Strawberry plants

Gardeninggirl36 · September 2019

So have grown strawberries for the first time this year and now they have all grown runners. Can I cut the runners off the main plant and then pot the small plants in pots? Just some of the internet advice says keep the small plants attached to the runners. when putting in a pot. Can you suggest what I should be doing so that I can use the small plants at the end of the runners to get more strawberries next year, thanks 😊

Ceres · September 2019

The runners need to be attached to the main plant until they have made enough root growth to support themselves so don't cut them off until they have established in the pots.

purplerallim · September 2019

Most people put pots next to the plants and pin the little plants on the runners onto the soil, leave them like that until the little plants root then cut them off the main plant. It is getting a little late now, but if you want to you could cut the runners leaving the long stem attached to the little plant and pin it in a pot in a greenhouse or cold frame to give it a bit of protection from the cold and see if it survives. You have nothing to loose trying.
Last years runners fruited better than the original plants for me this year. Good luck.😁

Gardeninggirl36 · September 2019

Thanks so much for your reply. Will try putting them in pots like you have suggested. When would you suggest putting the little plants back outside? (If they survive of course) .
Also I have another strawberry plant where all of the leaves are brown. Shall I let them die off or cut the leaves off?

Fairygirl · September 2019

I never bring any runners inside. They stay out, even in small pots, in all weather. They're hard to kill.
You can take off old, browning leaves.

purplerallim · September 2019

I leave the plants in the greenhouse over winter ( just remember to give them a bit of water every once in a while) and plant them out where I want them in spring. The others get left where they are, then in spring I check for new growth and any that are dead are replaced by the runner plants, that's when I cut off dead leaves too.

ColinA · October 2019

I always understood that the leaves are completely cut off the plants as soon as fruiting has finished

Guernsey Donkey2 · October 2019

I have never done that @ColinA, but maybe I should?. When rooting runners I half bury a 3" plant pot next to the runner in the strawberry bed. I use the same soil that the mother plant is growing in. pop the end of the leaf end of the runner into the pot, carry on filling the pot up to the top, use a bent paper clip to secure the runner stem in the pot, water well and check them after a couple of weeks. If the runner pot has roots coming through the bottom of the pot I snip the runner stem away from the mother plant. I leave my runner pots out all winter, cover if your temperature drops well below freezing otherwise just treat them as free plants - I plant them out in the main strawberry bed in early Spring.

Fairygirl · October 2019

They root into surrounding soil if you have them in a bed or border, so you can remove and pot up separately if that happens.
I just bung them in a bit of compost or anything to hand really.

I've never protected strawberries at any time. You can grow them undercover if you want earlier crops, but otherwise they need no protection. A good spell of sub zero temps is usually brilliant for them - kills off the slugs

ievousis · October 2019

When is strawberry plant too old? When do you replace them completely?

steephill · October 2019

The usual advice is to replace them after 3 years. Over 3 years you will have grown many more runners than the original plants so no need to agonise over removing the old stock.

Strawberry plants

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