WILD runners

[Alison]

I've started tubs of strawberries off in the greenhouse and got a very early crop in the past but you do have to remember to fertilise with a paint brush as the bees won't be there to do your work.

[supersam]

Ooops Alison, I never thought of that! Doh can't you tell I'm new.
How do I do that?

Thanks

Sam

[Alison]

Just get a clean smallish paintbrush and take the pollen from one flower to another, it's pretty easy, you've just got to remember when the flowers are open.

[supersam]

Thanks, good job you mentioned it. I take it there are no male/female plants to complicate things, just pollen from one flower to another?

[Alison]

I think so Supersam, am pretty sure you just need to disturb the pollen and that any of the flowers can form a fruit but other people may be able to confirm for sure. I just know that lightly brushing the open flowers seems to work so I always do it, can't remember who told me but suppose somebody must have!

[rustylady]

Strawberry plants don't have male and female flowers, the main ones that have are courgettes, cucumbers, melons. You can either use a paintbrush, or just tap the flowers gently. If they're outside you don't need to do anything, the wind and insects will do it for you.

Runners don't just form one plant, they keep going with plants forming at intervals all along the runner. I usually just leave one or two and then cut the runner. Same goes if the plant is producing too many runners, just cut them off with scissors or secateurs. I grow mine on the lottie, so just peg the runners down with wire "hairpins" where they're making new plants. Pots dry out too quickly.

However this year I planted 3 strawberry plants in a sort of Grecian Urn (plastic) and stood it outside the back door. Loads of lovely strawbs which never made it to the kitchen (straight from plant to mouth) and no slug or bird damage. Don't know the variety (they were a gizzit from a neighbour) so I've rooted runners from them into a small trough stood on a bucket next to the urn.

[leona]

if they are wild strawbs it dosent matter if they runners havent rooted. you cannot kill them! i have a trough full of wild strawbs and i had a spare shady patch in the garden so i cut all the runners off at whatever stage they were at and planted them. not one has died!

[soobeth]

Sooo What About My Runners I Have Waited Nearly 4+ Months 4 Advice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Alice]

Hi Soobeth, maybe you missed the posts, but if you look back to your opening post and follow on from there I think you'll see yor answers. God luck with the strawberries.