preparing strawberry beds for winter

[rideaway]

I read a garden book that recommends cutting off the foliage on my strawberries before I mulch them for winter. Has anyone done that before?

Also, I can't afford straw, so will be mulching with a very thick layer of maple leaves, I think that will be thick enough.

[RNMOM]

My hubby takes the weed whacker to them every fall. I haven't ever covered them with anything before for mulch, but maybe we will this year.

They are absolutely out of control this year. I have a fairly small bed, but they are producing like zucchini!

[B00kW0rm]

How long does it take for strawberry plants to establish themselves well enough to start producing fruit?? My mom set out a small row of plants this spring and she's only picked three to four berries. Is this normal?

[rockymtngirl]

Bookworm - Here in Colorado - I planted my berries last year and only got a few - this year I harvested about 3 quarts.
RE: putting them down for winter - I did not cut them back last year, but did mulch with leaves that had fallen from the maple tree last fall. They seemed to winter over fine here, but I'm wondering if I would get more production if I DID cut them back in the fall - or should I do it now since they are done producing?

RMG

[RNMOM]

I think it depends on the type of strawberries planted. In the past I've had "laramie" a few years ago a gentleman gave me some "seascape". They are the ones going nuts this year. I transplanted them this spring and the guy told me to pick of all blossoms this year just to establish the root. I didn't I couldn't bear to. I wonder what the crop next year would have been if I had.

I think strawberries are pretty hardy and I haven't worried too much about covering them. This past winter we had -30 temps for several days in a row and this spring they just came up no worse for the wear.

[cubcadet]

RNMOM,
I think you are right in obliterating the strawberry vines. I read that once every 3-5 years, you should dig up your patch and re-plant. Some everbearing varieties put out runners that you can use to transplant into another section of the garden, ar trim back the unruly runners to the best looking plant. I believe in rotating crops anyhow.
You really ought to pinch back the young fruit the first year, at least, in order to give the root system more chance to grow.

[bookwormom]

You plant strawberry plants the first year. pinch off the flowers if you have planted them in spring. They will bear their first crop next year.
the young plants that they send out on a shoot can be dug up and transplanted to start a new planting. Offspring from a planting that is new will do good. However, with each season the stock wears down , berries will be smaller, afterr three years I buy new plants and start a fresh planting.
I mowed down my plants already and put on manure.

[msta999]

If I understand this right, you plant the strawberries the first year, snip off the flowers (no fruit the first year) and only get berries for the next 2 years and then you start all over again? I didn't realize straw berries were so much work. I guess if your transplanting the shoots every every year, it will just keep going to make up for the plants you are getting rid of.....does that sound right?

[bookwormom]

oh, you can let the strawberry bed go on inde. I have a patch now that I planted two years ago, one that I planted from suckers from that bed last year, they bore their first crop this season. I'll start another bed and then next spring I'll invest in new plants for a new starter bed and till under the first one. .