You will have better strawberries either way - you can mow them down with a string trimmer or hedge pruner, clip off the side shoots or even let them be the first year. A mulch of wood chips in October will help to protect the plants from winter injury but if you garden in a raised bed with good drainage this protective mulch may not be necessary. A mulch will also help to control weeds. Fertilize your strawberry patch in early spring and I predict a bumper crop next summer with lots of shortcake in your future. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti