Strawberry flowers are the means by which strawberry plants ultimately produce fruit. But, they are tremendously intricate. The basics of strawberry flowers will be briefly discussed here, including how they grow from strawberry plants and what to do with them (and when).
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Origins of Strawberry Flowers
Strawberry flowers have an interesting life. Different types of strawberry plants produce them at different times. But, since the June-bearing strawberry has captured the hearts and minds of most gardeners who plant strawberry plants, its flowers will be the focus of this post.
June-bearing strawberries produce a single crop of strawberries over two to three weeks during the late spring or early summer (sometimes earlier), usually around June (see the Strawberry Varieties page for more details). Like most fruit, strawberries come from the delicate flowers that each strawberry plant produces. However, the small strawberry flowers that strut their stuff in the spring begin their life much earlier.
Strawberry flowers originate in the crowns of strawberry plants. Many months before the flowers emerge an grow upward, they begin their life as tiny flower buds within a strawberry plant. This bud formation is critical for next year’s crop and occurs after the harvest is completed. After harvest and renovation (see the Growing Strawberries page for more details), the flower buds begin to form toward the end of summer or early fall.
In order for the strawberry flowers to be generated as strawberry flower buds, the plant needs to continue to be well-tended. If water is not adequate during the period of strawberry flower bud formation, fewer buds will form. Consequently, the following spring’s harvest will be significantly reduced. If the strawberry plants are well-tended, the strawberry flower buds should form, go dormant during the winter, and then burst forth again in the spring. And, the more flowers there are, the more fruit you can harvest!
What Do You Do with Strawberry Flowers?
For June-bearing strawberries, special attention should be paid to the strawberry plant’s flowers. Generally, if you order strawberry plants online, they will be shipped to you in the spring. Once received, they should be planted as soon as possible. But, if they were bare-root strawberry plants or strawberry crowns only, it is going to take them some time to establish themselves.
The plants don’t realize this of course, and will try to produce strawberries by sending forth their flowers. This is not good for the plants or the harvest. The already-weakened plants need all the energy they can muster to take root and make a new home. If they expend the energy on berry production, they will not establish themselves well. This can compromise the plant’s future production as well. Additionally, since the just-shipped plants are weak anyway, they have less energy to devote to strawberry production. This results in smaller, puny strawberries in the same year you order and plant new strawberry plants.
The solution is to pinch off or cut off all flowers from every new strawberry plant for the first growing season, allowing the strawberry plants to root and grow without distraction. Simply check the plants once a week and remove any flowers you find. Most June-bearing strawberries will be completely done producing flowers sometime in July (usually early July). Although not specifically addressing day-neutral or everbearing strawberry varieties here, new plants of each of those types should have their blossoms removed until early July also. However, after July, any strawberry flowers that bloom can be left to develop into strawberries.
Strawberry Flower Variability
Strawberry flowers are not all identical. Different varieties have different numbers of petals and relative positions of their strawberry flowers. Some hybrid strawberry plants even have flowers that are pink or other colors. However, all strawberries have flowers. Most strawberry flowers will have 6 petals, but anywhere from 5 to 8 petals on a strawberry flower is not uncommon.
There is also variability among strawberry plants when it comes to the position of the strawberry flowers in relation to the foliage. It is very common for the level of the strawberry flower to be even with the foliage or exposed by protruding past the foliage. It is relatively uncommon for the flowers to be below leaf level. Of course, once the heavy strawberries begin to form and ripen, their weight pulls them to closer to the ground.
Protecting Strawberry Flowers
The flowers of strawberries need particular attention during two time periods. First, they need extra care during the formation of strawberry flower buds. As mentioned above, the strawberry plants need an attentive gardener to ensure that conditions are optimal for bud formation. Good care during strawberry flower bud formation yields better harvests the next year.
Strawberry flowers also need protection in the spring. Strawberry flowers are rather delicate and can succumb to frosts. So, special attention should be given to the weather forecast so that the strawberry plants and flowers can be protected from the cold.
