[AlaninCarlisle]

I read somewhere that commercial growers discard their plants after fruiting and after rooting new suckers so that they are growing fresh plants every year. Is there any horticultural merit in this or is it just to maximise use of their polytunnels?

[mumofstig]

I should think it ensures the stock is mostly disease free.

You're s'posed to clear strawberry beds and replant after 3 years anyway

[AlaninCarlisle]

I've just identified about 50 decent runners in the polytunnel so I'll peg and root those into small pots and dig up the outside bed after fruiting this summer and replace those. Then next year I'll root runners off the new outside bed and use them to replace the ones in the polytunnel which by then will have fruited twice