Kitchen Garden Forum

Today I detached loads of strawberry runners that I had earlier pinned into pots and planted them on in a new bed. However, I was wondering if I can repeat this process. The remaining plants have thrown off dozens of runners that have shallow rooted into old carpet. Would it be possible to pin these down in pots and still have them root? Do strawberry roots continue to be put down even in winter?

Hi Barry,
I see no-one has replied so far to your question/s! I am happy to be proved wrong but I would detach the secondary runners asap if you want good strong plants from the parents. It depends on the warmth of the soil as to whether they continue to put down roots in December. It wouldn't hurt to experiment and perhaps repot the secondary runners leaving as much of the carpet attached as possible and bring them in under a cold greenhouse where there would be a bit more warmth and just watch and wait.
The remaining leaves on my strawberry bed are still green so still some life there despite the frosts.
The main thing would be to give the first runners a good start and grow them on ready for next year's harvest albeit small until they become established.
Good luck
Hilary

You could try putting them individually in pots as suggested and see what comes of them. Nothing lost apart from a bit of soil.

Hilary/Tiger,
Thanks for your suggestions. I have actually found loads of runners that have buried themselves beyond the carpets on the path, squeezing into impossibly small gaps to root themselves. I have removed these, with as much soil attached as possible, and planted up two 3m x 4ft beds with strawberries for next season. In addition, I have also severed some runners, potted them and stuff them in the door of my shed to see whether they will root or not.
The frustrating thing for me is that I don't understand the biology of strawberries, which would help a lot. When do they become dormant, for example? A lot of the runners I had secured into plant pots had formed fantastic root systems, others, done much later, had hardly grown into the soil at all! It therefore suggests that rooting runners has a specific "season" in the plant growth cycle. If anybody can educate me in this, I would be fascinated!
Regards
Barry

Barry,
I can't give you a scientific answer about when strawberries become dormant because I'm not sure if they even become so completely. I've taken strawberry runners as late as the end of November and still had them survive into plants, and I currently still have a few flowers on my plants, despite recent frosts. I suspect this partly depends on location. My plants are in a south facing border against a fence so the soil may have absorbed sufficient heat on sunny days to prevent the plants cooling down enough to completely hibernate.

Hi Barry,
When taking strawberry runners I have always limited them to one plant per runner and any more that were produced were cut off. This has meant that the plant you end up with is a good sound reliable plant.
The thing is how many do you need not how many you can produce. There is no doubt that you can produce far more than your needs. I would go for quality rather than quantity.
JB.

Old Forum reply from: jane E

There is just another little point to think about. Some strawberries such as Marshall's Marshmellow have plant breeding rights. Are we allowed to propagate runners from these plants. I know we often do but are we strictly allowed to?

I go along with Jonboy. If you propagate the first runner, they usually root at the end of the summer, so end of problem about how far into the winter runners are viable. I don't bother potting them on. I just shove them in where they're going to go. If you do raised beds and the soils is fertile, they do fine.

Tip - strawberries thrive on potash which is wood ash. I save my wood ash during the winter and give them a dressing in early spring. they fruit better with potash.

Hi KG Admin. (Jason I think)
With regards to plant breeders rights, these only come into operation when you sell any of the plants that you have produced but if they are for yourself there are no worries.
JB.

Thanks Johnboy - I've always had a guilty conscience about the Marshmellow runners, which I've used and given away to friends because they are such a lovely strawberry.

Hi Jane,
I think with the Plant Breeders Rights if you give them away you may get something in return. This is viewed as profiting by your propagation but this really is confined to commercial outfits and I feel that it is a case of what the eye doesn't see the heart will not grieve. You should not sell them at local fetes etc because it would be viewed as a transaction.
Daft I know but those who make rules seem to try and cover everything that could occur. On the other hand if you sell them at a fete simply do not use the name Marshmellow simply say Strawberry Plant. I cannot see the right-holder taking any action against am amateur gardener unless the plants ran into hundreds and he/she was profiting personally.
JB.