Tracy in Ky Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 This year I am growing strawberries for the first time. I put in 125 plants, and have been pulling blooms off. They are now sending out runners and making baby plants. It is okay to remove some of the runners and choose how many baby plants I actually want? I left space between each plant to grow baby plants, but there are two many runners. Also, if a baby has rooted in a place that I don't like, can I gently pull it up and move it over a bit, as long as it stays attached to the mother plant? And what about mulching? If I put some straw around the plants, can the runners go ahead and root down through the staw? Thanks so much. I'm new at strawberries. I need help :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KellyGirl Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Wow, you planted a lot of plants! I probably have that many now, but only started with 15 or 20! You can (and probably should) redirect the runners and it doesn't hurt to dig them up if they are rooted too well to pull. I do mulch around my strawberrys and it doesn't cause any problems. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted June 3, 2009 Author Share Posted June 3, 2009 Wow, you planted a lot of plants! I probably have that many now, but only started with 15 or 20! You can (and probably should) redirect the runners and it doesn't hurt to dig them up if they are rooted too well to pull. I do mulch around my strawberrys and it doesn't cause any problems. Good luck! Thank you! You have helped me so much and set me free to do what I want to do in the strawberry beds. :) I've been nervous to do much of anything out there, because I didn't know what I *could* do. Thanks again for taking the time to teach me! Blessings, Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Tracy, I love your blog. I want to see pics of the patch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted June 3, 2009 Author Share Posted June 3, 2009 One more question :blush:, if you don't mind. Is it possible to remove a baby plant from it's mother and put it somewhere else entirely? --planting it like I would a regular strawberry plant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Yes. That is how we got our huge strawberry patch originally-with starts from other people's patch! :-) Enjoy your strawberries and know that it took our a couple years to give a great yield. The first year didn't produce too many strawberries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherLynn Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Okay, so you're supposed to pull the blooms off? Man, no wonder mine are lazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted June 3, 2009 Author Share Posted June 3, 2009 Yes. That is how we got our huge strawberry patch originally-with starts from other people's patch! :-) Enjoy your strawberries and know that it took our a couple years to give a great yield. The first year didn't produce too many strawberries. Wonderful! I'll go move those babies where I want them! :D Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 :bigear: Good thread! I've started two plants this year and now I know what to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted June 3, 2009 Author Share Posted June 3, 2009 Tracy, I love your blog. I want to see pics of the patch. Thanks, Remudamom :) Oooh--I'll take pictures after I get it weeded. The weeds have gotten the best of me in there. It's a good year for weeds :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 This thread comes just in time! I am trying to plant ground cover on a huge, very steep hill (the hill formed when they dug out our driveway) that we recently covered with weed fabric to keep the thistle from growing. I started planting myrtle (periwinkle) on the hill but I have a vast area to cover and it's expensive. So I'm thinking of digging up little wild strawberry plants that are growing all over our property and transplanting them onto the hill. I need something that's going to grow like crazy and send runners out all over the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Wisc Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 (edited) This year I am growing strawberries for the first time. I put in 125 plants, and have been pulling blooms off. They are now sending out runners and making baby plants. It is okay to remove some of the runners and choose how many baby plants I actually want? I left space between each plant to grow baby plants, but there are two many runners. Also, if a baby has rooted in a place that I don't like, can I gently pull it up and move it over a bit, as long as it stays attached to the mother plant? And what about mulching? If I put some straw around the plants, can the runners go ahead and root down through the staw? Thanks so much. I'm new at strawberries. I need help :bigear: Tracy, do you have Everbearing or Junebearing strawberries? The Everbearing strawberries do not grow berries on the runners. The runners should be snipped off. These are especially good for the strawberry pots and square foot gardens, but can be used in a large patch, too. The June bearing strawberries will re-root through the runners and bear fruit on the new plants. When I have them, I let them spread into a new part of the garden and till the old part under every 2 to 3 years because the old plants quit fruiting out. Sometimes I take small pots of dirt and stick the runners into them. Once they are established, I snip them off and plant them where I want them. That, however, is a lot more work than letting them spread. I would assume you could dig new plants and move them where you want them--I don't know why that wouldn't work, too (or move the babies). At the end of each June, I mow my strawberries off with a mower set as high as I can set it (if set too low, you can kill off the plants--my fil did this to my last patch :eek:). Then I weed the patch. This keeps them much nicer year to year. And yes, they will often root down through the mulch--I suppose it depends upon how thick the mulch is--they probably would not root through cardboard, but straw usually thins out as the summer goes on, and then the runners would be able to take root. HTH, Jean Edited June 25, 2009 by Jean in Wisc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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