[AmandaLouise]

Hi everyone

Do you use runners or plants, they have some Christine, Elsanta and another variety, plants, really cheap.  I am growing in pots, not the ground?

Thanks
amanda

[JayG]

Not sure what you have been offered here - producing runners is the main way that strawberries propagate themselves; the runners root and thus form new plants - mature plants will be at least a year old and will produce more fruit more quickly irrespective of how you choose to grow them.

[prikay]

aaaaaaa.........whats the difference? Don't runners grow into plants or am I missing something?

[JayG]

aaaaaaa.........whats the difference? Don't runners grow into plants or am I missing something?

Not sure what you have been offered here - producing runners is the main way that strawberries propagate themselves; the runners root and thus form new plants - mature plants will be at least a year old and will produce more fruit more quickly irrespective of how you choose to grow them.

Sorry, I can't explain it any better, at least not at this time of night! 

[Trillium]

Yes, the runners do grow into new plants but in their first year, they are still quite small and need another 2 years to start bearing fruit. If separated too early from the parent plant, they often don't survive or do more poorly than they should if left to mature. The bigger problem is the impatience of newer gardeners wanting fruit asap, which isn't going to happen with young runners and the gardener becomes frustrated at the lack of fruit.

One year old plants will definitely bear the next year and in some cases, give you a bit this year.