[chrissie B]

hi all i was hoping to dig up and sort out my strawberry patch which is basically two lines but they have become very tangled ,so i was hoping to dig them all up et some good stuff dug in and replant , im still getting berries and flowers and will have to wait till they have finished of course , will this be a good idea .
chrissie b

[muckyboots]

Hi crissie,spose it depends on the variety ,but Iv just chopped all the leaves and runners off mine and new leaves are just showing ready for next years wimbledon, and maybe some sunshine!They say to renew plants after 3 years I plant up runners.Hope this is of some help.

[gavinjconway]

Chrissie - they will be fine to be done when the fruits finish.. prepare a new patch now and replant asap..

[Paul Plots]

Chrissie - they will be fine to be done when the fruits finish.. prepare a new patch now and replant asap..

I did mine last year adding two new rows and cleaning the plants up as I went. It seemed easier than sorting out all the newly rooted runners and oiking out the weeds. I'd left the poor little devils to last on the weeding rota 

This year they did wonderfully well so I'd go for it.... but if it's dry after you transplant them remember to give them a splosh to keep them going until they settle in.

Good luck. 

[balfie]

I was going to ask about this, but can I ask here instead of starting a new thread?

We got our first allotment a few months ago, there are loads of strawberry plants on it, they produced very well this year.  The guy on the plot next to our said they are only two years old and that they should be good to keep for next year as well before digging up and starting again.

But he also said about cutting them back, how do you go about this?  Do you just chop at them or is there a way to do it?  How much do I cut away?

And why do it, will it help them produce more next year?

[gavinjconway]

Hi - hope you are enjoying your first year. I also have had mine for a year now..

Cut all the big older leaves off now leaving the smaller newer leaves. it's a pain but worth doing to clean up any viruses and get it growing well for next season. Some people use hedge clippers and trim all off but be careful of cutting too low and damaging the crown so dont really go there.

I would also feed them with a balanced fertilizer now to boost their growth before the winter.  Did you give them a feed of potash when they were fruiting? If not I would give them a small sprinkling now as well to give back some goodness they removed from the ground.  

Also you may want to pot on or grow on some runners this year for re-growing next year  to plant after you remove these plants..

Next year I'm starting a new nursery bed where my new runners are going ready to be planted out the following  year when mine get dug out. Just re-plant with a load of soil so they dont know they have been moved!!

Take a look here for loads of info http://strawberryplants.org/

[Paul Plots]

We got our first allotment a few months ago, there are loads of strawberry plants on it, they produced very well this year.  The guy on the plot next to our said they are only two years old and that they should be good to keep for next year as well before digging up and starting again.

But he also said about cutting them back, how do you go about this?  Do you just chop at them or is there a way to do it?  How much do I cut away?

And why do it, will it help them produce more next year?

Some good questions there..... now you need some good answers. 

I've not trimmed the very healthy looking leaves from my strawberries just those that look brown or damaged and any unwanted runners... so I'd be interested to see what others have to say in response to your questions.

[gavinjconway]

Basically spot on paul.. The older leaves need to come off.. They will grow back within a few weeks so dont be too scared of taking of lots!! Strawberries tend to love living and very rarely die!! - they are not like sheep!! 

[Paul Plots]

Basically spot on paul.. The older leaves need to come off.. They will grow back within a few weeks so dont be too scared of taking of lots!! Strawberries tend to love living and very rarely die!! - they are not like sheep!! 

Thanks for the advice Gavin.

If the weather's ok on Sunday I'll give them another tidy-up hair cut while I listen to Gardeners Question Time on Radio 4. 

[chrissie B]

thanks everyone fo the good advice , i will do mine soon i think, got 2 plants thats still producing , ive been pulling away any damaged stuff but its got so messy in there i think to get them all out and back into their own space even some of the runners have produced fruit , was supprised at that , thanks all
chrissie b

[gavinjconway]

Basically spot on paul.. The older leaves need to come off.. They will grow back within a few weeks so dont be too scared of taking of lots!! Strawberries tend to love living and very rarely die!! - they are not like sheep!! 

Thanks for the advice Gavin.

If the weather's ok on Sunday I'll give them another tidy-up hair cut while I listen to Gardeners Question Time on Radio 4. 

Paul - I have had to trim my runners twice already and there are more growing!! and I harvested a load for a neighbour..

[Headgardener22]

There are two reasons to cut back the leaves as far as I know - the sun on the crown helps it strengthen for next year and its a lot easier to see where the weeds are and dig them out.

Also if you cut the runners off, it makes the plant stronger for next year (however, received wisdom is that the plants only crop well for 3 years or so and you'll need new plants (from runners)).

[Carollan]

Is it too late to plant out the runners I`ve had from this year?

They all grew so late,that 2 month wet spell did my plants no favours at all.

Otherwise,shall I overwinter the tiny runners in the greenhouse? They haven`t long grown their roots,or am I being too much of a nanny and should throw them out into the big world ready for next spring?

[gavinjconway]

Hi Carollan - No not at all too late - get them in and they will flourish. Get some good compost and general balanced fertilizer dug in deep as the plants will be there for a few years.. They need the cold to produce properly so they need to be out in the winter.. dont cut them off till they have about 4 leaves and strong roots in the ground. Dig them out with a good dollop of soil and replant to the same depth as they are now. Dont put the crowns below the ground level.. 

[chrissie B]

i gave some runners away to a friend and they say they are now producing flowers , i have a load more shold i grow these in the shed or outside , ive not had masses of fruit but they have been whoppers .
chrissie b