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).
Should You Cut Flowers Off Strawberry Plants?
As a gardener one of the most important things you can do to ensure a bountiful strawberry harvest is to properly manage the flowers on your strawberry plants. While it may seem counterintuitive, selectively removing some or all of the flowers on your strawberry plants can actually help them be more productive. In this article, we’ll examine why cutting flowers leads to bigger better strawberry yields and provide tips on the best techniques for pruning blossoms.
Reasons to Remove Flowers
There are several key reasons why snipping off flowers boosts strawberry fruit production:
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Promotes Growth Over Flowering – When you remove flowers the plants put more energy into vegetative growth and runner production rather than fruiting. This results in larger more robust plants.
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Avoids Overcrowding – Allowing all flowers to develop overwhelms the plant, leading to congestion, disease, small berries, and lower yields per plant. Thinning blossoms gives the remaining ones room to fully develop.
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Maximizes Fruit Size – With less competition for resources, the flowers left on the plant receive more nutrients and expand into larger, higher quality berries.
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Extends Harvest – Eliminating the first flush of blooms delays initial fruiting, spreading it out over a longer period for an extended harvest.
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Improves Disease Resistance – Removing dead or diseased blooms helps prevent fungal issues like botrytis gray mold.
When to Prune Flowers
Proper timing is essential when cutting flowers for optimal results:
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Early Spring – Remove the very first flowers when they appear to promote vegetative growth.
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June-bearers – From early to mid spring, pinch off all blooms. Allow some flowers after mid-spring for pollination.
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Everbearers – In early spring, leave 4-5 flowers per plant then remove the rest. Resume thinning after new blooms emerge in midsummer.
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Ongoing – Deadhead spent blooms throughout the season to focus energy on ripening existing fruit.
How to Remove Flowers
Follow these tips when thinning strawberry blossoms:
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Use clean, sharp scissors or garden shears to avoid transmitting disease. Make cuts at a 45 degree angle just above the flower stem.
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Gently pinch or cut flowers – don’t damage leaves, runners, or the crown. Leaving any stem tissue can allow decay.
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Discard removed flowers in the trash – don’t compost. This prevents disease spread.
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Check plants every 2-3 days for new blossoms to remove. Be diligent and systematic in thinning.
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Inspect for pests like lygus bugs that can hide in flower crevices. Remove any insects found.
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Water plants after pruning to avoid drought stress. Fertilize if needed to encourage regrowth.
Benefits of Flower Removal
Here are some of the rewards of proper flower thinning:
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Larger, Higher Quality Berries – With ample room and nutrients available, the remaining blossoms expand into big, robust, flavorful strawberries.
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Extended Harvest Period – Eliminating some early flowers delays initial fruit production, spreading it out over a longer window.
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Healthier Plants – Pruning minimizes disease and encourages vigorous growth of foliage and runners.
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Increased Total Yields – Allowing just a few blossoms to pollinate and develop results in higher overall output and productivity.
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Easy Maintenance – Deadheading spent blooms keeps plants looking tidy and free of rotting tissue.
Tips and Considerations
Keep these tips in mind for the best results from flower thinning:
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Tailor thinning to the type of strawberry variety – June-bearers vs everbearers have slightly different needs.
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Don’t overthin – leave a target of around 5 flowers per plant in spring for good pollination and fruit set.
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Adjust timing for climate – delay thinning on hot climate plants so fruit has time to mature before summer.
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Go lightly on young or stressed plants – established, healthy plants can handle aggressive thinning.
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Stop deadheading by mid to late summer so plants can harden off for dormancy before winter arrives.
The Takeaway
While counterintuitive, removing flowers from strawberry plants is one of the most effective ways to boost fruit production. The tradeoff of bigger, better berries is well worth the small sacrifice of potential flowers. Just be sure to follow guidelines based on variety, climate, and plant health for success. With the right techniques, cutting flowers results in sweeter strawberry yields for the entire season.
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!
Should You Pick Off Flowers on Newly Planted Strawberries?
FAQ
Are you supposed to remove flowers from strawberry plants?
After removing flowers for a few weeks after planting, you can pick fruit later that summer.
Should I trim my strawberry flowers?
Early spring is your cue to prune June-bearing strawberries. Snip off flower stalks during the first year to bulk up those plants before they fruit. Post-harvest, give them a haircut, mowing down to about an inch above the soil to prep for next year.Jun 17, 2024
What to do with flowers on strawberry plants?
Strawberry plants produce “runners” off the main plant. That is how you get more strawberry plants. For your new plants in their first season you want to pinch off some flowers & the runners. This is because you want your plants to focus their energies on creating a strong root system.
Should you cut strawberry blossoms?
Removing strawberry blossoms takes some time upfront, but pays off all season long. The tradeoff of bigger, better fruit is well worth the effort. Just be sure to follow best practices based on variety and plant health. With the right technique, cutting flowers results in an abundant strawberry harvest!
How do you stop strawberry plants from growing?
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.
Can you remove flowers from strawberry plants?
Be careful not to damage the stalks of your strawberry plants as you remove their flower stalks. Only remove the flowers from everbearing plants (which produce fruit all throughout the growing season) and day-neutral plants (which produce flowers regardless of sunlight exposure). In addition, you should only remove flowers up to the middle of June.
When should strawberries be removed from a strawberry plant?
During the first growing season, all the blossoms should be removed from June-bearing strawberries. If the flowers are allowed to develop into berries, their development will reduce plant growth, runner production, and the size of next year’s crop. Check the strawberry plants once a week and remove the blossoms by pinching or cutting.
When should strawberries stop blooming?
Check the strawberry plants once a week and remove the blossoms by pinching or cutting. Flower production on June-bearing strawberries should stop by early July. With everbearing and day-neutral strawberries, remove all blossoms until early July. Any flowers which bloom after this period may be allowed to develop into fruit.
When should you cut strawberries?
Pinching off early blooms delays fruiting so you enjoy fresh strawberries over a longer period. Timing is everything when it comes to cutting flowers. Follow these guidelines: Pinch off the first blossoms when they appear in early spring. This will stimulate vegetative growth and runner production.