Strawberries are a great addition to the garden as they are quite easy to grow, but gardeners need to be on the lookout for runners, which can harm the plant. Runners are long, dangly stems that branch off from the main plant, but if left unchecked, they can quickly overcrowd your strawberry patch and drain it of vital nutrients.
This will weaken the plant, leading to fewer fruits and smaller, shrivelled, or deformed berries that do grow. Under the leaves of the runners are small shoots that can grow into a new plant, but in spring, they will hinder the main strawberry plant and prevent it from growing properly.
Emma Galloway, a gardener and founder of My Darling Lemon Thyme, has shared that the best way to deal with runners in springtime is to just quickly remove them.
She said: “[Strawberries] usually try to throw out runners twice during the strawberry season, and my advice (via my very knowledgeable mother) is to pick off the first set as soon as they start to shoot and toss them.
“Otherwise, the plant will throw all of its energy into growing the runners instead of the strawberries.”
Strawberries will grow runners at the beginning of the growing season in spring and again in summer once they are newly established, so if you want more plants, wait until later in the year.
Getting rid of strawberry runners in spring helps the plant focus its energy on strong fruit production, so you are more likely to get bigger and healthier berries later on.
Just make sure to keep an eye on your strawberries in late April and throughout May to snip off any unwanted runners so they do not damage your plants.
However, if you do want more strawberry plants, then wait until late summer when your plant is stronger and the runners begin to grow little roots.
Emma said: “All you need to do to get these ‘free’ plants is leave them on the main plant until the little root starts to appear… then snip the runner off near the start.”
Once you have cut the runner off, place it in a pot and keep it out of the sun for the first week to stop it from becoming stressed.
Keep the plant well watered so the soil is consistently moist, and once the plant is big enough, place it in your strawberry patch.
Planting runners is an easy way to get free strawberry plants and create a more vibrant garden, but be mindful that runners can become a nuisance in spring.
Watch out for them and cut them off when needed to keep your strawberries healthy and thriving.