Tweet
It’s not something I’ve tried before, but I’ve seen others do it with good results, so I thought: why not give it a go?
Using Runners to Create New Plants
Strawberries are great for producing free plants. They send out runners, which form small new plantlets along their length. If you catch them at the right time, you can turn these into strong new plants.
Some of the runners I lifted were better than others. A few had dead leaves and tired growth, which I removed straight away. Clearing away old material helps the plant focus on establishing new roots.
Not every runner will take, and that’s just part of gardening. But if most survive, it’s well worth the effort.
Compost Mix for Hanging Baskets
For these baskets, I used a mix of:
- Coir compost
- Perlite (for drainage and moisture control)
- A little multi-purpose compost with feed
This combination holds moisture well without becoming waterlogged, which is especially useful in hanging baskets. Even in winter, roots still need oxygen as well as water.
Once planted, each basket was given a light watering. The compost was already damp, and in cold weather it’s easy to overdo it. Overwatering now would do more harm than good.
Working in Frozen Conditions
It really was cold. Some of the compost and water had ice in it, and the raised beds outside were completely solid. Even so, when you’re itching to get out in the garden, you make the most of any opportunity.
Rather than waiting for perfect conditions, I worked with what I had. The runners were lifted from frozen ground, trimmed back, and gently planted into their new homes.
Long roots were shortened where needed, and strawberries will happily regrow from trimmed roots, and it’s often better than trying to force a long root into a small basket.
Hanging Baskets in the Greenhouse
Once planted, the baskets were hung up inside the greenhouse, next to my new solar lights. They’ll get shelter from frost, more stable temperatures, and better light than they would outside at this time of year.
The idea isn’t to force fast growth now, it’s simply to give them a head start. By the time spring arrives, these plants should already be well established and ready to push on.
Renewing Older Strawberry Beds
The original strawberry plants had been in the raised beds for two to three years. Strawberries tend to decline after three or four seasons, so using runners to replace older plants is a great way to keep crops productive without buying new plants.
Instead of letting runners go to waste, turning them into fresh plants keeps everything moving forward.
Looking Ahead
With the ground frozen solid and winter still in full swing, this project keeps things ticking over until warmer days return. If the baskets establish well, they should reward me with earlier and stronger crops later in the year.
I’ll be keeping an eye on them over the coming weeks and sharing how they develop.
Even in the depths of winter, there’s always something you can be doing in the garden.
➡ Link to new video - https://youtu.be/lMqxV9vmlsw
➡ Explore more winter experiments, early sowing & greenhouse tests:
Attached Files
