Renovating my strawberry patch

[redser]

Hi,
My June-bearers are pretty much done now so I want to renovate the patch. I've read up on what to do and the first step is to cut the foliage right back. The problem is that there are tons of runners already and I want to take them for new stock for next year. So what to do? Can I pin down the runners into small pots and also cut back the foliage? Or should I cut back everything including the runners and hope that more runners will grow?
Thanks a lot

[Vince G]

I'm no strawberry expert redser, first year I've grown them, courtesy of an old fella at the lottie who gave ne some runners. However, I would say that as fast as I clip runners off, more grow, so I reckon you'd be safe in hacking back and more runners should appear..........there will be a strawb expert along shortly!

[Paulottie]

Properly done to achieve best yields of large fruit....Straws are grown on about a rolling five year cycle. Y1 cutting Y2 establish (remove flowers) Y3,4, harvest Y5 diminishing... discard plant. The principal is that the amount of foliage and root system in Autumn dictates the size and quality of fruit the following year....by sacrifising Y2 you achieve better plants/fruit in the long run. You take best runners from most healthy productive plants (but this can be done in Y2 as you know these are replicas of your chosen stock.) There are many perpetuating diseases and bugs with straws. After harvest I have even seen the row burnt off to kill everything! the plants were fine by September.

Life is short and this is all a bit too much of a faff for most of us.....In practice, if you get your early runners established now, you should be able to cut them of and plant in August and have time for them to establish before winter.... Clean up straw and parent plants and cut off all but the runners your pinning. leave some foliage on these. On all others remove the lot. if you keep your bed tidy and keep replacing a few plants each year you'll get plenty of fairly good fruit...I like jam anyway so very adequate for my needs....well would be if it were not for the damn mice.

[Florence Fennel]

Can't better the advice than Paul and Vince have given you, just to say my strawberries aren't even ripe yet!

[Two_Sheds]

I don't cut the foliage back until late summer (end Aug), otherwise I'd have to do it twice (before winter)

I am cutting off all the runners though, because I don't need any more plants this year

[Aberdeenplotter]

Hi,
My June-bearers are pretty much done now so I want to renovate the patch.

You don't say how old your plants are. If they are at the stage of replacing, then do not do so on the existing piece of ground otherwise you run a higher risk of disease and pest predation. If you intend propagating new plants from your own runners, simply pin the end of the runners to the ground with small stones or similar. Once rooted, separate from the parent plant and plant in clean ground.

[roitelet]

The first 'joint' on the runners produces the best plant. I pin mine down into small pots of soil and when they have rooted cut the runner and there is a ready potted plant!

[redser]

Thanks for all the replies. These were taken from runners last summer so they are still young. I want to increase my stock for wine and jam making next year. Will follow your advice Paulottie and get pinning and also cut back the old foliage. Thanks a lot