Strawberry plants produce runners as a form of propagation, which can lead to crowded gardens if not managed. Runners, also known as stolons, are horizontal stems with tiny plants at their ends that take root when they touch the soil. Managing these runners properly can maximize fruit production.
Runner Propagation and Plant Health
Each runner has a tiny plant at its end, which can be rooted to produce new plants. However, runners take a lot of the plant’s energy to produce. In the first two years of life, they should be cut off where they emerge to concentrate efforts on fruiting. Strawberry plants also produce less berries with age. For June-bearer strawberries, the harvest will last up to 3 weeks.
To propagate new plants, late August is generally the best time to transplant for most zones in the United States. When growing everbearing strawberries, plants will start to produce fruit in their first season, though the first year’s fruiting may be sporadic and sparse.
Winter Care for Runners
Putting runners in pots or containers will allow you to water them in winter. If roots dry out, they die. Winterizing runners is simple but makes a big difference in crop success. You want to balance not allowing runners to take too much space with the advantage of abundance. Careful care maximizes yield. To keep plants alive just long enough to reach new homes, wrap roots in moistened paper and store below freezing.
Fruit Production Timeline
It takes around 3 months for a bareroot strawberry plant to bear fruit. As the runners grow, a cluster of small leaves forms on their tips, and new roots start growing from the base. Once those roots are set and the leaves mature, a new strawberry plant is created, which will produce fruit in the following year.