Strawberry Flowers: Conclusion
The strawberry flower is a small wonder that turns into a wonderful delight by June. Without strawberry flowers, there would be no strawberries, so be sure to care for yours! You’ll reap the benefits of your vigilance. For more information on strawberry plants, visit the Strawberry Plant page.
A new green thumb
So I have actually forgotten about my strawberry plant over the winter time, because it didn’t produce anything over the summer. I took very good care of it. By fall it was pretty much done for. I just went outside to cover up my roses because we have a frost advisory and I found a whole bunch of strawberry flowers blooming on my plant. I’m like woa freaking out because I totally spaced on this plant!!!! What do I do now?
Tara Dossiema
I moved into my current home and noticed wild strawberries growing in backyard with purple flowers. I have pictures. I was reading true wild strawberries have white flowers. Please help me identify them, they really do look like strawberries and can’t find anything on internet.
Buoe
Hi, i see 12petal strawberry flower, is it specific to some variety or just because somatic mutation due to environment?
Mark Bunker
I am in exactly the same situation. The Delaware say these plants have been here as long as they remember (centuries).
Shirley
I have the same, did yours ever produce strawberries?
Steve Kemp
I planted 100 bareroot june bearing plants in mid July and have been pinching many flowers thru the month of August, could this count as first year growth and harvest in spring of 2019. thank you for your very helpful web site. Steve
Erin
I have 2 strawberry plants I got from Lowe’s about 1-2 months ago. I’m still learning how to take care of them properly. They seem to be doing pretty well, but some of the bottom leaves are turning yellow, and the flowers and buds keep turning brown. I started fertilizing them every other week starting three weeks ago.
I thought maybe they weren’t getting enough sun because my yard is shaded half of the day. They get about 6 hours of sun a day. I really can’t move them because anywhere else the dumb squirrels get into them…any suggestions?
CK
Sounds like either over-watering or too much fertilizer.
CK
and yes strawberries prefer at least 12+ hours of light. They can also be grown indoors with LEDs
Kelly Suzanne Sims
I have a 3rd season over crowded patch with lots of flowers. The plants are 10 to 12 inches high. I don’t know if there going to produce because they haven’t in the past. Any tips or suggestions. I have a special desire to see them to fruition.
Mary Ward
If you’re seeing blossoms, and those blossoms are not getting frozen and killed after opening, you should get berries. Pollination might be part of your problem. Is there anything you can do to invite pollinators to your gardens? Perhaps set out some bright, attractive flower planters? You’d want something that is blooming when your strawberry blossoms are open. Some flowering pansies from a local greenhouse might help.
Carol
Last year I planted a row of strawberries that look pretty good this year, but we had a frost a couple weeks ago, only down to 31 or 32 and I put row cover on. Now many flowers have brown centers (zone ,7b). Should I remove those do the plants don’t expend any more energy on them?
Mandie
We will be transplanting some strawberries to raised beds this year for better drainage and to reduce the weeds. While we’re trying to let them keep as much root as we can, their roots are obviously getting damaged as we move them. Should we pinch the flowers this year to let them recover?
Gail
Hi. Your strawberry flowers have been damaged by frost and will not produce fruit. Pinch them off and there is a good chance the plants will produce more flowers and so fruit just a little later than expected.
Robert
We have some strawberries that’s second year and many first year so far all plants look great but no flowers this year?.??
Mr. Strawberry
Robert,
Give them a bit longer! Good luck!
Amy Fedelin
A few days ago I got an everbearing strawberry plant from my local plant store and it looked very healthy, and already had a flower with a dime sized strawberry. And I was just wondering if I should take off the flower thingies so the plant can grow or should I keep them? I took off the strawberry since it didn’t seem to grow and it was squishy and the it wasnt red, it was different colors like.. dark red, yellow and black. The plant is very healthy but for a small amount of time it has to stay in a place with partial sun (dont worry I’m gonna plant it in the soil with lots of sun). Um, but this is my first time caring for plants so I want to make sure I get everything right.
