Strawberries Are Now Sending Out Runners: Keep Only These
After the main harvest, strawberries naturally produce runners that can give you free new plants, but the key is knowing which to keep and which to remove.
After the main harvest, strawberries naturally produce runners that can give you free new plants, but the key is knowing which to keep and which to remove.
Once the main strawberry harvest is over, the plants begin to form long shoots known as runners. On these shoots, small plants develop that, as soon as they touch the soil, grow their own roots. In this way, from one healthy strawberry plant, you can get several new plants without having to buy additional planting material.
However, it's not advisable to keep every runner that appears. Runner development drains energy from the mother plant, so too many young plants can weaken the entire bed. For propagation, therefore, choose only the healthiest and most productive strawberries, without wilted leaves, spots, deformities, or signs of pests.
The best choice is usually the first young plant on the runner, the one closest to the mother strawberry. It developed earliest, gets the most nutrients, and most often produces the strongest roots. You can also keep the second plant on the same runner if it's well-developed, while it's better to remove the other, weaker shoots.
On one mother plant, it's enough to keep two or three quality plants. Cut off all other runners with clean scissors so the plant doesn't waste energy unnecessarily. Don't pull them out, as there's a risk of damaging the roots or pulling the whole plant out of the ground.
Don't cut the chosen young plant from the mother strawberry right away. Place it on loose, moist soil and gently secure it using a bent wire, a special plant pin, or a small stone. The tip of the rosette must be above soil level, because if you bury it, it can rot.
To make transplanting easier, place a small pot filled with good potting mix next to the mother plant. Set the young strawberry shoot on the soil surface and secure it, while the runner remains attached to the mother plant. This way, the plant will root directly in the pot, without later damaging the delicate roots.
Keep the soil moderately moist, but don't soak it. After two to four weeks, check if roots have developed. Gently tug the plant; if it resists and has started producing new leaves, the roots have developed well.
Only then, use scissors to cut the runner connecting it to the mother plant. Leave the new plant in place for a few more days to get used to growing independently, then move it to a prepared bed. The central part of the plant, specifically where the leaves emerge, must be level with the soil.
For propagation, don't use old, weak, or diseased strawberries, even if they produce many runners. Such new plants can carry diseases and yield less. Plants from healthy, productive strawberries, planted in late summer or early autumn, will have enough time to root before winter, and could even produce their first fruits the following season, as reported by Lika Online.
