Allotments 4 All

I have bought a lot of multi-crowned plants with the intention of splitting them to get more plants.  Any tips please to ensure as high a success rate as possible.

make sure the crown of each ind plant is just above soil level to avoid rotting

They generally root OK in the soil, but if any of them are a bit short of roots I find it easier to root those in a pot of free draining compost - but be vigilant if there's any chance of vine weevil - they love pots.

Will they not produce runners?

I can't speak for Redclanger but some of the perpetual kinds simply don't - I think it was Aromel that wouldn't for me, and with the help of vine weevil I eventually lost them all.

However it was probably for the best - I don't think divisions can ever keep you ahead of virus.

You can get by a long time by replacing old plants with runners (a lot longer than the books say) but it's worth replacing the non-running kinds much more regularly with clean stock - maybe even as regularly as the suppliers say... though it pains me to admit it.

I have a variety called Marshmarvel and most of them have not produced runners unfortuneately since it is a very tasty strawberry.  Those that have are a different cultivar though Marshalls refused to replace them.  So I suppose I will also have to divide the plants.  How do the professional growers prevent the vine weevil and produce clean stock?

I am hoping to sustain three beds (with three year life spans) using runners.  This is my initial stock - five plants each of Cambridge Vigour, Elasanta and Florence.  I bought them because they were multi crowned and would go further.  Now split and planted.  Most have roots, one or two are a bit short and may not survive and one as a very short runner that is currently residing in a pot whilst ir develops roots - still attached to parent plant.  Thanks for the advice. :)

Strawberries have been my favourite fruit for 50+ years. and I have always used runners for new plants.

There are a lot of popular fruits and vegetables which professional growers want to target for their customer base.

I agree there is a good case for them wanting to earn a living but not out of my pocket they wont.

The old varieties might be small but the flavour is sensational

Quote from: Digeroo on November 17, 2010, 07:50:05
How do the professional growers prevent the vine weevil and produce clean stock?

Well they probably use nematodes - they are ridiculously expensive in garden quantities but massively cheaper in bulk.

However for us normal people - strawberries are fairly easy to clean (I use potted strawberries as lures in my greenhouse - they take the pressure off other more precious plants).

It's best to wash all the soil off the roots in very early spring when the weevils are recognisable but before they do any real damage.

Like I said - strawberries with decent roots can be transplanted into open soil without any trouble at all.