Mr. Strawberry
Amy Fedelin,
It sounds like the berry was rotting, so you did the right thing by removing it. Good luck!
Sm
Hi
I noticed ants on the flowers. Should I be getting rid of them or will they not be a problem?
Thanks
Mr. Strawberry
Sm,
They shouldn’t hurt the flowers, but if any of your strawberries get damaged at all, the ants will set up shop and happily invade the damaged areas, often eating out the insides causing the fruit to rot rather quickly. You can try sprinkling a liberal amount of diatomaceous earth on the planting/berries. That will often work. Just rinse before eating! Good luck!
Deborah
Hi Mr Strawberry,
It’s winter and my strawberry plants are flowering and look to be producing fruit. Should I take off the flowers?
Mr. Strawberry
Deborah,
It depends on your climate. If your winters are very mild, you can go ahead and allow the fruit to set and try for a harvest. If it is just a warm snap, the weather returning to freezing temperatures will likely either kill the plants, cause other cold injury, or at least damage the fruit. If it is the latter, go ahead and remove the flowers/fruit. Good luck!
Jasmine
My strawberry flowers have shed their petals and the green small centres are left. However, it has been quite a while, and the little green berries have not gotten any bigger. Do you know why this is happening and what I can do about it?
Mr. Strawberry
Jasmine,
Make sure they have adequate water, and just give them some time. They should start growing soon! Good luck!
bren
Hi my strawbs were “born” last year and full of greenfly when I received them I got rid of the pests and they look very healthy now apart from tiny buds in the centre of the flowers and the flowers are lower than the foilage
Mr. Strawberry
bren,
I’m glad you fixed the pest problem! I wouldn’t worry too much about the shortness of the flower stems. They should still set fruit for you. Good luck!
Bianca
Hello, I am caring for a friends garden and she has an incredible strawberry bed but no strawberry. Hundreds of healthy without fruit, this is an established bed. What should I do?
Mr. Strawberry
Bianca,
If the plants are 4 or more years old, re-planting is probably the best bet. Otherwise, I’d check here. Good luck!
Misty Holland
Hello,
I’ve been following your writings, and I am growing strawberries from bare roots that I plants about a month ago. I seem to be having a lot of luck, because there’s a lot of these pretty white flowers for me to pluck – about 20 each day on ~100 plants. I was wondering if there’s anything I can do with the flowers other than till them under. They smell great. Are they edible? If so, is the whole flower edible or just the petals. Can I put them in a salad and eat them raw or should they be prepared somehow?
Also, I’ve been hand plucking them with no issues. Would it be better to cut them off, or does it not matter?
Thanks!
Mr. Strawberry
Misty Holland,
They are edible, but not pleasant-tasting. I’d just throw them away or compost them. Hand plucking gently or snipping them are both acceptable methods. Good luck!
Liz
I am in gulf coast of Florida and received bare root Sweet Charleys in November and now in January they are producing flowers. Does this article still apply to my plants?
Mr. Strawberry
Liz,
In Florida, a lot of growers use day-neutral June-bearing varieties for early harvests. If yours are producing a lot of flowers and have been establishing their roots for the last couple of months, you might want to just see how you do with the harvest. As far as the general information about strawberry flowers on this page, yes, it would still apply to your plants. Good luck!
Marie Scott
Mr Strawberry
Do I need to pick fruit bearing flowers from 2nd year plants.
Thanks
Mr. Strawberry
Marie Scott,
Nope, let them produce a crop for you! Good luck!
Gary
05/25/2016, North Dakota
RE: Newly planted Ft.Laramie bare root Strawberries on 05/17/2016 > Vegetative growth is apparent but primarily reproductive.
