strawberry plants

[lisa_cee]

i have 2 strawberry plants which fingers crossed seem to be doing well as long as i keep check on them and squash any greenfly i see near them we have already had 2 yummy strawbs

right now i'll get to the question after the strawberries are all gone does the plant keep for next year or do i discard it ?

lisa

[Cutecumber]

Don't discard it - strawberry plants should give a decent crop for at least three years.

They can be propagated by the "runners" that they produce, too, so you may not need to buy new plants. Runners are like thin stems with a growing tip which make new little plants. You will see them striking out for freedom - I've already seen a few this season. Remove them until after your plant has cropped, then set about capturing their potential.

here's some advice I found:

Strawberry plants have a 3 year cycle…. the first year you get a small crop…the second year you get a large crop, and possibly the third year, but after three years, they lose their oomph…. so you need to replace your plants, and to take runners during the first year to make sure you have a second year crop all the time. When strawberries are growing well, they throw out tendrils, which grow miniature plants on the end, and they are the runners. When they get to a size of 3 or 4 leaves, then cut off the runner, and plant it in a pot of good multi-purpose compost, and keep well-watered. When you take the runners in the first year, do not let the runner plant crop. Just let it sit, and produce leaves. They are called maiden plants…. if flowers look like opening, take them off. Don't forget to label and date your runners. Remove surplus runners, and make sure you keep your plants well weeded if growing them in the ground.

[moggssue]

I'm on my first year with strawb plants as well. They have lots of fruits but none ripe yet, but also lots of runners. I was going to leave them to raise more plants, but reading what cutec just posted, maybe I should take these off to get more fruits instead? Will more runners appear later in the year that I can pot up? Hope you get lots more fruit too lisa!

[TPeers]

Yes more runners will apear later in the yaer!

[Flummery]

You'll get them every year too, so if you choose to cut this year's off to build up the plants, you can pot on next year's to re-stock or add to your bed.

[moggssue]

Oh okay, so this year if I take off all the runnes when they appear I'll build up my present plants for better crops next year, then take off the first of the runners next year and grow on some later in the season, so by year three I have new baby plants - sounds good to me! Thanks all (and sorry to hijack the thread!).

[Alison]

Cut all runners off when they are fruiting, I then chop off all the old leaves down to the crown. When they've grown back again (after a good feed) I let a single runner form from each plant and pot them on for replacement of any old plants - ie any older than 3 years old or looking a bit tired. I grow the runners on in pots and keep any spares in case I lose any of the main plants over winter for any reason. For a point of interest, you tend to get the best crop off strawberries in their second fruiting year.

[moggssue]

Thanks Alison, I'll go out achopping this evening then - there are loads of runners on my plants and I'd rather have more fruits at the mo!! Tho I will definitely try growing some of my own, wow what a sense of achievement that would be.

[terrier]

Do strawberry plants winter well? Do they require protection from frost, especially the young plants in pots?

[Paulottie]

Depends where you are but generally less a cold problem but more they rot if crowns are at all waterlogged or their roots are eaten by weevil grubs.

The reason you take runners early in the year is to get the plants set out and established before winter. i prefer not to over winter too many in pots. It is wise to buy in your 'maidens' sometimes so as to be guaranteed a fresh virus free stock.

if you cover them for a while in late winter it will bring crops on a bit

[moggssue]

I was going to put my strawb plante (with 10 plants in it) in a coldframe over the winter, will this give enough protection, or do I even need to do that? I'm in the Slough/Windsor area so pretty much south of the country. This is only their first year so I don't want to lose them just yet.

[ysb33r]

I was going to put my strawb plante (with 10 plants in it) in a coldframe over the winter, will this give enough protection, or do I even need to do that? I'm in the Slough/Windsor area so pretty much south of the country. This is only their first year so I don't want to lose them just yet.

I wouldn't bother down here in Bucks.

[Flummery]

Mine (and my neighbours' on both sides) cope in the ground outside here near the brown banks of the Humber. Yours will be fine outside - they're pretty hardy.

[moggssue]

Thanks both, I shall leave them well alone when they finish feeding us and use the cold frame for overwintering stuff (lettuce, cauli, cabbage) that need it more!

[NattieG]

Oooh 'eck! I'd already pegged a couple of runners into some small pots. I'll leave those two for now - but will be out chopping off the rest later and wait until the plants have finished fruiting. Thanks for your expertise, Grapes! xxx