Strawberry Question

[Lenny]

Hi as a first time grower i wonder if anyone can help !!Bought 1 plant last year and this year it has multiplyed a fair bit but where its planted in a raised part of the garden the plants are growing over the edge and Tendrils(if thats what they are called) are growing out past and over the edge ---Do i cut them off or try to train them back into the planted area?they have leaves growing on the ends of them,may seem a silly question but im clueless but eager to learn.
Lenny

[Ian240356]

The tendrils are all about the plant trying to reproduce. Dont cut them off yet, just leave them for now. Notice the little leaves. Later on you will see that beneath these are little roots. Each tendril may be composed of several new baby plants.

Get your self some trays of grow cells. Cut the tendrils into baby units and plant them up. Next year you will have several new plants. Keep them away from frost in the winter. Dont process the babies until their root systems are well established.

Others will say just peg the tendrils to the ground. This works too, but not if your strawbs are in hanging baskets.

In about 3-5 years you will notice that the original plant is giving tiny fruits. Throw it out. This is what happens after a few fruiting seasons, and is why you need to collect babies each year.

[jeny]

I think I read somewhere that you should only let 3 runners root from each plant per year.

[woodpile]

I collect the second flower on each runner by just putting a 6" pot of good soil underneath it, and (working from the mother out) putting a rock on the runner just after the plant then cutting the runner just after the rock. In a few months, give it a gentle pull and if it is rooted, sever the umbilicus half an inch from both mother and baby. You dont have to slap its bum though)

It may be an old wives tale but I've heard from several sources that the second plant on the runner is the more fruitful next year. Maybe because it is further away from the mother plant and has less competition for the water and nutrients??? which, if it were seperated, would remove that factor, so it may be worth trying both, or three or four even, if it make that many, just to compare the difference.

I'm inclined to agree with Jen that three runners should be the max or it may detract too much energy from the mother, and in that case, I personally would select the second plant on each, but theoretically you could get 9 or 12 plants from the one.

I allow two runners per plant and collect only the second from each as I only have a limited space on my balcony.

[Ian240356]

Originally Posted by woodpile

I'm inclined to agree with Jen that three runners should be the max or it may detract too much energy from the mother, and in that case, I personally would select the second plant on each, but theoretically you could get 9 or 12 plants from the one.

I allow two runners per plant and collect only the second from each as I only have a limited space on my balcony.

This is interesting. It may account for why my strawberry harvest is so dismal. I'll get out there and hack some of them off.

[Lenny]

Thanks for the replies,i have kept a few and cut the rest off and it looks a lot better so hopefully the strawbs will fair better now

[Lenny]

Thanks for the help so far its looking good the ones that i put pots under have realy started growing so will check them in a few week or so to see if there are any roots.


Here they are ,just hope we get some sun to ripen them !!