Strawberry plants

[chris]

Hi all,

I've two hangings baskets - one above the other on my back wall of my house - they both have produced long runners, which is great (despite the positioning of them probably not being the best - in terms of one above the other - so water could drip on fruit ?). I've tried taking a cutting of one, but it died pretty much straight away.. I've just now tried to plant a couple of the runners in a tray of compost along the floor - as what I'd like to do is eventually have the runners go along a window box that'll be near the hanging baskets - so the strawberries would grow down the left hand side of the window, then along the bottom of it - well that's my idea anyway.

Will these plants last the winter? The top plant looks like it's dying - some leaves have already turned brown, and a few are going red. Is there anything that I can do to help them survive the winter?

Thanks!

Chris

[Jardiniere]

Are you going for the record of number of posts posted by newby in one go?
Your strawberry plants after they have fruited will lie dormant and pick up again next year...you can fleece them if it gets snowy.Someone else will give you a more detailed reply i expect....

[chris]

Thanks.

I've so many questions it's unreal ! I've noticed that the runners are just growing and growing - I had our first crop of strawberries probably a month or so back now but just wondered why they looked like the main plant was dying and the runners were still going!

[squashysu]

hi again chrismarks lol!

with the runners you need to peg them into the compost and let them root before cutting them away from the other plant, if that makes sense, also i have just learnt that you need to cut back your leaves, i have just today given all of mine a haircut and then they should grow back well for next year.

hope this helps, just remember to let the runner root before cutting it off from the plant it has run from!!

SS

[Jameslovell]

just remember to let the runner root before cutting it off from the plant it has run from!!

SS

Hey Squashysu
How long do the runners take to root? I pegged down about 20 runners last week and can't wait to be able to spread them around my fruit bed.
Many thanks
James

[Lavenderblue]

oh i was going to post this same question about strawberry runners - thanks for saving me a job! Also, slightly dumb question but will the strawberry runners be of the same variety as the parent plant? I planted lots of new plants this year and as well as getting a decent crop of the best strawberries I have ever tasted, I have got hundreds of runners. I plan to peg them into compost and then plant them under a cloche to get them to fruit earlier next year but wondered if they would be the same varieties - I have early, mids and lates and it would be good to keep that succession going with their offspring.

[SueA]

Here's a link to some info about strawberries (look under propagation for info about runners). I usually find they've rooted about about 4 weeks but you can tell by giving them a liitle tug & see if they resist & cut them from the parent plant when they've rooted. If you've got runners coming off your hanging baskets you could either move the basket to the ground & peg the runners directly into the soil or put 3in. pots on the ground next to the basket & peg the runners down into these, if you want to leave the baskets where they are try balancing pots on the window ledge next to them & pegging the runners into these or try wrapping a small piece of sacking with a bit of compost in it around the base of the runner & tying it on with string or an eleastic band. Yes the plants will be the same variety as the parent plant.

BBC - Gardening - Basics - Growing strawberries

[squashysu]

hi in answer to both questions:

1. i wait until the first or second leaf is fully grown before cutting and i also give a little tug to make sure it has rooted.

2. they should be the same variety as the original plant, as they are the original plant, if that makes any sense!

some plants will grow loads of runners, just pick the strongest, the others i would trim back and not take root as they can take away from the plant the flowering process oh and also when they flower and start to fruit give them a feed, tomatoe feed if good, thats what i was using once a week.

Good luck, mine were delicious this year and cant wait for next years crop.

[bobbin]

Strawberries in grow bags.

I had a quite good crop of strawberries in grow bags. Do I leave them in the grow bags for next year or do I replant in new bags next year????????

[Two_Sheds]

Grow bags need to be replaced each year, as the plants will have used up all the goodness in them.
Spread the used grow bag on the compost heap or on your beds.

[Seabreeze]

My reply will most likely be too late for this year, but I root the runners in 3.5 inch plastic pots - then, carefully look underneath, and when the roots begin to show through the holes in the bottom, you know it's OK to cut sever from the mother plant.