Strawberry runners - how many per plant (and using from year 1 plants)?

[Russel Sprout]

Hi folks

I bought some strawberry plants in the spring. They've grown into big healthy looking plants. Only had a small handful of fruit this year, but there are now LOADS of very healthy looking runners from which I would like to propagate new plants ready for next year.

All in pots.

I've read up and have a good idea of what needs doing, but a couple of questions remain:

1. How many runners can I propagate per plant? Wasn't sure if doing too many in one go would take too much energy from the mother plant? Or doesn't it work like that?

2. Is it ok to propagate from plants that are in year 1? I've read mixed opinions on this.

Many thanks

[Nicos]

I can’t really help you with this as I just let mine throw off as many as they want , then cut them off then they’ve rooted.
Possibly exhausting the parent plant?
- so I can see your concern.
I have too many plants anyway so I’m just happy to pick whatever the slugs, birds, mice and hare chooses to leave for us

Anyway- I notice no one had responded, so hopefully this reply will kick start your thread.

[Vince G]

Hello Russell. So in early spring 2022 I planted a whole new strawb bed in a new area of my allotment. 35 plants, 4 varieties. Florence and Cambridge Favourite in particular chucked out loads of runners in year 1. I had a bit more space in the bed so I thought I'd pot up some of the runners to fill that space, I did 15 in all. You might find there are a number of potential plants per runner, but I just potted up the plant nearest to the mother plant and snipped off everything beyond that. I also did more than one per plant. I'm attaching below a pic of the Florence original plants in year 2 (last summer). No ill effects from having runners taken in year 1, absolutely full of fruit.

Just as an edit: the fruit were between 1" and 1½" at the top, so a decent size.

[Russel Sprout]

Thank you both for the helpful replies, to you Nicos for the bump, and to you Vince G for the photo. Your strawberries look great!

I've been busy and working more than I'd hoped, so still not got around to doing anything yet. But tomorrow I'm free so will tackle the plants, create new with some runners, and snip off the rest. Hopefully next year my endeavours will prove as fruitful as yours!

Cheers

[Nicos]

Vince G …wow!..those put mine to shame…Fantastic!
I clearly need to be a bit more selective with the number of runners I allow to root.
Thanks for responding

[greenishfing]

Hello Russell. So in early spring 2022 I planted a whole new strawb bed in a new area of my allotment. 35 plants, 4 varieties. Florence and Cambridge Favourite in particular chucked out loads of runners in year 1. I had a bit more space in the bed so I thought I'd pot up some of the runners to fill that space, I did 15 in all. You might find there are a number of potential plants per runner, but I just potted up the plant nearest to the mother plant and snipped off everything beyond that. I also did more than one per plant. I'm attaching below a pic of the Florence original plants in year 2 (last summer). No ill effects from having runners taken in year 1, absolutely full of fruit.

Just as an edit: the fruit were between 1" and 1½" at the top, so a decent size.

Vince, they look amazing. I want to know how on earth you get in to pick them though.

[Nicos]

^^^ I have visions of him commando crawling in there …with a mouth full of fruit!

[greenishfing]

^^^ I have visions of him commando crawling in there …with a mouth full of fruit!

That's what my sister and I did when we were toddlers. My dad said he could never understand why he never got red strawberries. We would also pinch my grandma's peas (lived next door), eat them raw, and bury the pods.

[Vince G]

^^^ I have visions of him commando crawling in there …with a mouth full of fruit!

Haha, that made me laugh out loud because it is not actually that far from the truth!

The cage is about 15 feet long and about 6 feet wide, so I unpeg the netting from one of the long sides and crawl under on hands and knees like some sort of strawberry ninja.

Thanks for the compliments too, I have made a lot of jam! 4 varieties and the best flavoured ones without doubt were Mara des Bois, but these don't seem to throw out runners as they are now producing a small second crop, so I guess the plants' energy is going into fruit not runners for now. Maybe they might chuck a few out once they've finished fruiting.

What I didn't mention previously is that I also grew some in the polytunnel this year. Had a few spare Honeoye runners so planted them in a basket hung in the poly. My pal at the lottie with whom I have a reciprocal watering arrangement for holidays ate the first of them whilst me and Mrs G were on hols in mid-May and said they were exceptionally sweet. Honeoye fruit pretty early, so if we have a dull early summer like this year the flavour is nothing special, but grown in the heat of a poly they're great. The plants aren't worth saving afterwards, but if you've got enought runners spare give it a go in your poly or greenhouse.