[sclarke624]

Hi
I have strawberry plants and new plants made from runners.  What protection do they need for winter.

Thanks

[muntjac]

none. leave the runners till spring and pant them out in  another row when you have 2 /3 leaves showing

[loubylou29]

but do we pot up any stray runners that are going where I don't want them to? ie over the wall and there is no more room left in the bed.... the are millions of the blighters! can I use them all? can I pot up the runner and leave untill next year or pot them up and cut from the mother plant in a few weeks?

[splodger]

you can put runners in pots - alongside the mother plant - give them time to root before cutting (i overwinter the runners - and transplant in spring)

by the way- now is the best time to plant out / move strawberries - if you need to.

and don't forget that to keep plants disease free - they should be replaced every 3 or 4 years.

[sclarke624]

Thanks Munty.

Louby
my runners are in pots.  Some I cut from mother plant and planted, some did fine this way, seems they do best when cut from mother if runner has a few leaves on it.  The ones I put in a pot after cutting form mother without much growth on the end withered.  Same really with the ones I rooted still attached to mother, seem to do better with some full leaves on them.

I've had loads of runners as well from six plants.

Slodger
When you say I overwinter the runners do you mean you don't plant until next spring.

Thanks

[splodger]

Slodger
When you say I overwinter the runners do you mean you don't plant until next spring.

for runners that can't be trained / grown where there are growing - i grow in pots.

eg - i have a large tub (half barrel) - planted with strawberries - and the runners drop over the side as there is no room for them to grow or root inside.

i fill pots with compost - and let the runners root in individual pots - outside of the barrel (bit like a strawberry fountain)

i keep these runners - attached to the mother - until spring and then transplant them in my other strawberry bed (at the plot)

it just gives them time to form roots in the pots.

re your initial question re care in winter - the old fashioned way to look after strawberries (on a large scale) was to burn them after they had finished fruiting - gets rid of all the old leaves - doesn't affect crown - and lovely fresh new growth which is disease free appears  

[WG.]

re your initial question re care in winter - the old fashioned way to look after strawberries (on a large scale) was to burn them after they had finished fruiting - gets rid of all the old leaves - doesn't affect crown - and lovely fresh new growth which is disease free appears  

Also gets rid of the old straw & gives them a potash boost to boot.

[splodger]

see told yer - old fashioned way to do it - wg knows  

[WG.]

see told yer - old fashioned way to do it - wg knows  

Ooer, I've been complimented (I think  :? )

[splodger]

   

[muntjac]

old linjcolnshire way is to leave em be n then in spring cut them free from momma n plant em where ya want em in rows then feed em and then straw em up when they are in full flush afore the flowers come n chuck some slug pellets among the straw