Last Updated on March 29, 2022 by Real Men Sow
Home-grown strawberries are delicious in their juiciness, aroma and flavour. You can easily make more plants to get a bigger harvest next year.
If you have ever grown strawberries, you’re aware that there are many long, leafless stalks called runners. These runners can be used to quickly grow new plants.
What are Strawberry Runners
Multiple runners will be produced by established strawberry plants. Each runner contains a small plant at the end that can be rooted to grow new plants.
Should you remove strawberry runners?
Runners consume a lot of energy from the plant to produce. In order to focus the plant’s efforts towards fruit production, they should be removed from the area where they emerged in the first 2 years. Some runners can be used for propagation starting in year 3.
Which Runners To Repot?
Make sure to use only healthy runners from strong, disease-free plants. Limit the number of runners per plant to five, unless you intend to get rid of the parent plants.
Pegging Down Runners
Observe when tiny roots begin to form at the end of the runner. Simply pinning the plantlet in the ground with a U-shaped clip, a hairpin or garden wire will get these runners to root. Remember that the plantlet should be in contact with the soil.
Growing on New Strawberry Runners
The plantlet will begin to grow new leaves after about one month to six weeks. When the time comes, it’s the part where you need to cut it off from the parent plant. You can either leave the young plant where it is or dig it up to replant in fresh soil. If winters are severe in your area, new strawberries can be kept in pots and then transplanted in the spring.
Keep Strawberry Runners Healthy
As strawberries become less productive with age, that is why you need to plant more runners every three to five years to maintain good strawberry harvests. To get the best results, you should grow every new generation of strawberries in a fresh, compost-enriched bed. Doing so will prevent disease buildup. Your new plants could be used to plant in a strawberry planter, trough, raised beds, or terracotta pot.
It is worth it if you enjoy getting free things, such as strawberry plants propagated from runners.
