"Camp Kitchen" wrote in message
. ..
Newbie gardener here (1st house, 1st garden) live in zone 4a and we've had a
really crappy long cold spring and early summer that (some say)shortened the
growing season, but things seem to be coming along fine.

I have a question about my strawberry plant. I bought one from Home Depot in
early May and kept it indoors, transfering it to a MUCH bigger pot because I
know they need room to grow. It was marked 'sequoia strawberry' and I figured
that was the variety of strawberry. Research online indicated that it would
probably bear no fruit its first season and that I should keep it in the pot
and plant it in a raised bed next year (2009).

I watered it according to what the general consensus of websites was (keep it
damp but not running with water, add fertilizer every once in a while) and
watched it flower. One flower. Eventually in late May it produced one
strawberry, which when I ate it was pretty good, all things considered. The
plant was pretty stringy and the strawberry was actually weighing down the
plant, but it still looked healthy, so I didn't worry.

After I ate the strawberry the plant seemed to go into dormant mode, or
something. I kept watering it, and soon after moved it outside (still in its
pot) to our new yard. The amount of rain we've been getting seems to agree
with it -- now it's putting forth new leaves like crazy which are coming up in
clumps, very low to the soil (more like how I've always seem strawberry plants
look) and the leaves themselves are a very healthy color and texture. Very
soon I'll have to transfer it to another, even bigger pot (prepatory to
bringing it in for the winter and then actually *planting* it next year).

And I have another flower! With one more about to blossom. This surprised me
because I figured that my plant was done for the season.

My question is this: Can I expect more strawberries out of this plant? Should
I let the flowers turn into berries? (Some of the websites seemed to agree
that I ought to pinch the flowers off, but my plant looks pretty healthy to me
with them on.) Advice from people who've gardened before would be good.


This is an "everbearing" variety. They generally have one big crop, then take a
break, then produce more slowly for the rest of the season. Watch for runners,
and guide them to soil to get more plants. Pinching flowers may encourage
runners.

I would just put it in the ground if that's where you want it. It is more likely
to grow and spread in the ground.

Older plants produce less, so after 3 years, removing the older plants will
allow more room to the younger, healthier ones.