By Cat44
Italy 
I recently bought some strawberry plants which I am growing in pots on the patio. They are doing really well and now have several green strawberries, which hopefully will ripen soon. One of my plants has now got a runner. I read somewhere that you should cut the runners and plant these to bring them on for another year. Please could someone let me know if this is correct and how to do it. As you have probably gathered I am a very novice gardener!!
26 Apr, 2011
Answers
If you want to keep the runners for new plants next year, secure them into the compost at a set of leaves and let them send down new roots. Once they've rooted you can cut them away and pot them up for next year.
... that procedure might not be 'gospel' and others may do it another way ... but that's what I did last year and it's worked!
26 Apr, 2011
You will have lots more runners by the end of the summer. If you want to keep some of them and there is no room to root them in the pot you could put another pot of compost by the side and peg them down into it. It might not be worth it this year but as strawberry plants are only at their best for a few years perhaps next year you could root some in preparation for replacing the originals.
If you don't want to propagate, just remove them as they appear.
26 Apr, 2011
They usually don't survive if you just cut them and plant them. I would put a small pot of compost where the runner can reach, and weigh the tip down on the compost with a small rock, or pin it down with a partly straightened paper clip. Once the tip grows roots and a few extra leaves, it can be separated from its "mother".
: )
27 Apr, 2011
That's what I meant, Tugbrethil.
1 May, 2011
Ooops! Sorry Steragram! It was late, and I obviously was only partly conscious! : /
2 May, 2011
Previous question
I tend to keep the runners, only severing them when they are out of control by growing in strangely far away places from original plant.
26 Apr, 2011