Strawberry Plants

[GolfAholic]

Is it to late to plant strawberry runners?

[Geordie]

Do you mean these are existing plants that have produced runners which in turn have set new plants in the soil but with runners still attached?

[GolfAholic]

strawberry runners

Yes thats the ones.

[Geordie]

Ok, usually when the parent plant produces a runner with a mini plant on the end you would bury a little pot of compost and press the mini plant into the compost. Place a little wire peg over the runner and into the compost to act as an anchor. This keeps the mini plant in place whilst it forms roots.
After a few weeks when the mini plant has rooted into the pot of compost you sever the runner at the mini plant and then remove pot to continue to grow.
At this time of year repot plant into larger pot and if possible overwinter in cold greenhouse or similar, planting out in required position next spring. Or you could plant into greenhouse bed and try for an early crop (depends upon variety).

I would, frozen ground allowing, sever runner, lift mini plant and soil to protect roots, put into large stage pot (8-10") with some fresh compost added. This should then be overwintered.

If I have left runners in the ground and then transplanted next spring they never seem to do as well as the ones I lifted in the Autumn.

As with most things in gardening try both methods and see which works best for you!

[Lesley Jay]

As I am on clay soil I can't use little pots for the strawberry runners because the ground is too hard to sink the pots in. So I let the strawberry runners form and throw out roots and when they are well rooted I then cut off the runner from the mother plant and dig up the runner and plant it in the new strawberry bed. After that I never leave runners on over winter because I don't want the runners to take too much out of the mother plant. Come the following year we always get good strong plants.

[GolfAholic]

Thanks, I'll pot up tomorrow.

[andrewo]

Forcing

Did you see the forcing method in GYO, where you grow the strawberry runners in a greenhouse and get strawberries in Jan?

I may have a go of this but it seem such a waste.

Andrewo

[pigletwillie]

strawberry plants

If you dont want to force the plants there is no need to keep the plants in a greenhouse. They actually need the cold to promote flower buds in the crown. I think the correct term is vernalisation (but I may be wrong with that). I plant new runners out each year and replace my three year old plants with them. They are very hardy plants.

Another plant that requires the cold are Blueberries.

Regards

David