I am a published Master Gardener but have no experience with strawberries. My shipment was held in transit for 8 days before receipt and then I was forced to heel them in my basement for another week in which time they broke dormancy (barely visible new root growth). The plants appeared strong and healthy when planted. Although vegetative growth is already apparent, the aforementioned growth is primarily flower buds. Is this Normal or plant shock? Currently, I am removing the flower buds as they appear. ??????????
Thanks
Mr. Strawberry
Gary,
Usually, leaflets will emerge from the crown prior to the flower buds. But, occasionally, the flowers can emerge first also. I would just continue removing the buds as they appear, and watch for the leaflets. They should start within a few days. Good luck!
Charlene
Question. How many colors of strawberry flowers are there. I have both red and white but don’t know what that means and would love to know? Last year I planted 3 plants this year they they maximized themselves to 20.
Mr. Strawberry
Charlene,
True strawberry flowers are all white. There are strawberry hybrids that have various shades of pink and red flowers (these are still considered strawberries, and some will even produce strawberry fruit). So, if you have both white and red, you have a few hybridized plants as well. Good luck!
Jill
Dear Mr Strawberry,
I bought and planted a variety of strawberry bare rooted plants online earlier this year.
I potted them placing half in greenhouse and half outside to experiment as to where is best place for them to grow (I live in northern part of UK).
Inside and outside earlier fruiting ones have started to flower and now I saw this week little berries starting to form.
However, after reading the posts above I see the advise is to take out the flowers in year one. My question is – for the plants that have started to produce berries already is it too late to cut off the flowers and berries? Should I just let them continue and pinch out the flowers on the later fruiting ones when they flower?
Thanks!
Mr. Strawberry
Jill,
Since they already are fruiting, I would personally allow the berries that have already formed continue to ripen. However, it is best to remove subsequent flowers for greater harvest sizes in subsequent growing seasons. Good luck!
Starrysky
We are in zone 10 growing 4 everbearing varieties in 8″ pots (conventional Seascape and Tristan, organic Loran and Mignonette), planted beginning of May. Due to neighboring houses there is only afternoon sun available on our property, and by mid-July the sun may be too hot for the plants to produce. Does it still make sense to remove their flowers until July? What are the benefits/drawbacks? So far the conventional plants have already produced a couple berries here and there, maybe 1-2 fruits per pot.
Mr. Strawberry
Starrysky,
With potted plants, I’d recommend leaving the flowers be and harvesting as many berries as you can! Good luck!
Yung
Mr strawberry, why my strawberry plant stunned after pinching of the 1st flower??
Mr. Strawberry
Yung,
I’m not sure what you mean by “stunned.” Can you clarify for me?
Boogee
Does this still apply in zone 4? I planted 2 everbearing plants in containers in may and they just began producing flowers. Should I leave them or remove them? Also, I’m planning on moving in a month or 2 (still in zone 4), so I was wondering when the latest time to transplant them into the ground would be? Otherwise i could overwinter them in the container using a bigger one with straw for insulation.
Elizabeth
Deer got into my back yard and grazed my strawberries to the ground! I can still see the crowns and short new green leafs. Will they survive?
I have the following planted: Sequoia, Seascape, and Berries Galore.
Mr. Strawberry
Elizabeth,
Yes, as long as the deer didn’t do any damage to the crowns, they should bounce back. Good luck!
Eric
I planted a few strawberry plants last spring and they produced a small amount of strawberries. I believe they are all the June type. The plants spread quite a bit and filled the area I have them contained in, making lots of of new plants. This spring there are hundreds of flowers. Will these become strawberries? Much appreciated!
Mr. Strawberry
Eric,
Yes! Each flower will tun into a strawberry as long as pests or pathogens don’t intervene. Good luck!
Maeger
Just planted some earli bearers, chandlers, and Ozark beauty’s in Arkansas. This is my first time planting and I want to maximize the first year of berry production. Should I still pinch off the flowers or does that mean I’ll be left with no berries the first year? Can I just pinch them off until June and that will help production? I’ve got them in good draining pots. How do you know how much to water? I’ve read one inch a day but have no clue how to quantify that coming out of a watering spout.
