How many years can strawberries bear fruit in one place and the nuances of growing them

Strawberries are a tasty and healthy berry. The first fruits can be harvested within the year of planting. The next few years see peak fruiting, after which the yield gradually declines. Below is information on how long strawberries can bear fruit in the same location, why it's important to replant the plants, and how to tell when to replace your strawberries.

How many years does a strawberry bear fruit in one place?

Most garden strawberry varieties can grow and bear fruit abundantly in one spot for 3-4 years. Then, the bush grows larger, running out of space and nutrients to thrive. As a result, the berries become smaller, and the yield declines. Fertilizing doesn't solve the problem; the plants need to be divided and replanted.

Some gardeners practice annual strawberry cultivation. In this case, they are planted in the fall, and the following year, fruiting and runner growth occur. At the end of summer, the plants are removed, and the cuttings are dug up and planted in beds. In this case, garden strawberries do not develop large bushes; about 50 plants can be grown per square meter.

Why is it important to update planting material?

Each year, the strawberry bush produces new shoots, but the root remains alone. It cannot provide nutrition to the overgrown plant, whose yield declines each year. Furthermore, the root system begins to protrude above the ground, weakening the bush.

Another reason why it is necessary to update planting material is that diseases and pests accumulate under plants that have been growing in the same place for a long time.

How to understand that old bushes need to be replaced

Some varieties of garden strawberries can bear fruit for 5-6 years without degenerating. Therefore, before replanting, gardeners should inspect their crops and only then decide whether to replace the seedlings.

Inspection of the plant

The easiest way to determine whether garden strawberries need repotting is by visual inspection. One sign that this is necessary is the presence of numerous rosettes around the mother plant. To refresh the bed, divide the bush or replant the numerous runners that grow throughout the summer.

Barren flowers and lack of fruits

One of the reasons a strawberry plant needs to be replanted is an abundance of barren flowers and a lack of fruit. This is most often caused by the gardener purchasing male plants. These are larger in size, and the gardener mistakenly believes that such plants will bear fruit abundantly. Instead, they should purchase compact plants with flattened cores—these are female plants.

Frigo System: Advantages and Growing Technology

Frigo is a special technology for storing strawberry seedlings, invented by Dutch specialists. The procedure is as follows:

• In the fall, strawberries intended for storage are dug up;
• the roots are shaken off the soil, large leaves are cut off;
• plants are treated with antifungal preparations;
• strawberry bushes are placed several at a time in plastic bags;
• The seedlings are placed in a freezer with a temperature of 0 to -2 °C.

In this condition, seedlings can be stored for 9-10 months without losing yield after planting. The advantage of this method is that the plants remain viable even during freezing winters. Seedlings preserved in this way have a high survival rate.

Another advantage is that strawberries can be planted at any time, and with the right lighting, a continuous fruiting cycle can be achieved.