Strawberry Runner Vitality?

[Jack Astbury]

Hi everyone,

I have a question about strawberry runners and their vitality. Everybody knows that strawberries lose their vigour after 3 or so years. But my question is do runners that are transplanted from a 3 year old plant have the vigour of a 1 year old or a 3 year old? Hope that makes sense!

Thanks for your help!

Jack

[veggiechicken]

Hi Jack and Welcome!
I'm no expert but I've always understood the runners to be babies that start at year 1, whatever age the mother is!

[rustylady]

Yes Jack, they are new plants so not even 1 year old.

[Jack Astbury]

Thanks for all your replies guys - now I feel free to go fourth and multiply! Jack

[FB.]

I think the main problems with older strawberry plants are their great hunger for nutrients, which quickly depletes the soil around them. Also the build-up of underground pests attacking the roots such as nematodes and vine weevil (especially in pots).

In theory the older plants may have picked up viruses too (transmitted by aphids, nematodes and other such creatures - especially if a neglected old patch of strawberries is nearby to act as a reservoir).

Virus infection is often visible by abnormal appearance of leaves and will be transmitted to runners.
So don't take runners from older plants which look virus-infected or because the virus will have been passed to the runners while they were feeding off the mother plants sap.

If you take runners and they are virus-infected, you'll probably find that they are generally less happy and less productive. Any strawberry plant or transplanted runner which is behaving suspiciously is best be removed.

[Jack Astbury]

Very useful information and explanation FB. I will check closely for signs of virus in both the parent plants and the offspring and then make a decision weather I want to use them. Last year we had a very bad yield (although there were lots of flowers and green strawberries) but I think was mainly due to slugs and rain so the trick will be deciding weather they are diseased or not. Any tips on how to do this?

Thanks again,

Jack

[FB.]

Very useful information and explanation FB. I will check closely for signs of virus in both the parent plants and the offspring and then make a decision weather I want to use them. Last year we had a very bad yield (although there were lots of flowers and green strawberries) but I think was mainly due to slugs and rain so the trick will be deciding weather they are diseased or not. Any tips on how to do this?

Thanks again,

Jack

RHS page on strawberry virus diseases:
Strawberry viruses / Royal Horticultural Society

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