Strawberry Double Crowns?

[Nibbler]

Okay.... I might be being really dippy... please bear with me

So, I repotted my many container strawberries (I have 31 plants now!) in February or March and of course the plants were mostly dormant and dull. Now all my plants are nice and lush and green it looks like 3 or 4 of them have double crowns. Is this possible, or is it just a case of a runner taking root next to a parent plant last year and me not noticing when I transplanted them? I gave each plant a jolly good wash and soak in water before they went into the new pots because the root balls were full of slug eggs and wood lice so I'm a bit surprised I didn't notice if this is the case. Does anyone know?

Also, is it too early for my strawbs to flower? Cambridge Favourite, Elsanta and Irresistible are all full of buds. Should I take them off?

Thanks all!

[Mikey]

Mine grow in height in the second and third year, I'm not sure if this is what you mean. After three years I turf them out as they become less prolific. On a three year cycle you always have 1st year runners, 2nd year good croppers and third year diminishing yields. Beyond this I don't think they are worthy of the space.

No don't strip them of their buds, we've had solid weather of late you will get a slightly earlier crop but not massively so.

[Flummery]

I've just potted up some runners from last year to start a new strawberry bed at the allotment. Some of them are doubles. I think it is just a case of 2 runners together. You can get 2 or 3 on a single 'thread' and if they touch down close together you get a double. Being tight, I've teased them apart and made extra plants from them.

[Shadylane]

I asked a similar question last year I think. I don't think i got an answer. I have some in pots which developed multiple crowns - they deffo weren't runners as they hardly produced any and the first batch I removed. I think I read somewhere that they can develop several crowns and that you can split them to make another plant. It's tricky though and I ballsied it up As for the buds - leave em, if we don't get any frosts (fingers crossed) they'll be fine. If we do you can just remove the frosted flowers then and hope it produces more.

[Flummery]

Some of mine are flowering. I'm leaving them (ever hopeful!) You can tell if they've been frosted - they have a black dot in the middle of the flower.

[Nibbler]

Wow thanks so much for your advice guys! I'll keep an eye out for the double crowns in other plants and have a go at splitting them. I'll watch the weather forecasts like a hawk too and fling some fleece on em... who knows maybe I'll be eating strawberries sooner than I planned!

[bendipa]

A number of my strawbs produce double crowns. It's quite normal behaviour particularly in their second year. I find usually only one of the crowns produces flowers. Split them with a sharp clean knife in autumn and replant, making sure that you have enough roots attached to both plants

I would not worry about frosts getting at the flowers now as the forecast in England is for mild to warm weather over the next few weeks.

[Germinater]

I find that the crowns do grow over there first year and almost double in size .
Have loads of flowers on my plants now and lookin forward to a bumper early crop before end of may so don't remove flowers the weather seems to be holding don't think were in for any nasty surprises before summer and enjoy your early strawberries ..

[FB.]

Some strawberries divide themselves at the crown, instead of, or in addition to, producing runners.
The variety "Florence" particularly comes to mind.