Allotments 4 All

I was a bit naughty and tried pinching a few runners from the pick your own farm where I went on Friday afternoon. The plants were Symphony, they were possibly the best strawbs I've ever tasted.

Plonked them straight in to damp compost as soon as I got them home, but today they are sad dried out little things  :(

I chose runners with little tiny roots coming out the bottom of the runner  too, hoping that this would help the situation. Tried misting them with water yesterday too. Is there any way I could get runners to survive like this? Plonking them in water instead? Or is it just a hopeless cause and should I just fork out for a couple of runners from a garden centre?  :-\

Hi Moggle - just guessing, but maybe they need to have their roots in the soil, and mature enough to work?

Haven't a clue though!  All best - Gavin

I am pleased to report that one of my nicked strawberry runners has sprouted a tiny new leaf, despite the rest of the leaves going brown and dry. The crown seemed to stay a little bit green the whole time.

Not everyday you get something for nothing is it?  ;D

Hi Moggle....I think you will find thay will be ok,just be patient,and keep them moist,after all they did origionally root without any human help    ;) I use rooted runners every other year to replenish my old plants.....Alan

Next time you pinch, have a moist tissue in a plastic baggy with you, I think the tiny roots will dry up in no time if not kept moist.
I wish you lots of luck with the one survivor, who knows, next year you may have 20.

Ina, that's a great idea! But at least I have one now, just need to keep it carefully labelled so I can take loads and loads of runners off it next year.  :) I also pinched a couple more about a week after the first ones, with better developed roots, and they are looking dry too. But they still have green, alive looking stems, so after the success of the first one, I am hopeful that they will make it too.

Alan, I know how to get runners to root in the 'normal' way - pegging down from a live parent plant. I've got about 20 growing from plants at home. I just wasn't sure if removing them from the parent plant straight away was going to work - but it looks like it did. Now I just hope the symphony strawbs taste as good as I remembered.  :)

I did exactly the same on Saturday and mine look all dried up now... You have given me a slight hope that they might come good.

Hi again Moggle,yep I always take them b4 they have rooted down,mainly cos my main plants are growing thru weed barrier and It's too time consuming to peg them into pots, so I take them home and plant them up into seed trays until they have rooted and then move them to their final resting place.....Alan