Strawberry plants can produce fruit for more than 1 year but probably not for more than 3 or 4 harvest seasons, depending on 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 1 year. Renovation refers to renewing the planting. Renovation restores life, vigor, and growth to the planting. The
renovation process must begin immediately after harvest and must be completed before July 15. The new canopy must be sufficiently developed and finished in growth by early September when flower buds form for June-bearing strawberry cultivars.
Steps in renovating strawberry beds:
*Control weeds by mechanical means or a labeled weed killer.
*Remove old strawberry leaves with a mower or a sickle. Make sure you set the blade high to avoid injuring plant crowns.
*Narrow the rows to 12″ by using a rotary tiller.
*Thin the plants within each row, leaving 4-6″ between plants.
*Topdress beds with 1/2-1″ of soil.
*Broadcast 2 1/2 lbs of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 sq. ft. of planting.
*Apply 1″ of water each week to promote growth if it does not rain.
The strawberry patch may not look very attractive right after renovation. However, strawberry plants do recover beautifully and will be much more productive