Kitchen Garden Forum

My strawberries are still producing runners like there is no tomorrow and spreading all over the path and out of the fruit cage. They are certainly very healthy but other than being brutal and cutting off all the excess anyone any suggestions?

I strimmed by strawberry patch down to about an inch high. That stopped them.

Bit brutal Chantal! What effect does this have on the crop?

Glad our dear Chantal isn't a hairdresser.

Kind regards Old Herbaceous.

Theres no fool like an old fool.

Well you're supposed to burn them off so it sounds a bit kinder than that and they're still green with a few little leaves. The best crop I ever had in my garden is when a deer got in during the Autumn and ate them down to the floor. The next year was a fabulous crop. (The same happened to the violets and I've never had so many as the next year). A strimmer seems quite tame really.

I think the secret is to once they have stopped fruiting is to cut the tops of down to crown level and let them regenerate next year.You can do this with sacatuers or let a herd of deer do it for you.