30 yrs ago I bought 2-6 pks of strawberries before the internet was in every house hold. Via an article in a gardening book I learned to plant the 1 yr old mother plant and to not allow the fruit to set but to snip off the blooms. Use a bright piece of yard or those piled up bread twist ties select the bright yellow or orange ones and place them around the base of each mother. Allow the runners to grow, root and mature. Depending on where you live 6 to 8 weeks before nightly temps are 32* transplant those runner babies on the other end of the strawberry bed(s). The next year allow the mother plants to set fruit but remove all runners as soon as you see them. Then the following years those original mother plants will produce huge berries, just keep removing the runners. Now you have those babies on the other end of the patch. Do the same thing with those the following year. Select one color per years worth of growth so not to mix them up and write on an index card whats what. The 2nd yr plants can then be moved closer to the original mothers and keep those runners snipped. After about 4 to 5 yrs start to replace the oldest mothers as many feel they start producing less fruits as they age. Have fun and gt down and dirty in the garden...!
Hi! This is very interesting to read. Thanks for sharing. That’s quite a system. Has it worked well for you? Do you have raised beds? I did a follow up video on renovating a strawberry bed and I had to do the process all at once because I needed to refill my raised bed with more soil. I like this process you have here as it makes it so you don’t have to renovate all the plants all at once.
Try an individual pot, i made an experiment by planting half of my plant directly to the ground and some on a pot. They grow better in an individual pot. And each of the plant grow differently. Like it evolve themselves i was shocked to find one of my strawberry goes red(leaf). The pot one grow more fruit and free disease. The mixed one in the ground tend to be sharing disease. It leaf growth isnt good at all, also try hanging pot
I push the end into a 3 in pot for 5 days and let it send a root down before I clip it of the mother. I've found that any longer than 5 days and you wont get as big of berries. This is the way I ve found to get the best of both. I have allstars and quinault and this has worked for both for me
For those reading this and if she doesn't mention this in the video, it is vitally important to use runners to get new plants but restrict this effort to one or two plants as needed. A strawberry plant will produce for 3-5 years and then its production falls off.
Yes, thank you for bringing this up. In fact, we have plans to renovate on our strawberry beds this year with the runners since the production had declined slightly. They are about 4 years old.
@@OurSanctuaryGarden so it’s not needed the first 3 years? I planted strawberries from seed a year ago, right now they started flowering , the plants are big but not as big as yours so I wasn’t sure if I should cut flowers so that the plants can still grow My plants started running a while ago so I have new patches that flower pretty quickly , so do I just cut off all the runners now or do I just wait until second year since 1st year plants don’t produce good fruit anyway? (Especially not in my weather )
@@vastya.3255 hi there! Regarding your questions, for the first few months after planting a strawberry plant, remove the blossoms to give the plant energy to focus on a good root system. It’s recommended to remove all flowers for the first year on June bearing, and to remove flowers until July for Everbearing. I would also start removing runners from your Everbearing plants unless you need/want more plants. For June bearing, I would let them produce some runners but don’t let them go crazy. You’re right that second year plants produce more and better fruit. I have a follow up video on my channel I posted recently on how to renovate an Everbearing strawberry bed. You might find it helpful as I clear a few things up. 😊 hope this answers your questions.
Can't you use the daughters to start another branch on the family tree? 😊 I mean if you're getting rid of them might as well make use of them. Make more strawberries 😁
@@terrig2467 yes. If you have the room. In time you will get overcrowding. I think taking the runners and planting them next to a row of mother's would work and then in 3 years remove the mother's when the daughters are producing well. The strawberries will be small if you don't thin them out at some point. The mother last 3-4 years.
I tried cutting my runners off and rooting them with hormone and it works, so you let the mother focus on berries and at the same time you can make more plants.
Awesome! That’s a question I get a lot if the runner can be used to make a new plant after it’s been clipped so I’m glad to hear you’ve had success with it.
We just moved to this new house last fall. Previously, my strawberries were attacked by slugs, snails and birds before we ever got fruit to eat. Now, we are in a drier climate and will be purchasing my new berries within the month. This nice tip comes in perfect timing with the onset of gardening season. Thank you. 6:47
Wow! Thank you SO MUCH for that amazing tip! It's brilliant! I can't wait to get out there tomorrow and pinch or cut off the runners from my strawberries! And each time I do, I will be thanking you. I just can't believe that no one has ever thought of this before now. God Bless!
