Selecting strawberry runners

Iva, SC

We have a strawberry patch that we started last year. As instructed, last year we selected runners to replace the mother plants for this year. We selected them as soon as runners started developing. The plants produced what seemed like a million runners throughout the season and in the meantime our patch got pretty overcrowded with the babies and mothers. My question is... Is it okay to select the runners later in the season so that they don't overcrowd the patch? This also makes it easier to see the runners to cut off when there aren't too many plants in the patch. We have gotten lots of strawberries this year and want to have plenty next year but would like to start the replacement plants a little later in the season if possible.

Thumbnail by CCW
Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b)

It should not be a problem to make the selection a bit later. Just make sure if they are starting to root that you get a generous volume of soil with each one.

Iva, SC

Thanks! So, we have been setting the new shoot in the place we want it and then using a small rock to hold it in the soil of the bed. Would it be better to take the plant and start it in a separate pot instead of directly in the bed?

Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b)

If there is enough room for the new runners to develop then your method is just fine.

You mentioned the bed was getting pretty crowded, though.
If you wanted to thin it out while this years' crop is ripening, or rototill it or something, then removing the next years' plants would be needed.
Another way (if you needed to remove the plantlets) and a bit more work, but you could dig in a pot of soil, and place the runner over the pot with a pebble on the sprout, then lift the pot when the new sprout was rooted.

Iva, SC

Thanks again Diana. I guess we're going to have to make a decision on this. The mother plants got so large I do think we're doing to have to pot them into a separate pot.

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