Moving strawberry plants!

[gardenqueen]

Can I move established strawberry plants now please?

[gardenqueen]

[Tee Gee]

You do not say old your plants are which could affect the answers given.

Personally I would go for securing runners from these plants and start with new plants that you can replace in the same manner every three or so years.

This article will tell you a bit more;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Strawberry/Strawberry.htm

[gardenqueen]

A very interesting article on strawberries. I was even going to transplant them where potatoes had grown previously, Now I have read that article, I won't be doing that. The strawberries are getting on for 3 years old but on your advice I will pin down runners and use those.

[Digeroo]

I was recommended on this forum to use litre pots for the runners fed them very well all summer, and have had good crops in the first year.  Certainly no point in rehoming 3 years old plants, past their best already though you might have squeezed another year out of them.

I have taken to starting some new plants each year.  My oldest ones were grubbed up after fruiting: area now covered with brassicas.

[ancellsfarmer]

If these plants are looking healthy, and have cropped to your satisfaction and you need to move them, I would water them well, lift them and individually trim them of tatty foliage. Plant them in grow bags, about eight  in the centre of each bag, maybe 4-5 " apart. Water them regularly and place in half shade. They should soon produce an array of runners. select several and pin down with "n"s of coat hanger wire from the dry cleaner ,two or three on each side. Remove all others. By Cctober you should have, say 45 good new plnts established which can be severed and planted out. There would be no harm in keeping the bag going through the winter, firstly outside in a bit of frost and then clean and put in cold frame/coolhouse or tunnel. Keep barely moist until Jan 22nd, and then progressively water and feed  to get an early crop. The old plants can then be composted

[antipodes]

I find that some types do not produce runners  :-(    having said that I discovered that at least one of mine has this week so I will have at least two new baby plants to replace the old ones. I moved mine (one year old plants I think) this winter but did not have a good crop unfortunately. I will replace the smaller ones I think and leave the bigger ones in for one more go.

[gardenqueen]

Some of the plants aren't looking too good so those will be grubbed. Some of them have started to make runners so I will at least have some new plants. I had an excellent crop this year 12lbs of Elsanto strawberries and they were delicious!

[grannyjanny]

How many plants gave you that size crop please gardenqueen? We've only had a 3lbcrop so far from an 18x5' bed of mixed, early, mid & late season

[ancellsfarmer]

How many plants gave you that size crop please gardenqueen? We've only had a 3lbcrop so far from an 18x5' bed of mixed, early, mid & late season

How old are these plants?
In plot 18x5ft. I would expect to have 3 rows of 20plants, and hopefully a total crop of 40lbs in the second year. But you have to feed them!, and water to swell the fruit.

[gardenqueen]

The strawberry plants are nearly 3 years old and this year was the best crop from about 30 plants. I only have a small veg plot which is about 10 feet wide and ending up as nothing to speak of! It was a lawn once upon a time at the side of the garage and as we weren't likely to sit out there, I dug it up! I've had peas, strawberries, rhubarb and awaiting the sweetcorn to crop, so not bad for a very small plot!'