Strawberries...
Renovating Old Patches
Renovation is a good idea if your berry patch seems healthy, but too dense. It is not worth doing if your patch is diseased. You should start immediately after harvest to promote early runner formation, and have it completed by mid-July.
You will want to remove any grass or weeds from the patch. You can do this by hand or you can spray Hi-Yield® Postemergence Grass Herbicide. (As with all pesticides/herbicides, read and follow all label instructions.)
Next mow the old Strawberry leaves just above the crowns. Be careful not to damage the crowns. Now work on your row spacing. The rows should be 12-18 inches apart and the plants in the row should be 5-6 inches apart. Narrow rows will give better light penetration, disease control and better fruit quality. After you complete your row spacing, add 1/2 to 1 inch of soil to the rows and mulch with straw between the rows. Do not completely cover the crowns.
Strawberry crowns will continue to develop from the top, and new roots will be initiated. As runners develop, keep them swept into the rows.
Feed your plants with a well-balanced fertilizer such as 12-12-12 and make sure they receive 1 to 1 1/2 inch of water a week, either from rain or irrigation. Adequate water and fertilizer, especially in August and September, will increase bud formation and improve fruit yield for the coming year.
After September, any runner not rooted is considered a weed and should be removed.
