Pinch off the earliest blooms to let the plants concentrate on growth rather than fruit production. Pinch blossoms on June-bearing strawberries for at least the first two weeks they appear; you can even pinch off all blossoms the first year for better production in later years. Pinch off the first everbearing blossoms. Remove the blossoms for the first six weeks for day-neutral varieties. Don’t remove blossoms on alpine strawberries.
Keep the soil consistently most while the fruit is forming, providing about 1 to 2 inches of water per week. Pinch off June-bearing strawberry runners that are spreading out of bounds to ensure fewer but larger berries.
Feed June-bearing, alpine and musk strawberries plants as they begin to grow in spring with a balanced or low-nitrogen fertilizer; feed more heavily after you harvest. Lightly feed everbearing and day-neutral berries throughout the season once the blossoms have set.
Strawberries are subject to a number of pests, including aphids, mites, snails and slugs. Strawberry root weevils can be a problem in some areas. Even more of a problem will be birds. Use netting to keep them, and any household dogs or other creatures, away from the developing fruit. They all love strawberries just as much as humans do.
Diseases such as blight, fruit rot, leaf problems, powdery mildew and verticilium wilt can also cause problems, though if you keep a close watch and remove any diseased plants, you should be able to keep things in check.
If you live in a cold-weather climate, cover the plants with straw mulch by late fall. You can reuse the mulch the following spring if a late frost threatens.
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