Mr. Strawberry
Maeger,
For the Chandlers, which are June-bearing, I would advise pinching off all the flowers this first year. That will make next year’s harvest substantially larger for you. For the Ozark Beauty plants, which are everbearing, you can pinch off the first set of flowers and let the second set of flowers go to fruit. Good luck!
Austin
Hey,
I bought an Ozark Beauty strawberry plant its small but when i got it, it already had a berry growing and a few other smaller ones starting to turn. Flowers are blooming on it and im confused if I should let them flower or cut off the flowers and berries?
Mr. Strawberry
Austin,
If you bought potted plants and are going to transplant them to a garden or strawberry patch somewhere, I would snip off the berries to allow for better root development. If the strawberries are going to stay in the pots and have been established for a while, I’d just let them set the fruit and enjoy the harvest! Good luck!
Tim
Should I remove strawberry flowers in the fall that you know will not produce ripe fruit before the cold weather appears. Will it allow more energy to my green unripe berries?
Mr. Strawberry
Tim,
Yes, that is a good idea. Good luck!
Tasi
After several attempts trying to grow strawberry in my tropical island of Funafuti, Tuvalu; I have managed to grow at least 4 plants which I placed under shady trees with 4 hrs partially exposure to sun. The plants have now produces flowers, and am awaiting patiently for the berry to appear. Will be glad to send the photos of this mystery on a small island, let alone when fruits appear after flowers it will be the first ever strawberry plants to be grown on this island.
Mr. Strawberry
Tasi,
Congratulations!
Lillian Generous
My strawberries are indoor.i started with 100 plants and over a period of about 9 months i have over 600 plants that have different ages.I have multiplied using the propagation method and transplanting. How can i make them flower at the same time so that i get a bumper harvest. Most of them are old enough?
Mr. Strawberry
Lillian Generous,
I’m not sure how to coordinate that indoors. When planted or kept outdoors, the plants will all go dormant about the same time, will awaken from dormancy at about the same time in the spring, and subsequently produce strawberries at about the same time to yield the bumper crop of which you speak!
Lillian Generous
Thank you Mr Strawberry.
My berries are indoors, kindly advise me on how i can aid pollination to be able to get a good yield.
Mr. Strawberry
Lillian Generous,
When the blooms have emerged, tease out the cotton from a q-tip and gently caress each blossom several times with it. That should do the trick! Good luck!
Lillian Generous
My fruits are getting deformed. What could be the problem. i am unable to send the photo here on this platform. Is it possible to get your e-mail address.
Mr. Strawberry
Lillian Generous,
See this post! Good luck!
Tati
My hybrid strawberry plant has produced a few strawberries but my strawberries been rotting on the plant.What should I do?
Mr. Strawberry
Tati,
There are four common causes of rotting strawberries: pest feeding causing damage which leads to rotting; mineral/nutrient deficiency of the soil where the strawberries are planted; pathogenic fungal or bacterial infection; or excessive contact with moisture/soggy ground. More than likely, your rotting strawberries can be traced to one or more of these. Good luck!
Joey
Ok i really need to know how do u know what is your strawberry type like mine has white flowers with five petals what variety is that
Mr. Strawberry
Joey,
Unfortunately, it is tremendously difficult to identify which strawberry variety you have if you do not have a record of it available. I’m sorry!
Joey
Well my strawberry plants have gone well the had flowers and i take good care of them but today i realised that all the petals have fell off today its like they were swallowed then the fall will my strawberry still grow or does it mean it has a diseas
Mr. Strawberry
Joey,
The petals of strawberry flowers fall off naturally as the berry grows. They should be fine. Good luck!
Jackie S.
I think I might have used too much water pressure when watering my strawberries. I’m pretty sure I knocked a bunch of petals off of the flowers. Will they still produce strawberries, or are they going to be dead buds?
