Strawberry Runners--is there a maximum they should be restricted to?

[DannyK]

Planted a dozen Mara des Bois this summer. Runners now all over raised bed. Should their numbers be restricted?

I'll be potting some up to keep in green house.

[bramble]

Personally I only take one, or two at the most from a plant.
Don't want to weaken the plant by allowing it to produce too many runners.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Personally I only take one, or two at the most from a plant.
Don't want to weaken the plant by allowing it to produce too many runners.

For me, the plants will still produce runners and if pinned down to the ground or into pots of compost they will quickly root and won't draw any resources from the parent plant. However, don't cultivate more than you need and cut off and discard the others.

[4Shoes]

It is said if you keep the runners under control, you will increase fruit crop by 20%. So if you don't need any runners for new plants, keep them trimmed off. This will have more of an impact on Everbearing Varieties.

Again if you need a few replacement plants, wait until after the 2nd flush of fruit before you allow them to grow.

[veggiechicken]

I let mine do whatever they like, to roam free - as you would expect.

[SarrissUK]

I bought six pots of strawb plants this year, and I've taken probably 20 runners off them. I didn't have a huge crop though, will not take any runners next year, but keep cutting them off and see if I can get a better yield.

[DannyK]

Thanks folks.

They've got to be taken in hand anyway as they are over-running the chard!

I was surprised there were so many.

[It never rains..it pours]

I only potted up one per plant and cut any others off as early as saw them. However if wanted lot more to pot then would do more as fruit loss be less than cost of buying in runners