Have you successfully planted and grown your strawberry plants and even harvested a lot of fruit and are you completely satisfied with yourself? Don't rest on your laurels yet, because at the end of the season there is still one last care measure left so that you can expect a rich harvest again next year. You should cut back the strawberries. But when is the right time to do this and what should you keep in mind? We will explain to you when and how to cut strawberries so that you do everything right.
The two types of strawberries differ not only in their lifespan, but also in when and how the plants should be cut. When do you cut back strawberries? You should cut strawberries after harvest, which is already the case in mid-summer for annual varieties. Everbearing strawberry varieties are usually harvested for a few more weeks or even months (until October).Also:Strawberries should be cut in autumn at the latest if they are ever-bearing varieties or around mid-July for single-bearing varieties.
After harvesting the last berry, you have about three weeks to prune. Why? After this time, the plants produce inhibitors that prevent the formation of new buds. By preventing this process, you ensure that the strawberry plant can form buds and thus flowers and fruit again next year.
But cuts also have another important reason. By regularly removing dried and dead matter, you will also prevent disease from forming. This is especially true for rotting leaves and other plant parts that are on the ground where the moisture can cause mold and other plant diseases to form.
If no old leaves are disturbing, the plants can develop new ones without hindrance, which then also receive sufficient light. And this in turn later promotes the formation of the buds, which are necessary for flower development and therefore also for fruit formation - and of course more buds also meana richer harvest.
Caring for strawberry plants through proper pruning – what should you pay attention to?
It is important that you do not damage the heart of the plant when pruning or even cut it off completely. Only remove the outer leaves and stems using a sharp and disinfected knife or secateurs. For larger beds you can be more generous with the cut. The strawberry plants can then be shortened to up to 5 to 10 centimeters. You can also use a lawnmower for this purpose, which is more practical, especially for large strawberry beds, than using scissors by hand. Here too, be careful not to damage the rhizome by placing the lawnmower high enough.
How do you proceed with offshoots?
After harvesting, the offshoots that the plant has formed are also cut off. However, you only carry out this step if younotplan to feed your plants through thisTo propagate offshoots. Otherwise, leave the strongest offshoots on the mother plant (this should definitely be healthy and strong so as not to inherit any diseases) and also leave the mother plant intact. Only when the offshoots have been transplanted, i.e. have formed their own roots, can the main plant be cut back, because until then it will feed its children.
A notice:Multiply your strawberry plants no more than once, as the risk of the young plants developing diseases increases afterwards. Instead, buy new plants again in the second year.
Cutting strawberries – Clean the plants regularly
As already mentioned, you should cut the strawberries regularly. By this we don't mean pruning after the harvest, but rather a subtle oneCare all season long. Check the plants every now and then for yellow or rotten leaves and dried plant parts and remove them immediately. Plant parts that remain in the moist soil create ideal conditions for fungal diseases that can harm or even kill your plants.
Should you cut strawberries in spring?
In spring, all dead leaves are removed. This applies to the new plants that you planted in the fall of the previous year. If the old plants have formed leaves again despite being pruned, they most likely died in the winter. In this case, too, remove them at the latestin spring.
The right cut for strawberry plants: conclusion
So on the whole this applies: Do not leave dead plant parts on the plant, but remove them as soon as possible to avoid disease and weak plants as a result. Pruning is used to increase the vigor of strawberry plants and should be done immediately after or up to 3 weeks after harvest. For single-bearing varieties, this time is in July; for perennials, this can last until October, depending on the variety. When pruning, be careful not to damage the rhizome, as the new leaves will sprout there.
