Strawberry Runners

I have just planted up my new strawberry planter . Is it best to remove the runners to max the first year crop ? I know that you can remove the flowers in the first year to improve the plant , but I do want something for my efforts this year:happydance:

 

To be honest, if they're young plants you won't get much from them during the first couple of years, after that some varieties can fruit for (possibly) up to 5 years before they stop fruiting - usually it's about 3 -4 years.

The runners won't affect the amount of fruit you get so, to ensure a 'regular supply' of plants, I suggest you peg them down in June or July - a maximum of about 4 from any one plant certainly in it's first year anyway - as this will help the plant to conserve some energy. In future years, depending on the size of the mother plant, you can perhaps think about pegging down a few more, but choose only the biggest, healthiest ones - those furthest away from the parent plant will be the strongest. I peg mine into 3" pots and, when rooted, sever them and grow them on so that by the time the current plants are reaching the end of their useful life, there are plenty with which to replace them. In the meantime, cut off any runners which are weak or you just don't want.

Give your current plants plenty of water (but don't let them get waterlogged) and every 10 - 14 days between flowering and harvesting, feed them with something which is high in potassium - liquid tomato feed is ideal .... and I'll be round with my dish and a pot of cream!!

 

Thanks for the pointers FidgetsMum . You are more than welcome to share my first batch

 

Hello HarryS.
A couple of my strawberry plants have thrown out runners already. I have nipped them off for now as they haven't got too many leaves. I don't want all the energy to go into the runner instead of the parent plant. So, like what has already been said, young plants, nip the runners. Well established plants with really healthy leaves and stems, peg down those runners. Again, only 4 runners per parent plant.

 

I am a newbie to growing strawberries.... what is a runner?

 

Put simply - the plant will send out what look like long 'stalks', somewhere along this stalk there will be a little cluster of leaves, almost certainly at the end and quite often in two or three places along its length also. Eventually, beneath these leaf clusters, you'll see tiny white 'swellings' which are the embryonic roots and, if you want to increase your plants, it is this bit you peg down to keep it in contact with the surface of the ground.

If you google 'strawberry runners' you'll find loads of pictures to show you what I mean.