Strawberry runners

[ellkebe]

My strawberries have obviously been staging a quiet but full scale bid for freedom as when I started clearing up the bed I fond lots of runners with healthy looking greenery attached, disappearing off into the blue yonder :)

I think I read that I can pot these on - it's the one of the plant's ways of propagating itself, after all? - but don't know much more - ie. can I cut them off and just replant them back in the same bed? do I need to pot them on and mollycoddle them for a bit? will they take a year or so to fruit successfully? if so, should I nip out any flowers this year and let them 'bulk' up for next year?

Sorry this is all a bit basic - and come to think of it, perhaps should be in the basics section - but I had a rubbish season with strawberries last year, after a really good one the year before, so am not feeling too confident about them.

Thanks for any help.

[ellkebe]

[saddad]

peg them into pots of soil or compost... sever later in the season when you are sure they have rooted,  leave in pots and make a new row in early Sept... fruit next summer!
;D

[allaboutliverpool]

Like most vegetables and fruits, strawberries are a doddle if you try not to mollycoddle them and worry.
The runners will root themselves but that is no good if you want a neat bed and sucesssion of healthy plants.
As the summer progresses, pin the runner to the ground with a loop of wire, just before the new plant is growing.  Make sure that you position the new plant where you want it and not where the mother plant wants it. If necessary in a small pot of soil or compost. There is no need to buy expensive compost as they will grow in ordinary soil.
Do not cut off the runner as it progresses as it will produce more plants.
In the Autumn, cut off the new plants and put them in a suitable bed.
This is where good soil helps and if you can dig in a load of compost or well rotted horse manure, they will appreciate both the moisture retaining properetis and the nourishment it will provide.
The following spring you will be rewarded with up to 10 strawberries per plant, but the next year with up to 50.
You can see a picture of my new bed at:-

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html

The bottom left bed is strawberries in October and the plants you can see are all 2006 runners. At the extreme left (out of shot are) 5 one year old plants that provided those young plants.  5 plants to 40 in one season proves my point!
I will add strawberries to my website shortly.

[simon404]

I'd agree with that except to say if the runner starts making more runners cut them off so that the plant puts its energy into making roots  ;)

[allaboutliverpool]

I agree for quality, rather than quantity, especially as one runner produced 8 small plants.

[jennym]

I would guess that most of these runners have already rooted themselves by now? if this is the case, you can (and do it quickly!) dig them up and re-plant them in more space. If these rooted themselves in the soil during autumn/winter 2006, then they may well fruit for you in 2007 - you don't need to pot them up. I let 2 runners only develop per plant, and don't let those runners produce any more. It's a good idea to have a new supply of plants available, as the original plants do tend to get tired after the third year. Some people find that a good way of coping with strawberries is to make brand new beds every three years, others have a rolling row, where some runners are allowed to root in front of the existing row, then the next year runners are allowed to root in front of that row and so on. Then the original row is disposed of in the fourth year, and you have three rows of strawberries slowly "moving" down the plot.

[allaboutliverpool]

Great response, my plot as you can see is divided into 3 x 10 deep beds and my plan is to rotate every 3 years, being careful not to grow in the previously used beds. This gives me 3 yearly rotation plan covering 10 years.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html

PS This week my wife bought some Spanish strawberries the size of hens eggs for £2.50 for 500gr. They were loaded with carbon miles, chemicals, plastic packaging, and tasted wet!

[ellkebe]

Many thanks for all the advice - I think they may have rooted alredy, judging by the green growth on them, so I'll try and see if there's a reasonable root system today, and take it from there.

Here's hoping a decent supply of strawberries will be back this year - summer without strawberries is an awful thought  ;D

[dtw]

The ones I potted up last year are flowering already in my greenhouse.  :D

[Tee Gee]

I agree with the others as you can see here; http://tinyurl.com/284egs

[ellkebe]

That's a great link - very informative - many thanks Tee Gee.