[heygrow]

I need some advice please. Sorry if this has already been covered, but I did a search and could not find the answer to my questions.

I cut off all the main leaves from my strawberry plants after they finished fruiting in July, but now I have a lot of new grown leaves (full size and large). Do I leave these or do these need cutting back before the winter?

2nd questions is that we inherited this patch of strawberries over two years ago, so they are at least three years old if not more. This year they produced a really good crop (better than last) and I have a mind to leave them in for next summer. Do you think they should be replaced with new plants, as I read that strawberries only produce for three years? BTW, I have dug in the runners into empty space in the patch.

[gavinjconway]

Hi Heygrow.. leave all the new leaves - mine also grew loads within a few weeks..

You have a few options..

Your new runners will give a first years reduced crop so i'd leave the older ones in and pull them out after they have grown their last crop next year.. 

or pull them now if you have enough new runners and can live with a new reduced crop next year. In this case I would get all the runners re-planted in a new patch if possible to get away from any disease.

or leave the older ones and move runners now to a new patch if you have the space..

Hope it makes sense..

[fatcat1955]

Strawberrie's should be replaced every 3 year's and moved to a new bed at the same time.
I normally propagate the runner's from my old plant's and use these to replace them. This year i have bought some Sonata misted tip plant's from Mr F. Thet are supposed to give you a good crop in the first year. We shall see.

[heygrow]

OK thanks for your advice.
I did not know about having to put new ones in a new area, so I think I'll leave them this year and see how they produce next summer and then I can plan to re-set new ones in a different area after that.

[Trillium]

Strawberry crops peak at years 2 and 3, then after that they go into rapid decline. So if you'd like to have strawberries every year, think ahead with an extra bed or two. You might want to do a bit of record keeping so you remember what stage each bed is in.

[allotmentann]

You will still get strawberries if you leave them in longer (not saying I recommend it - just telling you my personal experience!). My strawberries have been in my garden in the same spot for at lease seven years and produce consistently good crops and I have never done a thing to them. I have finally thinned them out (just a few weeks ago) and know I should move them really (but there is nowhere to put them at home!). I think you just have a greater risk of disease and the yields probably gradually go down - but this is hard to judge as the plants, left to their own devices, produce many new ones from their runners. I wonder if left this way older plants just die off naturally anyway? I also inherited a strawberry patch on my plot, as it was spring I just left them, the yield was not too good, but I have no idea how long they had been there of course, so about a month ago I prepared a new bed and planted up the runners and what I believe are the newer plants and discarded anything that looked older, gave them all a good feed. So I am hoping for a better crop next year.

[Trillium]

Old plants will die off by themselves so if left in a heavily planted bed, it's hard to tell if your good cropping comes from the old plants or the new ones.  It's the plant's natural cycle to die off around (not always exactly) the 5 year point which is why it'll produce so many runners to replace it.

And yes, removing old leaves and old plants definitely helps keep diseases under control. Also, by moving the bed every few years you can refurbish the soil fully and remove any pernicious weeds as well as properly feed the soil. Like other plants, strawberries should have rotation.

[allotmentann]

Old plants will die off by themselves so if left in a heavily planted bed, it's hard to tell if your good cropping comes from the old plants or the new ones.  It's the plant's natural cycle to die off around (not always exactly) the 5 year point which is why it'll produce so many runners to replace it.

And yes, removing old leaves and old plants definitely helps keep diseases under control. Also, by moving the bed every few years you can refurbish the soil fully and remove any pernicious weeds as well as properly feed the soil. Like other plants, strawberries should have rotation.

Ah yes! That is what I thought re the older plants. I have to say it has not been my intention to have the strawberries there for so long, but the garden is at bursting point anyway (having widened the borders twice already and added an extra one as well!). If/when they get diseased there will be no more strawberries in the garden! But I have been surprised at just how long they have carried on cropping well.

[gavinjconway]

Good answers all round... The 3-4 year cycle is approximate and you will still get fruit but maybe just not so many.. Hence the 3 year approx cycle for moving beds etc.