Strawberries

[Maverickpro201]

Do any of you ever cut or mow your strawberries down for the winter. I remember when I was young and on the farm we knock ours down every year. They always produced in the late spring. 

[Dutch]

I always thinned mine after they were done bearing.  I never did anything in the fall.

[tjm]

It depends on the type berries, I had June bearing strawberries and did what Dutch said. However if you have ever bearing strawberries I think they need to be worked in fall/winter or spring, I never kept those, so I'm not sure when is best. Do a web search for your variety.

Not related, but when I was kid this county was full of strawberry fields, they said one year that nine rail car loads of berries were shipped in a month locally. Then all that disappeared and I don't know why.  I do remember that you want them on an east facing slope so that morning sun removes the dew and lets you work them earlier in the day and the slope means you can work uphill and not have to stoop so far. Lots of bend overs in an acre of strawberries.

[MOPanfisher]

I always mow off the "mothers" once they fi ish producing and force them to produce runners, then spend the summer making sure the runners are rooted and watering them.  The o ly thing I do to them in the early fall is a very light fertilizing.  I don't even mulch them anymore.