Mr. Strawberry
Jackie S.
As long as it was just the petals that fell off, they will likely still produce fruit for you. Good luck!
Lloyd
I live in the uk and have bought 2 different varieties of strawberry plant 6 weeks ago; pineberry and Framberry dream. I planted each plant in a large pot and put in the greenhouse. They have more than doubled in size and started to produce a few flowers. What should should I do? Leave them or cut them off?!
Mr. Strawberry
Lloyd,
If you bought plants that were already developed, let them be. Enjoy your harvest!
Sarah T
My mother in law just bought me two everbearing strawberry plants. One already has fruit producing and both have flowers. They are very small. Do I need to cut the fruit and flowers off or see what it does from here?
Mr. Strawberry
Sarah T,
If it is already producing strawberries, you can either enjoy them or cut both the unripe berries and the flowers off. However, if you were given potted plants, they may have been started last year. If so, go ahead and enjoy your harvest! Good luck!
Doug Cooper
Dear Mr Strawberry
I live in Cyprus and grow strawberries every year. Unlike the UK varieties, they have a very long fruiting season from March to the end of June.
I usually plant the strawberry plants outside at the end of November and after about three weeks, they start to send out flowers. Some of the flowers get pollinated, but tend to produce erratic and distorted fruits, probably due to the cold winter nights and lack of many Bees. In March they start to fruit seriously and continue until the end of June and even into July. I feed the plants twice a week with Phosfogen and from flowering to producing large fruits is very quick. My question is, if I cut off the flowers which are quite abundant now but as I mentioned don’t produce much of a crop, would I get a better crop when the main crop starts in March/April time. I’m just a bit nervous about cutting all the flowers off.
Please advise.
Doug Cooper
Mr. Strawberry
Doug Cooper,
Yes, if your strawberries are flowering when the weather is cold enough to cause deformities, it is better to snip those off. You will, of course, not reap the harvest from the flowers you snip, but the berries that are produced a bit later will likely be larger, and the plants will be more robust. Good luck!
Mithuj shah
I had sown the seeds in july and the plant is grown well kindly let me know how long it takes to flower a strawberry . Shall i need to wait until next june . Also i am based in India .if u send your mail id i can send you image so that you can let me know breed too .
Mr. Strawberry
Mithuj shah,
Yes, it you planted in July, you will need to wait until next spring to get strawberries. If flowers do form, it is best to pinch them off until after winter. Good luck!
Terry
Dear MR. Strawberry,
Thanks for the advice…waited a week and the buds and blossoms came in bunches and they are huge. Can’t wait to see how they grow and taste.
Mr. Strawberry
Terry,
Great! I’m sure they will be fantastic!
Terry
My strawberry beds did not bloom this year. They are second year and looked great but appear to high on nitrogen. All green and tall. Is there anything I can do now to get them to bloom yet this year such as mowing them or am just out of luck and must wait for next year?
Mr. Strawberry
Terry,
It depends on the conditions last fall. The Autumn months are when the perennating buds are formed within the crown that will become the following year’s berries. So, if conditions last fall weren’t favorable, you might have to wait until next year. However, still give them some time. Some varieties are later to flower and set fruit than others. It might not be too late! Good luck!
Susan P
Hi. I planted a strawberry plant in a partially shaded corner of my yard as a test to see if they’d grow and if my dog being in the yard a few times a day would cause any difficulty. While I saw flowers that first year, I saw no fruit, so I figured it was a failed attempt–until I read your information a few minutes ago, anyway! That was 4 years ago.
After noticing a fairy wide and staggered path of white flowers and low-growing strawberry leaves going through my grass for a good 30 feet, I came on here in search of information. No runners are visible, it’s so low to the ground. Might you have any idea of what I can do to facilitate fruit growth?? It’s not near my vegetable garden and not an area I pay much attention to, so I can’t say with any certainty if any fruit were produced before.
