Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Kleftiwallah on July 13, 2019, 20:27

Title: Strawb runners ad infinitum?
Post by: Kleftiwallah on July 13, 2019, 20:27
Good evening everyone,  fabulous caulie's, from under the mosquito netting!
But that isn't the question I'd like to ask. 

How many times or just how long can you grow strawbs from runners, from runners, from runners, do you eventually need new starter stock?

Cheers,  Tony.
Title: Re: Strawb runners ad infinitum?
Post by: Hobovore on July 13, 2019, 23:26
In my locale there were patches of wild strawberries that would have at it and had been going for years...until the developers moved in.
Title: Re: Strawb runners ad infinitum?
Post by: Kleftiwallah on July 14, 2019, 09:59
Good morning Hobovore,
so that was natural regeneration of wild plants, how about our cultivated varieties?

Cheers,  Toiny
Title: Re: Strawb runners ad infinitum?
Post by: JayG on July 14, 2019, 11:02
As far as I know strawberry plants from runners are exact clones of the parent plant, so should remain true indefinitely, although I suppose you can't rule out the possibility of spontaneous genetic mutations taking place.  :unsure:

(What's not such a good idea is growing in the same bed year after year, as pests and diseases can build up in the soil.)
Title: Re: Strawb runners ad infinitum?
Post by: Gardener and Rabbit on July 14, 2019, 11:13
Morning Klefti,

You can keep going from runners until the plants lose vigour and yield, and that's when you need new stock. 

The deterioration happens when aphids carry plant viruses into the strawberry plants (and runners) and you see crinkled leaves, yellow leaf edges, small fruit etc. which are all signs, and then you need to start afresh with new stock.

G&R
Title: Re: Strawb runners ad infinitum?
Post by: Kleftiwallah on July 15, 2019, 10:02
Good morning G&R,
I think that is happening to our strawb's.  A profusion of foliage but the hield is definitely down on last year, and from the 4th 'set' of runners.

Cheers,  Tony