What Are Strawberry Runners?
Strawberry plants naturally produce long, trailing stems called runners (also known as stolons). These runners grow horizontally from the parent plant and, where they touch the ground, develop roots and form new plantlets. Propagating from runners is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to expand your strawberry patch — it costs nothing and produces plants that are genetically identical to the parent.
When to Take Strawberry Runners
Runners are produced most prolifically in late summer (July to September) after the main fruiting season is over. This is the ideal time to peg them down and allow them to root. Once rooted, they can be potted up or transplanted to their final growing position in early autumn, giving them time to establish before winter.
How to Select the Best Runners
Not all runners are worth keeping. For the healthiest new plants:
- Choose runners from your most vigorous, disease-free plants that produced the best crop
- Use only the first plantlet on each runner (closest to the parent) — these are the strongest
- Discard runners from plants that showed signs of virus, grey mould, or poor cropping
- Replace your entire strawberry bed every 3–4 years using fresh runners to maintain productivity
Step-by-Step: Rooting Runners
- Prepare small pots: Fill 9cm pots with general-purpose or multipurpose compost.
- Peg the plantlet: Without cutting the runner from the parent, position the plantlet on the surface of the pot and hold it in place with a U-shaped wire peg or a small stone.
- Water regularly: Keep the compost moist throughout summer to encourage rooting. Roots should develop within 3–6 weeks.
- Sever the runner: Once the plantlet has clearly rooted (you'll see new leaf growth and resistance when tugged gently), cut the runner connecting it to the parent plant.
- Grow on: Leave the rooted plantlet in its pot for a further 1–2 weeks before transplanting.
Where to Plant Your New Strawberry Plants
Strawberries thrive in a sunny, sheltered position with well-drained, slightly acidic soil (pH 6.0–6.5). Avoid planting in ground that has recently grown tomatoes, potatoes, or other strawberries, as these can share soilborne diseases.
- Space plants 30–45cm apart in rows 75cm apart
- Plant so the crown (the central growing point) sits at soil level — not buried, not raised
- Water in well after planting and mulch around plants with straw or black polythene to suppress weeds and protect fruit
Caring for Strawberries Through the Year
| Season | Key Tasks |
|---|---|
| Spring | Remove old mulch, feed with a high-potassium fertiliser, watch for slugs |
| Early Summer | Lay fresh straw under developing fruits, net against birds |
| Summer | Harvest regularly, water during dry spells, select runners for propagation |
| Autumn | Plant out new runners, remove old foliage after fruiting, tidy beds |
| Winter | Protect young plants with fleece in hard frosts |
Common Problems and Solutions
- Grey mould (Botrytis): Improve air circulation, remove infected fruit promptly, avoid overhead watering
- Slugs and snails: Use straw mulch, slug traps, or biological controls (nematodes)
- Vine weevil: Tell-tale notched leaves; treat with nematodes in spring or autumn
- Poor fruiting: Usually a sign the plants are too old — replace with new runners every 3–4 years