Thank you for any ideas you might have, and for sharing your knowledge on the site in general 🙂
Mr. Strawberry
Susan P,
In your case, you are much more likely to get fruit if you: 1) transplant the strawberry plants to a location where they get full sun; 2) pull up all the surrounding grass and other weeds; 3) place protective netting around them. Without sun, the strawberry plants will produce little or no strawberries. Competing with grass for nutrients (strawberry roots are predominantly in the top several inches of soil, just like grass roots) diminishes fruit production as well. And, birds and other wildlife tend to hone in on strawberries as being the tasty morsels that they are! If you just planted one plant and now have a 30-ft patch of strawberries, they almost certainly have put out runners in the past. It is still too early for most varieties to send forth runners at this time of year. However, within a month or two, if you check regularly, you will probably see quite a few runners. Good luck!
Allene Miller
I set out Ozark Beauty Every bearing strawberries a few years ago. Every year I would take daughter plants and start a new crop. Last year they bloomed only one time, in the spring. They had plenty water, sunlight, fertility, real nice plants. Why did they stop blooming? The first plants bloomed from around March to November.
Straw Berry
Allene Miller,
They may have had an infestation of either a pathogen or parasite. Oftentimes, a sudden change like that with otherwise healthy-looking plants could be an indication of infection of some sort, or they could have too many nutrients. I’d recommend reviewing this information: Why No Strawberries? Good luck!
arfie fians
I live in low land’s tropical country (indonesia). I often read your’r article about strawberry. And I try to plant strawberry from seed. So far is good, i have 6 plant. thanks for your informations.
Straw Berry
arfie fians,
You are welcome! Keep me posted with your progress. Since strawberries normally do not do very well in tropical climates, be sure to let me know what variety you are growing if you indeed do find success. Good luck!
Chase
I moved into town and have been growing some of the uncommon strawberries indoors (Yellow Wonder, Mountain White, Black (from Europe), and Giant Strawberries). All of the plants were started from seed (after an 8 wk stratification), planted in Happy Frog Soil by Fox Farm, transplanted once, raised under normal office florescent lighting, with an average of 70 degree temp, and 2x a wk watering. At this time I’ve over 100 plants at different stages of growth between seedlings and (as of this week) the first flowering. My questions are:
1. How much does it mess with the strawberries life cycle to start them at the “wrong” time of year? I live in Iowa, it’s December, and I’ve got flowers.
2. After the first flowering, do you suggest placing the flowering plants or plants that I want to increase the production of flowers, under a different type of florescent bulb?
3. None of these indoor plants have any runners like my outdoor plain garden variety seemed to grow early in life. Is this normal?
4. I’d like to gift some of these plants. However, I’m concerned they will perish during the next few months without the lighting they are now accustomed to receiving. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to locate much solid information on disturbing strawberry plants in this manner- during winter months.
Thanks!
Straw Berry
Chase,
You should be fine with your plants as long as you provide adequately for their needs, which it sounds like you are doing well. Strawberries will grow continuously without dormancy, but it shortens their overall lifespan. Also, your flowers may not set fruit (or good fruit) without adequate pollination/light. For them to do the best, you should swap the normal office fluorescent bulbs for full-spectrum grow bulbs, if possible. The Fragaria vesca varieties produce fewer runners (some produce essentially none). So, it may be normal for your specific variety, but it also may mean they aren’t getting adequate nutrients/light to produce the excess vegetative matter. If the strawberry plants are healthy, they should be able to be transplanted. Good luck!
Andrew Crook
G’day,
Presently trying to grow Sweetheart Strawberries mainly because I’m bored and the wife loves strawberries. Purchased as small seedling/plants from a supermarket.
Live in Qld (Brisbane) and planted them mid October.
Quite healthy plants (I’m assuming judging by their growth rate), watering them daily and now have many small white flowers several growing in stems.
The plants are covered against hungry birds and they get about 4 hours of direct sunlight each day. The plants are in sugarcane mulch.
