Strawberry Runners

**esrikandan** · 13-05-2011, 09:30 AM

Depends on how old the strawberry plants are. The runners will turn into new plants, so I'd suggest keep one or two per plant and removing the rest. Otherwise your bed will get overrun!

I have left strawberries be in the past and excessive runners didn't appear to hamper fruit production particularly.

**newspuds** · 13-05-2011, 09:37 AM

I ordered them through the post this year, so I presume they are first year plants. I grow them in pots and would like to harvest the runners as I only have 10 plants.

**esrikandan** · 13-05-2011, 09:41 AM

Yep - leave one or two per plant then. I've been told not to let runners grow on first year plants but not seen it have too much effect (having tried both last year). Most of my strawberries are from runners now and replace them when they get to about three years old.

Started with about 30 plants and now must have about 100!

**newspuds** · 13-05-2011, 09:45 AM

You must get a mountain of Strawberries from 100 plants! I need 12 new plants to fill my hanging planters next year. Thanks for your advice.

**esrikandan** · 13-05-2011, 09:51 AM

You can't have too many strawberries! Still have some of last years in the freezer (whizzed up - perfect for home made ice-cream).

Eventually you'll get into a nice cycle of 1, 2 and 3 year old plants that you replace with runners. The 2nd year plants (I find) fruit the best as they're very well established. The third year ones are good too (better than 1st year), but I find the plant is getting a bit manky looking and is probably a bit tired by then.

My 2nd year plants have just started throwing runners, so they'll be replacing the 3 year old plants once they've fruited.

**newspuds** · 13-05-2011, 10:21 AM

What a fantastic production line and all free! Can't wait to have my own full cycle.

**esrikandan** · 13-05-2011, 10:28 AM

On a last note - my strawbs have been in the same beds now for a bout 5 years - early spring I lob in spent compost (from my tomato containers from the previous year), and plenty of chicken manure pellets. Seems to be working so far.

I also don't water them too much - makes the fruit have a much better flavour.

Netting is a good idea as the birds love them too, but I don't bother with straw anymore as it's a bit of a faff and can get a bit messy. Slug pellets deal with the slimey creatures (the only chemical form of pest control I use).

**WillyNelson** · 13-05-2011, 02:23 PM

Started last year with 4 plants and now have 20+.

The way I understand it you let the 1st year plants produce runners to give a crop of 1st year plants in the next year and cut runners off 2nd & 3rd year plants to maximise fruiting.

**smallblueplanet** · 13-05-2011, 07:27 PM

Originally posted by WillyNelson View Post

....

Not THE Willie Nelson then?

**richardbees** · 13-05-2011, 07:44 PM

newspuds

= slightly off topic but you must start finding a source of straw or similar to put underneath the fruit as they swell and ripen.

Sooner or later we are going to have rain (although hard to believe at the moment!) and if you just leave the fruit on the ground they'll go mouldy.

richard

**Alison** · 14-05-2011, 10:05 AM

I cut all the runners off my strawberries until after they've fruited so that there is more air getting through to the fruit and they are far less likely to rot. I used to put straw (or similar) under the fruits but didn't get round to it last year and id didn't make any difference so don't bother at all now. Just put a good mulch of homemade compost round them in the spring and give them a bit of a feed, net when they're about to ripen and enjoy. I have 12 first year plants, 12 second year and 12 third year ones. After they've finished fruiting I'll take runners to replace the third year ones and plant up a new bed next year to replace the older ones. Get a really good crop and am still eating the jam from last year when they went truely mad and we were giving them away by the punnet load - much to the pleasure of my mum in particular!

**annetteg** · 17-05-2011, 01:34 PM

One year I tried bracken instead of straw which I had read somewhere and it just shrank too much, so still had that mould problem. As I a always use loads of nettles as mulch, I put some in my strawberry bed this year and it shrank so nicely that I feel I have the perfect underlay. I shall add another layer soon and then we'll see how it goes, first of the early ones is ripe already.

**WrexTheDragon** · 20-05-2011, 09:00 AM

I use little twigs to hold the trusts and fruit off the ground.

If I am looking for the best crop of fruit, I cut the runners off the plant so that it can produce fruit.

I tend to let let one plant produce runners.
I put some compost is a small plastic bag and make a small hole in the side.
I poke the runner into the bag so it grows and when a decent size I cut it from the mother plant.

**womble** · 20-05-2011, 01:54 PM

I'm using cardboard under each lot of fruit this year, any reason this could not work? Apart from slugs hiding under there I suppose.

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