Topic: Strawberry Runners.

[gardenqueen]

Last year I asked were my strawberries dead and I had great advice telling me that they would survive the winter. Boy did they! I have had the most amazing and sweet crop this year.

Anyway what I would like to know now is when the runners are showing 2 maybe 3 new plants, how many should I keep?

[goodlife]

As many as you feel you have need for. If you put plant pot with compost in under the plantlet and poke it in, it will root very quickly. And as soon they have started put new growth on you can then cut the runners off from the mother plant.
I tend to nip the growing point off after the last plantlet so there is no energy wasted for further plants along the same runner stem...I don't know if it makes any difference but that's what I've always done...

[Digeroo]

I also tend to take the first runner from each stem.  I root into a  1lts pots using hair pins to hold the plantlets down.  Then keep very well fed and watered. Then I plant them out the end of September (with even more food) by then they should have nearly filled the pot with roots.  I had loads of fruit from last years runners.

[gavinjconway]

Two years ago I was given 20 odd dry almost dead plants in small 3" pots... I revived them and planted in a few long tubs. I harvested over 200 new plants off them and gave most away. The ones I kept ave me a great crop this year 40 kilos from 121 plants in their second year!!

[Digeroo]

I was recommended litre pots and have been very pleased with the results.  3 inch are fine but if you want good crops in their first years then you need a litre.    I am impatient I cannot wait another year for them.

[gardenqueen]

Wish I had room for lots of strawberry plants. Sounds to me as though the best thing is to just let one plantlet grow on. That will suit me as I haven't a lot of room for loads! My veg plot which used to be a front side lawn is about 10 feet wide 12 feet long which gradually narrow to nothing; In that, this year I have managed to crop peas, broad beans, potatoes and of course the strawberries!

[gavinjconway]

I was recommended litre pots and have been very pleased with the results.  3 inch are fine but if you want good crops in their first years then you need a litre.    I am impatient I cannot wait another year for them.

Use 3" pots to start them off and then in Sept plant them out into their bed... Far better than keeping them potted (even in 1lt pots) till the Spring.

[caroline7758]

Watching GW just now- Monty cut all the leaves off his plants as well as potting runners. Do you do that?

[caroline7758]

Just bumping up to ask again about cutting all leaves off strawbs?

[Mikeakabigman]

I did mine last week and set some runners in pots, the plants are already sprouting new leaves.

[squeezyjohn]

I also saw Monty Don say you should do that ... I've never head it before that though - and nobody I know does it.  The old leaves die back over winter anyway - I can't see why cutting them off would be of any more benefit to the plant.  Maybe it's just a bit tidier.

[gavinjconway]

Now you cut off the old big leaves... then it grows new leaves and then after winter you cut all the wintered dead leaves off again.. Now you cna leave a few new shoots and pot the runners as MD does.. 

[Digeroo]

I got a leaflet on strawberry growing which recommend cutting off all the old leaves, it is supposed to take away any diseased ones. I have been told the strawberry growers send in the sheep to eat them.   Otherwise the old leaves shade the new ones.  I then like to give them a good feed so stimulate the new growth.

With us the deer eat the winter leaves, and it seems to do a good job, because those that are eaten seem to grow yet another set of leaves and then fruit well.  I take the nets off to left nibble.

Is it just me but the dry weather seems to have made them short of runner.

[ancellsfarmer]

May I ask whether one should replace the now three year old plants with their own runners, or get new stock from the 2 year old ,or one year old rows, all of which have been taken from the original 12 plants from Lidl No apparent ills can be seen. Is there any need to buy new stock which I guess would be runners from somewhere?

PS I have always trimmed back the leaves to tidy, just a light flourish with the swap hook, but above the crowns,Used to burn the old leaves with the remaining straw over the crop but its been to wet the last two years.

[Mikeakabigman]

Cutting off the the old foliage is certainly nothing new, in the old days when straw was more commonly used, the growers used to burn off everything.
Basically its just about good housekeeping... clearing old, maybe diseased foliage, opening up the plants to good air circulation, which keeps at bay Botrytis and other fungal infections that can potentially ruin a strawberry crop.
My Strawberries are first year plants and I'm increasing my stock from these already, using only the strongest most vigorous  runners/plants. This will not only give me more plants for next season but will start a rotation so that by the third year I will have new plants to replace my original stock.
As I understand it, so long as your plants are healthy , striking runners from any age plant will be ok.

[caroline7758]

After reading this thread I started potting up runners this evening but still have two questions! Firstly, if one runner has several plantlets, can I pot them all? Someone said they pot the first one, is that the one nearest or furthest from the parent plant?
And some runners have already rooted themselves in the soil. When should I dig these up if I want to move them?

[Paulh]

The first is the one nearest the parent plant.

It's better to move/pot up rooted plantlets now before they get established. Unless they have good roots and new leaves coming, don't detach them from the parent plant yet.