they may exhaust themselves, though, so after two or three years you might need to think about renovating the bed.

      Reply
  2. Chattieannie

    May 28, 2019 at 12:44 pm

    Mr. Strawberry,
    I have purchased some strawberry plants that have been kept dormant overwinter. I’ve put them in the garden & they are fruiting.
    My question is that they are also throwing off runners – do I take them off ?
    I live in the south of England.
    Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Dusti Dexter

    April 06, 2019 at 8:31 pm

    can I eat my strawberries the first year?

    Reply
  4. Julie

    June 21, 2018 at 10:11 am

    First year I planted strawberry sure crop and my question is I have been pinching flowers off but what do I with the runner

    Reply
  5. Mona

    May 21, 2018 at 12:33 pm

    Hi I live in the north east part of america.
    I started planting my strawberries this spring (when I bought them they were already growing plants so I didnt use seeds) and a few of them have grown beautiful small red strawberries. I was just wondering if its okay for my family and I to eat them the first year?

    Reply
  6. ed

    November 22, 2014 at 11:19 am

    i live in north western sc wintertemps dropinto 20 atnite is mulching necessary and what about cutting back plants prior along with how much to cut off these are first year
    plants

    Reply
    • Mr. Strawberry

      November 26, 2014 at 1:14 pm

      ed,
      This should help! Good luck!

      Reply
  7. justcallmemister

    June 05, 2013 at 6:36 am

    I am very new at this. I don’t know where to “pinch” the plants. I am confusted at how far the runner is supposed to go before placing a rock on top of it(???). And then I am supposed to clip it off somewhere after a few days? The strawberries I planted for the first time produced a few berries which was a surprise to me. But now that they are planted I need help (in a simpler form) in maintaining them for the duration of the summer, fall and winter. Thank you in advance.

    Reply
    • Mr. Strawberry

      June 05, 2013 at 7:05 am

      justcallmemister,
      You can place a rock or other weight anywhere along the runner. The purpose of the weight is to keep the runner’s root in contact with the dirt. As that happens, the root will grow downward into the soil. As the root grows downward, it will begin drawing nutrients up from the dirt itself instead of drawing them through the runner from the mother plant. Once this happens (the daughter plant starts drawing nutrients from the soil), the plant is said to be “established.” After a daughter plant has established itself, the rock/weight can be removed (the roots will hold the plant in place now), and the runners can be snipped or snapped. Anywhere along the runner will be sufficient. As long as it is severed, it doesn’t matter exactly where you break the runner. For maintenance, the most complete reference is the Growing Strawberries guide. A simpler summary that reviews what to do each month can be found here: Monthly Guide. Good luck!

      Reply
  8. Heather Miller

    September 17, 2012 at 4:21 am

    I planted quite a few big, healthy Ozark Beauty plants this spring. I was prepared to pinch off any buds to give them a good start. Well, aside from the few buds that were on the plants when I bought them, there were no blooms all season. The plants grew huge though and sent out so many runners, I finally stopped pinching them back and just let them go for it. I had amended the soil very heavily with goat manure before planting so I thought maybe it was just a case of over-fertilization. However, I also planted Loran plants in the same raised bed and they have produced masses of fruit all season under the same conditions. The plants are so big and healthy that I just decided to let them produce. Any idea of why the Ozark Beauty plants have just grown masses of foliage but no flowers while the Loran’s have fruited like crazy? Are they likely to produce next spring? Do they need a special fertilizer or amendment?

    Reply
    • Mr. Strawberry

      September 17, 2012 at 6:47 am

      Heather,
      Ozark Beauty runner plants often do not set fruit in their first year (see here for more on the plants: Ozark Beauty). So, if the Loran variety did well and the Ozarks were otherwise healthy, they should produce fine next year. Some other potential reasons strawberry plants don’t produce: No Strawberry Production. Good luck!

      Reply

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