[MoreWhisky]

Im planning on putting straw around the base of my strawbs in next few days, ive noticed a few of them have chucked a long stem out (nearly a foot and half long).

Are these the runners i have read about? and if so whats best to do with these? are they meant to be taken for next yrs plants?

Even if i keep some i have so many i wont want all them next yr so i also need to know would it help the plant/fruit if i cut them off?

Sorry for the probaly simple questions but ive done well so far with my 30m of strawbs and dont wanna make a mistake now 

Cheers MW.

[barney rubble]

Morning MW
Yes you can probably get lots more plants from these runners. If you can, try and put a small pot of compost under the clump of leaves at the end of them, and possibly hold them down in it with a hair pin or something of that ilk. They will take root and you can separate them from the parent plant.

How did you get on with your blueberry and raspberry hunt?

[MoreWhisky]

Morning BR

The Blueberry hunt went very well thanks proper enjoyed going in all those nurserys. Got 2 lovely bushes for £5.99 from a place nr Grimsby.

Thanks for the advice on the runners but do you know if i cut the ones i dont want away from the plant?

And that brings me to another questions now  once i make all these new plants out of the runners for next yr in pots how/where do i keep em as i dont have a green house?, can i plant them somewhere else on my plot? will they survive a winter outside?

Sorry thats another 3 questions   

[Ropster]

if you dont want new plants, cut the runners off as they will take energy from the host plant.

if you do want them pot them up and keep them, they will be perfectly ok outside over winter, Strawberys are surprisingly tough

[MoreWhisky]

just what i wanted to hear thanks Ropster.

[barney rubble]

if you dont want new plants, cut the runners off as they will take energy from the host plant.

if you do want them pot them up and keep them, they will be perfectly ok outside over winter, Strawberys are surprisingly tough

Yep - agree with Ropster. Hope your blueberrys give you a good crop

[Trillium]

But before you cut those runners you want, let them stay with 'mom' until they have a reasonable root system before you cut, otherwise its 50-50 whether or not they'll make it.

[MoreWhisky]

Yes thats what ive done Trillium one extra uestion tho is how deep is the best depth to plant the ends in my pots ?

As ive gone inch and half as easier to keep end in, hope that not to deep.

[barney rubble]

Should be OK , but just keeping them on the surface is usually fine as the roots will grow anyway if they feel the earth beneath them. A bent plastic straw as well as a hairpin will help hold them down to root too

[MoreWhisky]

ah right i thought u had to bury the end  , can always pull em out a bit tomorrow.

Was wondering why everyone mentioned holding them down with a clip thingy as i buryed them in

[barney rubble]

they might well poke their heads and leaves through, but if you've only just burried them, as you say pull them out tomorrow (had the rain splattered them it would have done the same thing). they are tough little plants with a survival instinct - but may decide not to produce fruit if they feel threatened and aren't happy with their conditions

[Trillium]

Strawberries are very fussy on how deep they're buried...a bit too deep and you've smothered the crown which will quickly rot. A bit too high and the roots dry out and die. They need to find their own depth which is why its best to leave them on the surface with a pin to keep them from swinging about in wind and they'll root on their own.