How do I start strawberry plants?

I'm totally new at growing strawberries. I bought 25 each of June bearing and everbearing. The everbearing have their first flowers - do I have to pull these off?? Or will it just mean that I won't have as big a harvest? I really, REALLY don't want to pull off those flowers if I don't have to!



To be more specific - I was told I "have to" pull the first flowers off. If I don't - it'll just mean a slightly weaker plant, right?
How do I start strawberry plants?
If you pick off the flowers now, you'll have a stronger plant that will produce more and larger berries. They're everbearing, so they'll just make more flowers anyway. You definatly don't need to debud the plant, but the current flowers will probably just produce small strawberries and you won't get a good harvest this year.
Reply:If you want a long lived plant that produces plenty from year-to-year, you should not allow it to produce fruit the first year, so yes you should pick off all the blossoms before they bare fruit. Even one or two berries would weaken it dramatically. Read this for more info: http://www.ehow.com/how_2000_grow-strawb...



I actually learned something new from this, it seems the everbearing variety can produce the first year just pluck the first blossoms until midsummer:



" Ever-bearing strawberries are an exception to the no-first-year-fruit rule. In their case, pinch off all blossoms until midsummer of the first year; after that, let the plants flower naturally. By that time they'll be strong enough to support their fall crop."
Reply:Just plant the strawberries.... They are strong plants and will grow well... The only things you should take off are the berries when there ripe... if you pick off the flowers the berries wont grow..