[chris23005]

I thought my Marshmello strawberry plants had finished cropping because there appear to be no more flowers coming, and they are sending out runners which I am allowing to root. However, I have just spotted on a website that their fruiting season is June to August so I am now confused! Should I be taking the runners off to encourage them to fruit again? Or is it likely that they have finished because it is their first year?

[Trillium]

The first year's cropping for all strawberries is very small so yes, yours have finished cropping for this year. The runners indicate this as well as it's the plant's way of keeping itself propagated. Next year's harvest will be much heavier. As for the runners, you can leave them on since they no longer affect cropping this year. Just keep all fed and watered.

[chris23005]

Well I reckon I got about 3-4lbs strawberries off them this year so if that is a small crop I am really looking forward to next year! I have pinned down the runners and trimmed back some of the dead leaves and spent flower heads. Hopefully I will get plenty more plants from this little lot!

Many thanks.

[Ivah]

I wouldn't go too greedy on letting runners develop - pin 1 or 2 per plant into pots so they are easy to plant out and cut the rest off - look out for the secondary runners beyond the ones you pin down and cut them off as well.

[chris23005]

I wouldn't go too greedy on letting runners develop - pin 1 or 2 per plant into pots so they are easy to plant out and cut the rest off - look out for the secondary runners beyond the ones you pin down and cut them off as well.

That's exactly what I have done, more by instinct than anything else though! I have ten plants and I have ten runners pinned down. I figured that was enough at this stage. All the other runners (the weaker ones) have been removed. Many thanks.

[Paul Plots]

The first year's cropping for all strawberries is very small so yes, yours have finished cropping for this year. The runners indicate this as well as it's the plant's way of keeping itself propagated. Next year's harvest will be much heavier. As for the runners, you can leave them on since they no longer affect cropping this year. Just keep all fed and watered.

The "fed" is fine but the "watered" is not quite so plain sailing...  Bring on the rain!

[chris23005]

The "fed" is fine but the "watered" is not quite so plain sailing...  Bring on the rain!
[/quote]

But please can it wait until after my holiday? .......

[Trillium]

The "fed" is fine but the "watered" is not quite so plain sailing...  Bring on the rain!

Well, I hoped someone had a water butt or saving household water for garden use 

[Paul Plots]

The "fed" is fine but the "watered" is not quite so plain sailing...  Bring on the rain!

Well, I hoped someone had a water butt or saving household water for garden use 

Water butts, baths, buckets and bowls.... all we need now is the rain to fill them - emptied mine weeks ago. 

Last rain here was (if I recall correctly  :blink:) 6th or 10th May and then it was hardly enough to wet the washing on the line.