Success At Growing Strawberry Runners

It worked!

I tried planting strawberry runners while they were still attached to their mother plants, and lo and behold, I went from having six plants last year (which I purchased from a nursery), to having close to thirty this year.

First I lined up my original six in a row. I then took small pots filled with earth, raised them up off the ground (using other overturned pots) so that they would reach the runners, and then simply pushed the runners into the soil in the pots. I left them there all winter, and sure enough, they thrived. A couple of weeks ago I cut them free from their mother plants and transplanted them into larger pots (most were root bound at this point).


I'm not sure how many will produce berries. I've heard that plants produce more berries if you cut off their runners, so I think I'll try this with about half of them and see what happens.  Meanwhile, I'm starting to feel like I run a strawberry plant nursery :)



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Strawberry Runners Propagation

Here's an update on my strawberry runners - I tried propagating them by planting them in their own pots while they were still attached to the mother plant. Apparently it's working, because not only are they thriving, but one has even grown a blossom! All I have to do now is decide when I'm going to cut them free...

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Growing Strawberry Runners

Previously I've tried cutting strawberry runners and then planting them alone, with no success. Here's a tip I heard recently that I am in the process of trying.

Before cutting the runners off the mother plant, secure them in pots and let them establish themselves in the soil, while they're still attached. Only then can you cut them free and transplant them elsewhere.

Wish me luck!

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Pollinating Strawberries, and Hand Pollination

Strawberries, while technically being self-pollinating, do benefit from some help. Many gardeners find that hand pollination of their strawberry plants produces a better yield.

There are several ways you can hand pollinate:

• use a cotton swab, and gently wipe each flower (using the same swab for all)
• use a soft clean paint brush and carefully brush the blossoms
• gently shake the plant (this may not work for plants with flowers that don't have both male and female parts)

Hand pollination is commonly used in greenhouses in lieu of bees, and it's a useful tool to know about.

My strawberry plants are thriving, but as I write this, they're not producing the quantity of fruit that I would like. I have tried all sorts of things including watering more and trimming off the runners, but it hasn't really made a difference. The one thing I haven't tried yet is hand pollinating. Now I'm going to!