Growing strawberries

[Primrose]

Last spring I planted six strawberry plants in one of my front garden borders, not having space anywhere else. They produced lots of runners which I also severed and planted in and now the bed is awash with strawberry plants full of blossom. Not having grown them below I'm wondering how long the plants will last for and whether I should be doing something special to them. They're on very light soil to which I've added a light dressing of composted manure, and I'm keeping them well watered. But they are now crammed very close together, providing 100% ground cover, which I suspect is probably not the best way of growing them.

[alan refail]

Primrose

Strawberry plants usually last for three years. Enjoy the ground cover - and, of course the fruit. Keep transplanting the runners and you'll have strawberries and strawberry jam for ages. Mwynhewch - Enjoy.

Alan

[richard p]

just let the runners root and thin out big older plants during the winter,bed will in effect keep renewing itself. i mulch with compost during late autumn

[Primrose]

Only one problem - the border is now such a jumble that I no longer know which were the original plants and which were the runners which I subsequently planted up as they're all now the same size. Maybe if I'd been more organised and planted them in a straight line instead of jotting the originals anywhere, I would know the difference!