How Can I Produce Bigger Strawberries?

Are you making sure that the soil is consistently moist?

Did you feed your strawberries with a well-balanced fertilizer in spring?

Are you removing runners (long side shoots) once per week?

Do you keep your strawberries free of weeds?

Do you harvest ripe strawberries regularly?

Water the strawberries when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil becomes dry, or when less than 1 inch of rain falls in a week. Apply 1 inch of water from a garden hose. Water the plants during the late morning or early afternoon to allow time for their leaves to dry before nightfall. Keep the soil consistently moist, but never soggy, preventing the plants from experiencing any periods of dryness.

Fertilize the strawberries with a 10-10-10 nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium slow-release granular fertilizer in the spring, just after new, active growth begins. Apply the fertilizer at a rate of 1 tablespoon per square foot of soil. Broadcast the granules on either side of the plants, 3 inches away from their centers. Rake the fertilizer into the top 3 inches of soil. Water the area thoroughly. Apply the fertilizer again after harvest.

Prune off runners, or long side shoots, beginning in the spring as the plants produce new growth. Use pruning shears to cut through the base of the runners, 1/4 inch above the point where they emerge from the main plant. Remove all runners once per week until after harvest is complete.

Pull weeds from the soil around the strawberry plants to reduce competition for nutrients and water. Use a rake to spread a 1- to 2-inch-deep layer of mulch around the plants to reduce future weed growth and slow soil moisture evaporation. Keep the mulch 2 to 4 inches away from the plant's stems to allow adequate air circulation. Check the plants weekly, and pull any new weeds.

Replace the strawberry plants with new starts every three to five years, as their growth and fruiting begin to wane. Plant individual starts with their crowns just above soil level, 14 to 18 inches apart. Space rows 24 to 30 inches apart.

Harvest ripe strawberries to encourage unripe or newly set berries to grow bigger. Check the plants every other day, picking all mature, fully red berries. Pick any damaged, weak or rotting berries from the plants at the same time, to divert the plant's energy to the developing, healthy berries.