In SIMPLE words (please) – and I looked at your reply to Trudy 2012/12/07…..
Should these plants fruit before January 2014? (as the tags said 75 days and this would mean late November or early December).
When should fruit start to show after white flowers show up?
Have a good one!
Straw Berry
Andrew Crook,
There are a host of factors that affect how quickly strawberries produce. You might get some strawberries before the new year, but my guess is that you will get the majority of your berries after January. Strawberries like full sun the best, and the fact that yours only get about 4 hours per day will likely extend the time needed to develop out past 75 days. Sorry! But, good luck! Other than the sun, it sounds like you have a great setup there.
NKitty
My strawberry plant produced two little strawberries without flowers first. After a while i noticed the strawberries were getting bigger, but seemed to be developing miniature leaves and I thought it was trying to produce runners. But now on the strawberry itself its flowered… As far as I know this isn’t a normal process. Could you provide an explanation?
Mr. Strawberry
NKitty,
Yes, it is called vivipary. It is a phenomenon where seeds germinate right on the plant. It isn’t common with strawberries, but it happens on occasion.
Boniface Maganga
Hi,
Can strawberry seeds grow under tropical climate specifically in Kenya,Nairobi.Where Normal climate ranges between 15 degrees (Cold season) and upto 30 Degrees during hot season.
Which variety would give the best result in such conditions?
How long will it take for the plants to mature and start giving a normal production level.
Regards
Bonnie
Mr. Strawberry
Boniface Maganga,
Unfortunately, strawberries do not do well in tropical climates. Sorry!
Roxy
Hi there,
I planted some strawberry plants given to me by a friend back in March and they seem to be fairly happy looking but they are producing flowers and then the flowers die with no strawberries to show for it!
I planted them in what I felt was healthy, sandy soil (that hadn’t ever been cultivated) but didn’t add anything to it (like manure). It is all heavily mulched as I live in Central Portugal where we have hot summers and I’ve kept it well watered (a good soak every other day). They probably get about 5-6 hours direct sunlight between 1-7 so I’m guessing that’s enough exposure?
Please help, my 4 year old son is desperate to taste some of his favourite fruit!!
Many thanks
Roxy
Trudy
I have a fairly healthy strawberry plant with a few white flowers. Whenever I water the plant, the petals of the flowers fall off. Is this a bad thing?
Mr. Strawberry
Trudy,
Probably not. If your plants are in their productive season, the flower petals will fall off naturally as the flower grows into a strawberry. So, fret not! Everything is likely fine. Good luck!
Melissa
What do I do if my flower buds are under leaf level? I’m a beginner gardener & I also don’t know if I should cut the buds out. I bought mine from the store. The type is Ozark Beauty 🙂 Thanks.
Mr. Strawberry
Melissa,
I’d recommend starting by reading the information on the Growing Strawberries page. If you still have questions after reading that, I’m happy to help further. Good luck!
Patrick Trythall
WANTED: STRAWBERRYS
Thank you for posting this insight! It was very helpful in my 1st year as a strawberry gardner. I have questions regarding everbearing strawberry plants and hope someone can help me with a little expert knowledge. I was told by a rep from my supplier that the everbearing don’t produce as many strawberrys, however they produce for a longer period of time. I opted for the everbearing plants since I have 5 children that I would like to grow from the evolution of the plants life as well as enjoy picking eating them for longer periods of time throughout the year.
My biggest question is: Will clipping the leaves that don’t produce a flower allow more energy for the plant to produce strawberrys from the leaves that are flowering? Or if not, how can I maximize the production of strawberrys without harming the plant and/or depleting its energy required to establish a better root system.
Mr. Strawberry
Patrick,
What the rep told you is correct regarding everbearing strawberries. Also, don’t cut the healthy leaves off your strawberry plants. Doing so deprives them of their ability to carry out photosynthesis. For maximizing your strawberry haul, see the Growing Strawberries reference page.