sometime in the recent past David Hare-Scott posted this:
wrote:
If you are thinking about planting strawberry plants this spring, you
will need to purchase bare root plants. When using bare roots you will
have to put off picking strawberries the first summer as the root
system is not fully established and will hurt your plants.


How does this work? The plant is using the energy to grow the fruit
regardless of whether you pick them, the birds eat them or they rot on
the spot.

David
No, they can't put energy into the fruit if they've already been picked off.
Can't give you a technical reason, but it's the same logic of not breeding
dogs, cats, cows, whatever until they are mature enough to handle the strain
on their systems. I'm not sure that it's the same thing, but rather than
wait for strawberries to appear, just pick off the blossoms. The plant will
regroup, put energy into the roots and try harder next time. Good luck.

And from what I understand, those strawberry crowns will produce well for a
couple of years and then production will slow. Farmers will take some of the
runners that set roots and use them to start new rows, so you only need to
buy crowns the first time.

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Wilson N44º39" W67º12"