Runners

[Jason Cartwright]

Hi,

What do i do with the strawberry runners that are trying to root?
and
What's eating my strawberries?
Come to pick a couple of strawberries that looked ripe and something had eaten into them. Could it be the slugs and snails that seem to be hanging around?

J

[FB.]

What do i do with the strawberry runners that are trying to root?

If you want to keep them, either let them root, or put a pot of compost under them and use a paperclip or piece of wire to keep them in contact with the soil.
If you don't want them: cut them off.

What's eating my strawberries?
Come to pick a couple of strawberries that looked ripe and something had eaten into them. Could it be the slugs and snails that seem to be hanging around?

Slugs, snails and birds love strawberries - especially if other fruits aren't yet ripe.

[rustylady]

What is eating your strawberries = slugs, snails, woodlice, birds, ants and anything else that fancies a free feed. Root your runners like FB said if you want more plants, if you don't need any more plants then just cut them off.

[Jason Cartwright]

Thanks.
I've looked for a net to go over the strawberry plants but they all looked like they wouldn't keep anything out. I've seen one that looks like a poly tunnel type, would these be ok to keep off the pests?
and
With the runners, at what part of it do i cut it from main plant? Can i root them in a pot and transplant at later date? Would they produce fruit this year?

J

[Alison]

I tend to cut off my runners while the plants are fruiting as I want them to put energy into the fruit. When they've finished I let them produce a maximum of two runners and simply shove the already rooting runner into a 3" pot of compost. I'll then leave them in the pots until autumn when I cut them from the main plant and plant out into a new location. At this stage I'll also dig up my three year old plants and effectively replace them with the new runners. I do this every year. replacing a third of my plants so as to maximise fruiting each year. You will get some fruit off them next year but they will fruit best in their second and third years.

[rustylady]

Jaso,n if you want to root runners then yes you can root them into pots. Sink a pot into the ground where the first little plant is on the runner, fill with compost and peg your runner down with a hairpin or just weight it with a stone. Don't separate it from the main plant till it has rooted, but cut off any further runner that forms from your chosen plantlet. They won't produce fruit this year, but will make good plants for next year.

As for keeping the pests off your plants - good luck. Netting will keep birds off, but nothing will stop the slugs, snails and woodlice (except blue smarties)

[FB.]

Netting will keep birds off, but nothing will stop the slugs, snails and woodlice (except blue smarties)

Try wood ash.
As long as you don't go mad with it, and as long as it doesn't rain too much then it is very nasty stuff to slugs and snails.
The ash contains many metal oxides which will react with the slugs wet bodies; it turns into metal hydroxides when wet and acts like bleach.
Too much ash will also make the soil alkaline, although strawberries will tolerate slight alkalinity.

Also try anything that's prickly as the slugs and snails have soft bodies. I'm wondering about using raspberry stem prunings laid like logs on the ground.

Or the beer trap.

.

[Paulottie]

What is eating your strawberries = slugs, snails, woodlice, birds, ants and.....

mice, and squirrels, and badgers and rabbits and children.

[binley100]

woodlice, ants ........

[FB.]

mice, and squirrels, and badgers and rabbits and children.

All edible.

I'll have mine well-cooked, thanks.

[Jason Cartwright]

Out of all the Strawberries, that were produced, in my 1st year of growing anything, we managed to salvage 5 and they were eaten by my youngest daughter.
I've also potted up 7 plants from runners, that had good roots, and they seem to be doing well.
Will the main plant produce more runners next year?

[rustylady]

Yes Jason, they produce runners every year.

[sugar]

mice, and squirrels, and badgers and rabbits and children.

All edible.

I'll have mine well-cooked, thanks.

Children? How can you eat such filthy creatures.

[veggiechicken]

Children? How can you eat such filthy creatures.

In a Steak and Kiddy pie?

[Bigmallly]

Children? How can you eat such filthy creatures.

With plenty of brown sauce.