Matted row strawberry plantings may bear fruit for more than one season. Yield and berry size decrease after the first year. Renovation will help renew the strawberry planting. The main purpose of renovation is to keep plants from becoming too crowded. Do not attempt to renew strawberry beds heavily infested with weeds, diseases, or insects; it is better to set a new planting. To renew a planting, follow these five steps immediately after harvest:

1. Apply 2, 4-D herbicide to control broadleaf weeds. It will not hurt the strawberry plants since they become semi-dormant after harvest.
2. Wait 7 to 8 days, then mow the leaves off with a lawn mower or weed trimmer. Be careful not to damage the crowns. Rake the leaves away from plants and dispose of them.
   
3. Reduce the row width with a rototiller or hoe to a strip 12 to 18 inches wide.
   
4. Thin the plants leaving only the most healthy and vigorous. Plants should be about 6 inches apart in all directions.
   
5. Fertilize and water to promote new runner production.

Consumer Horticulture | Quick Reference

© Erv Evans, Consumer Horticulturalist
Shoprights NC State University