How to Make Strawberry Shoots Produce

Take soil samples from the planting site to your local agricultural extension agency to determine the soil condition. Strawberries grow best in nutrient-rich sandy loam with a pH level between 6.0 and 6.5. Your extension agent will recommend the proper soil amendments to create the best foundation for your new strawberry plants.

Destroy all weeds in the chosen planting location prior to adding soil amendments. Washington State University Cooperative Extension recommends planting a cover crop, also referred to as green manure, the year before preparing the bed for strawberry plants. This helps enrich the soil and prevents weed infestation. Green manure crops include wheat, vetch, beans and oats.

Till the cover crop into the soil, along with a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch or aged manure and coarse sand. Work the amendments into the soil at a depth of 10 to 12 inches. Prepare the bed in the fall so the green manure and amendments have time to decay and improve the soil structure.

Apply a water-soluble, balanced fertilizer to the planting site as early as possible in the spring and at least two to three weeks before planting. Purdue University Cooperative Extension recommends an application of 2 pounds per every 100 square feet of planting space, tilled into the soil at a depth of at least 6 inches.

Space strawberry plants at least 18 inches apart in each row, allowing 3 to 5 feet between each row. This system, called "matted row," allows the mother plant to grow in the row, with the shoots extending into the space between rows to increase fruit production.

Dig holes deep enough to allow the roots to extend straight down, and position each plant so at least half of the crown is above the soil line. Pack soil firmly around the base of the stem, and water each plant to set it in place.

Pull weeds by hand as they occur. Strawberry plants are not strong enough to compete with weeds and other plants for nutrition. The University of Minnesota Extension notes that you should only hoe on the surface of the soil to prevent injury to the shallow root system.

Pinch or snip off all the blooms that appear on each plant during the first year. This allows the root system and plant to fully develop and increases fruit production in the following years.

Allow shoots to extend into the space between rows, until each row measures 18 to 24 inches. Remove excess runners by hand or with scissors.

Apply balanced fertilizer at a rate of 2 1/2 pounds per 100 square feet. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, fertilizer should be added early each spring and again after harvest. However, avoid fertilizing strawberries late in the season to protect the plants against winter damage.

Water strawberry plants at least once a week at a rate of 1 to 2 inches, allowing water to soak into the soil at a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Keep the plants watered into late autumn to encourage new bud development for the following year.

Control strawberry pests, such as slugs, picnic beetles and tarnished plant bugs, with insecticide, applied well before the plants begin to bloom. Using insecticide after flowers form will harm essential pollinators, such as bees.

Cover strawberry plants with 2 to 3 inches of straw in late November or early December when the plants become dormant. Leave the straw in place until spring when new leaves begin to develop. According to Purdue University Cooperative Extension, avoid using grass clippings or leaves to cover plants, as these materials form an impenetrable mat that suffocates the strawberry plants.