Strawberry plants can be fruited more than one year but probably not for more than three harvest seasons, depending upon the vigor and number of plants. June-bearing strawberries should be renovated every year right after harvest if one desires excellent fruit production for more than one year.
First, control weeds by mechanical means or labeled herbicides. Contact your local Extension office for herbicide recommendations. After fruit harvest is complete, remove all old leaves with a mower set high. Make sure to set the mower as high as the blade will go to avoid injuring plant crowns. Narrow the rows to a width of about 12 inches by cultivating between them with a rotary tiller. Thin the plants within each row, leaving 4 to 6 inches between plants. Top-dress beds with 0.5 to 1 inch of soil. Broadcast 2.5 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet of planting. Apply 1 inch of water each week to promote growth if it does not rain. The strawberry patch may look very depressing right after renovation. However, strawberry plants do recover beautifully and will be much more productive.
