[sclarke624]

HIya
Some of my first year strawberries have runners.  How do I plant these.  Do I just cut them off, if so where abouts and anything special to note when planting.  Or do I layer into another pot and then sever when grown on a bit.  

The strawberries are in containers and a hanging basket not the ground.

Thanks

[crowndale]

Don't cut them off yet.  I think you need to put them into little pots (while still attatched to mum) and let them grow into mini plants to plant out next year.  But I could be wrong, having never done this myself yet!

[WG.]

That's what I reckon too.  Only done it with alpine strawbs.

[David.]

Seems a bit early for runners. It will be months before mine need attention.

I place those trays that hold 15 3" pots alongside the strawberry beds and peg the runners into soil (not peat based compost) using a few inches of wire (BOGOF in Wilkos a few weeks ago) bent into a 'U' shaped clip to hold it down. The following year I snip off and plant in a new bed.

[DD.]

I use a far more complicated system.

I let them root themselves into the soil, then dig them up & replant them.

[Trillium]

I do the same with mine Digger (glad to see you back), but SC's are in hanging baskets and containers.
Do you not  find the containers a nuisance to water SC, or is it the only place you have for them?  If you can't set them in the ground, then Crowndale's advice would work the best. You can cut the stem anywhere, but not until the new plant's roots have begun to develop. In the pot, I'd use part potting mix, part compost, and they'll thrive for you. Once you cut the runner stem, water often until you're sure the roots are strong enough handle your usual waterings.

[sclarke624]

Hiya Trillium

My strawberries in the hanging baskets and 'pots' (actually a bright orange B&Q bucket) are in the garden and no trouble to water at all.  There is no where else for them really as the high rise bed is full of lettuces carrots and onions .  Its only 9ft by 4ft.  So anything else goes on a bench  in pots, which, is high enough so the dogs cocked leg can't reach, as no one will eat whats he's wee'd on.

So the answer seems to be layer them in a pot, when the new plants roots have develped sever from the mother plant.

Mind you gonna take some working out to get a small pot up to same height, and as for the runners from the hanging basket that will be a challenge.  :roll:  Still won't beat me.

Thanks for all the answers.

[DD.]

OK - didn't read the post properly. Guess the bit about layering in pots threw me!!

How about getting a small polythene bag with some compost in, & fixing it just to the bottom of the runner with a rubber band?

[corndolly]

Thr runners will grow long but not long enough to reach the ground from a hanging basket . But they will happily live off the mother plant till after fruiting so you take them down then and place pots around to root the little ones.

or hang pots from the basket like corks on an aussie's hat !

[newbiegrower]

I have heard that you can hold the runners down to the soil with bent wire and then cut them of when they have grown roots.

[sclarke624]

Some good ideas here guys thanks.  I did before I posted on forum to check, cut a runner off and plant it.  Daren't tug it yet too see if rooted.  But doesn't look dead, think I did it a week ago.  So we will see if that works as well, as not severing from mother plant until rooted.

[WG.]

Keep it well watered & it'll probably survive.  I find cuttings take better when watered from underneath, e.g. in a shallow tray of water

[sclarke624]

K  

[VinceSamios]

I know this is digging up an old post, but I thought a video I made might help people who find it when they are searching.

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