Strawberry Renovation

What is renovation?

Renovation is the process that restores the health of the plants after harvest. Think of it like giving your strawberry plants a self-care day—they'll grow back stronger and be better prepared to produce lots of delicious berries for next year.

Renovation only applies to mature June-bearing strawberry plants. Do not renovate in the establishment year.

When should you renovate?

After you eat the last berry, it's time to renovate! Perform renovation on June-bearing strawberry beds immediately after harvest.

Renovation steps:

Mow or Clip Leaves

After harvesting all the berries, mow off the leaves or clip them to a height of about 3 inches. Set your lawn mower to its highest setting to mow leaves. Collect the clippings in the mower bag or rake them off to help reduce disease pressure. Take care not to cut or injure the crowns!

Reduce Bed Crowding

Rototill the edges of the beds to narrow the bed width to 12–18 inches. Do not let additional daughter plants root.  

Fertilizer Application

Plants need food, too! We recommend applying one lb.–1½ lbs. of 10-10-10 per 100 sq. ft. at the time of renovation.

For optimal fertilizer use efficiency, apply approximately two-thirds of the above rate at renovation and one-third in September.

Water

Complete the renovation process with thorough watering to ensure new growth gets off to a good start. Continue to maintain adequate moisture through the remainder of the growing season.

Reminder

Do not renovate day-neutral or everbearing strawberries!

Day-neutrals are typically grown as annuals, but plants can be overwintered for a second harvest, although berry size may decrease.