Few things signal the arrival of summer quite like a bowl of freshly picked strawberries. Whether they're tucked into desserts, blended into smoothies or enjoyed straight from the garden, homegrown strawberries have a flavor that's hard to beat. But if you've ever wondered why some plants produce large, juicy berries while others seem to struggle, the answer may come down to how the plant uses its energy.

Gardening expert Kevin Espiritu of @epicgardening recently shared two surprisingly simple tips that can help strawberry plants produce sweeter, larger and more abundant fruit. While it may feel counterintuitive at first, a little strategic pruning can make a big difference.

Expert Secrets for Growing Sweeter, Juicier Strawberries

The first tip is to keep an eye on flowers early in the growing season. While flowers eventually become strawberries, too many blooms on a young plant can actually slow it down. If your strawberry plant has produced lots of flowers but doesn't yet have many leaves, the expert recommends removing some of those blossoms.

Leaves act like miniature solar panels for the plant, capturing sunlight and converting it into energy. Without enough foliage, the plant may struggle to support its developing fruit. By sacrificing a few flowers early on, the plant can focus on growing stronger leaves and roots, which can lead to healthier plants and better strawberries later in the season.

The second tip targets something strawberry plants are famous for: runners. These long stems stretch away from the parent plant and eventually create brand new strawberry plants wherever they take root.

Strategic Pruning Can Help Grow Bigger, Juicier Strawberries

While runners are great if you're hoping to expand your strawberry patch, they're not so great if your goal is a bumper crop of fruit. Producing runners requires a significant amount of energy. Every runner the plant sends out is energy not directed toward growing berries.

To encourage larger, sweeter strawberries, the expert suggests trimming off runners as they appear. This allows the plant to concentrate its resources on fruit production rather than on creating new plants.

The good news is that neither of these techniques requires special equipment or advanced gardening knowledge. A quick check for excess flowers and wandering runners could be all it takes to help your strawberry plants deliver a tastier harvest. Sometimes, growing better berries isn't about doing more—it's about helping the plant focus on what it does best.