Sorry - another strawberry question

[Ger-annie-um]

I have just bought (from a well known budget supermarket) some Elsenta strawberry plants. They look extremely healthy and even have some flowers on some of them.

Question - should I take the flowers off before I plant them? It seems a bit early for flowers although I could put fleece over them if necessary, and should I be feeding/manuring strawberries now.
Any advice appreciated

[Kleftiwallah]

I should remove all flowers in the first year to allow a good root system to form. Cheers, Tony.

[Bigmallly]

I'm of the opposite view. If I bought a strawberry plant with flowers, I'd expect strawberries so would leave them. You'll only get 3 decent years out of it & the plant will throw out runners so get what you can IMO.

[roitelet]

The only plants I take the flowers off are the ones that I am going to force in year two.

[cariann88]

I am with BM on this. I'd keep the flowers.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Again I am with BM on this one, I left two runners to over winter in the GH, both have small fruit on them and I am looking forward to an early taste of spring.

[Ger-annie-um]

Thanks all...............I'll leave the flowers on, plant them out and cover with fleece if we get frosts.

[Jay22]

Count yourself lucky, I don't even have a leaf on the freebie plants from Octobers mag...Strawbs or rasps!

[NatalieCooke]

I didn't bother removing any Flowers the first year we had strawberries and got quite a good crop.
Second year much better.

We tried to grow strawberry seeds twice this year but no luck what so ever!!

[Sheilakins]

I've just taken delivery of some Sweetheart Strawberry runners from DT Brown, my question is will they fruit this year & also should I cut off any runners to encourage better crown growth?....new to this GYO .