Strawberry plants are incredibly rewarding to grow, and as soon as that first fruit appears, it makes it all worth it. However, they can be a little tricky to care for before the plant reaches the fruiting stage, requiring lots of sunlight, watering and fertilising.
Luckily, a garden expert who goes by the user gardening.with.ish on TikTok has shared how to achieve “amazing strawberries” this year, and it’s all done with one simple job. The gardener said: “If you’re looking for amazing strawberries this year, then get rid of the strawberries.
“Now, it may sound a little bit mad to cut away the one thing you’re trying to grow, but there is a little bit of science behind it.
“If you’re starting to get your first flower on your strawberries, that’s great, but it’s not focusing the energy on the leaves and root development.
“So as a result, cutting those away is actually more beneficial than it is harmful.”
When it comes to pinching out the flower, the gardening expert shared just how easy it was with the viewers.
Simply take your two fingers and just push firmly on the stem, and it’ll pull away.
You can also use secateurs as well, according to the pro. He said: “I like to do it at the base of the stem, not to waste any energy and by doing that stunting of growth, you’ll focus more energy on root development and on your plant and the leaves too.
“This is particularly great for things like everbearers because they produce fruit all the way from June until September, so the more it can get, the happier the fruit will be.”
If you get rid of that first flower you can expect “happier, healthier and bushier plant”, as well as better fruit too from around June onwards.
So, if there’s any job you should be doing in the garden this weekend, it’s pinching strawberry plants!
