Prune Strawberries: [Importance, Season, Tools, Considerations and Steps]

Pruning strawberry plants is one of the recommended cares so that the plant evolves favorably.

Their application is usually a simple procedure since they do not grow like large trees but are small bushes.

This does not mean that pruning does not become a job that must be applied with good judgment, since it will have a direct impact on fruit production.

So that you know how to organize yourself, even if you have not done it before, we leave you this information that will serve as a manual for pruning strawberries.

Why prune strawberry plants?

The idea of ​​pruning strawberries comes about to ensure that the plants have the best possible structure for fruit production.Through this, light and air penetrate more, so the branches will have better health.

Pruning also reduces the number of unproductive branches, ensuring that energy is distributed among those that will be able to flower. This condition is essential so that the fruits that are born have better characteristics, both in terms of size and quality.

When is it better to carry out pruning of strawberries?

Pruning must be carried out at the end of the cold winter period. That is, at the beginning of spring. The idea is to rejuvenate the entire plant so that it can have enough energy to advance production.

What tools should we use when pruning strawberries?

Pruning strawberries is something simple regarding the tools that are needed because a hand scissors is more than enough. In some cases it is necessary to use an instrument such as a knife or a cutter to separate the cups that form at the base of the plant.

Remember that it is essential that all these tools are well disinfected and with an appropriate edge so that the cuts are very clean.

What considerations should we take into account when pruning strawberries?

Determining which branches offered production last season is key because these parts must be removed. Recognizing those that are in poor condition is much easier because they tend to lose the bright green color characteristic of healthy leaves.

Even though pruning in early spring is recommended, health status should always be checked. A diseased plant could die from pruning.

How to prune strawberries without damaging the plant?

Being small plants, the pruning process of strawberries is much more manageable than in other fruit species. In this case, it will be necessary to comply with the following steps:

1. Remove any leaves that are wilted, weak, or brown. Remember that it is very important to keep only green and young leaves. You can do this procedure at any time of the year because it directly affects the health of the plant.
2. Check which are the branches that already offered production in the past season and proceed to cut them about 3 centimeters from the tip to motivate a new shoot to be generated and that there is sufficient production in the period that begins. In some cases, this action is usually applied at the end of the last harvest.
3. Cut strawberry plants that have already bloomed and are tangled together very carefully. The idea is to avoid causing as little impact as possible on the land and the plants around them. Then, the process of cutting by sections is applied, reducing the branches to small portions to facilitate the process and to be able to discard them when appropriate.
4. Separate all the runners that the plant has created because these will encourage a new plant to form and will cause the mother plant to lose energy and nutrients in helping it develop. In any case, if a new plant is created, it is best to separate it so that it forms its own root structure and strengthens itself with its own nutrients.

When flowering, it is necessary to verify that the flowers are in optimal conditions to generate fruits. If they are weak or very small, it is better to cut them and thus concentrate the effort on the formation of strong fruits.

When the strawberry plant has produced its first fruits in summer, it is worth pruning back the foliage that it has already used to help it re-bloom. This action will facilitate a better distribution of nutrients, in addition to allowing air and light to circulate better inside the plant.

The main secret for pruning to be really effective is to leave the plant with as many green and young leaves as possible. These will help boost internal processes, such as photosynthesis, generating a direct positive impact on fruit production.

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