[Chiswickian]

I need to start a new strawberry bed and have plenty plants throwing out runners in their currently unsuitable position. Shall I pop the runners into pots of potting compost and hope they root over winter then transplant them in spring? Or shall I lift the plants themselves now and let them settle in over the winter? Seems to me that I may have left it a little late for the runners to root now, no?
TIA

[Yorkie]

I'd get them going in their little pots; they might just take.

If your existing plants are more than 3 years old they will decrease in quality soon anyway.

[Trillium]

I'd do them in pots as well since we don't know just how old the runners are and whether or not they can fend for themselves if detached from mom. Taken too early, they'd rather die.

Easiest way is to leave the runner attached and bury the pot in the ground just up to the pot lip and near the runner. Fill with compost, pin the runner down on top, water, and leave until spring. That way you should get 100%.

[Chiswickian]

thank you - a job for the weekend
Ian

[Spana]

Have any of them rooted into the ground, they do sometimes.

If they have I'd buck the trend and put them straight into the new bed

[Kleftiwallah]

The very thing I am going to do Spana. 

 (Imperial or metric or possibly good ol' Whitworth) ?

  Cheers,     Tony.