No Strawberry Runners

[PyreneesPlot]

Last spring I planted bare rooted strawberry plants which fruited OK last year and so far very well this year. There are plenty of new leaves and flowers coming, but as yet no runners which is frustrating as I would like more plants (wouldn't we all!).

The variety is Annabelle, ground is VERY heavy clay, in reality they are in pockets in the solid subsoil as my soil depth is only 5cm at best. They are fed about fortnightly with nettle or borage tea during the growing season and get a nice top up of home made compost in the spring. They are in full sun - it can be very hot - but can become waterlogged when it rains.

Am I just impatient?!

[rustylady]

Mine on the allotment are still busy fruiting. No runners yet, but they will come.

[FB.]

Some varieties don't produce many (if any) runners. I had some Florence which tended to divide into two at the crown each year but never produced any runners.

Runners will usually be produced in the plant's first year.

The harder the plants are pushed for fruit, the less runners they will produce.
The more runners they produce, the less fruit they will produce.

The plants have only got so much energy, so if fruit is wanted then it is best to cut off energy-draining runners. If runners are wanted it is best not to fruit them too hard. But if they simply don't produce runners, then de-fruiting won't make any difference.

[Alison]

I always cut off all runners until after they've finished fruiting but mine are just starting to produce some now so I harvest and clip at the same time.

[Chocolate8me]

My (one and only strawberry plant) has recently took on a huge growth spurt of which I am grateful.
It has one flower & two runners. I don't know what to do with the runners exactly but I've rested them on a pot of MPC in the hope that will encourage them to sprout roots.

Maybe yours produced runners before you bought them as FB says.
My plant was grown from seed (it's the only one out of many that germinated which is why I want more from it).

[Alison]

I don't know what to do with the runners exactly but I've rested them on a pot of MPC in the hope that will encourage them to sprout roots.

If you peg down the bit along the runner which has leaves on it to the compost then you'll increase your chances, you don't necessarily need to as they will root of their own accord but it keeps them still.