Establishing mother plants in early spring encourages daughter plants to grow earlier as well. This results in larger growth from the first daughter plants by the end of the growing season and ultimately more berries the following spring. Planting during the higher temperatures stresses the mother plants limiting their growth, making them weaker and delaying the onset of daughter plants. All of this negatively affects the number of berries produced.
Newly established plants have a limited amount of energy stored. This energy needs to be used for root development and making runners rather than making fruit. During the first growing season, remove all flowers to prevent energy from being used for fruit development. If fruit is allowed to develop during the first year of growth expect weaker daughter plants and a drastic reduction in the amount of fruit the following year due to insufficient energy.
Space strawberry plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 12 to 18 inches wide as strawberries bear most of the fruit on the edges of the row rather than the center. (Cynthia Domenghini)