Thanks for sharing...we tried to grow strawberry in the tropic where it is green all the year round... removing runners and some leaves are essential..to increase the yield and size of the berries.
First year growing strawberries here! Have little day neutral strawberries that are just starting to form! I pinched the buds until beginning of this month and they are flowering like crazy!
I often place the tiny runner plants in a small pot of potting soil while still connected to the mother. After it roots, I snip the umbilical cord. Then I can move the new baby wherever I want.
I planted a dozen Quinalts in March. They became 100 plants, but I saw no fruit until this month(November)...three small strawberries. Wish I had known your trick. There’s always next year. 🙂 Thank you.
Very nice~ How long have those strawberry plants been in the garden beds? To save the clipped runners, put them in water, with the torn off end in the water and keep the growing tip out of the water but still resting on the water, and they will form roots.
Hi! These plants have been in the raised beds for about 2 years. In 1-2 more years, I plan to refresh the bed by doing exactly as you described! :) Cheers!
Just got a Seascape variety plant (no doubt grown from a runner, lol) and was looking for tips on what to do with it. I will keep this tip and remember it when my plant is much bigger, because I want LOTS of strawberries and strawberry plants in the future. Been dreaming of that hanging, indoor strawberry cornucopia... :) Thank you!
Actually water tends to rot them quickly. Letting them root directly into the ground either from the container of planting out the container gives it the best chance. There are ways to use water but they are still more advanced than me
For anyone reading when removing the runners it actually works way easier to just push down instead of pinching off. The whole section would get removed with ease
Thank you so much for this video! Just an additional tip for those having trouble getting bigger berries .. it may be to do with pollination. If - like me - you live in 'the 'burbs' rather than out in the country, you may be noticing a decline in pollinator populations. Try planting flowering, pollinator attracting plants such as marigolds around/within your strawberry patches (mine are in hanging pots). If the time to do this has passed, then get yourself a soft-bristled paint-brush and hand pollinate your flowers, from the outside in towards the centre of the flower. If you have the time to do this daily (for a few pots of plants like I have), then great! Otherwise, you can get away with doing this every 3-4 days. Strawberry flowers are self-pollinating (meaning even just one flower can fertilize itself to produce a fruit as it has both male and female flower parts). However, some help from you may be needed. Brush from the outside (male parts) of the flower to the inside (female part*s*). For the size of the fruit to be maximized to its capacity, *each* female part needs to be pollinated. Hope this helps as an addition to the great info in this video!
I only grow Everbearing Strawberries because I prefer them producing throughout the summer. Right now, my bed is new, and I want more plants, so I am leaving the runners. Once I have all the plants I want, I fully intend on pinching those runners. Maybe I'll keep a few and start a few for my friends to have and to freshen my stock every few years.
Thank you!!! I’m so glad I came across this video! I planted 50 bareroot strawberries in March/April and they are all smaller strawberries now that they are producing and tons of runners are coming! Now I know how to get big strawberries!!! Yay!!!
I like what you did and that’s a great idea, but the runners can also be soaked in water and make another plant and possibly sell them. And definitely use a scissors. You were really fighting there to pinch that off you can use a small scissors.
I am not perfect. But my strawberry plants are getting real good fertilized soil, rain and sunlight and when ever the mini plant grows I cut them all together and plant them. I started having them all from a single plant.
@@slk363 yes, strawberries should be fertilized after their last crop. Try to avoid fertilizing them in the spring right before they start flowering, otherwise they may put out only leaves and less or no fruit. I plan to do a video on fertilizing strawberries once they’re fruiting (soon!) so watch for that.
I ordered ever berries this year and they're planted they look so healthy. I definitely needed to know this tip I'll just pick the runners and start new plants give them away lol
Last year I bought 3 plants and didnt know to prune off the runners. I didnt get ANY berries. However this year i took all those new plants i replanted in a more suitable area and ive got sooo many berries coming in.
I have everbearing strawberries, by thinning the number of flowers I allow to bloom in the flower clusters to 3 to 4 berries is how I get very large tasty strawberries. I'm not sure of the variety as I inherited the plants. They do not make runners however the crowns get multiple plants and in Octobre I separate the crowns for even more berry plants the next season.
That’s an interesting point about thinning the flowers. It makes sense. I’m glad it’s working for you. Maybe I’ll try it out. 😊 Enjoy those strawberries!
Hola, I AM from Habana. This is the first time I grow strawberries. I think I AM going to have a beautiful plant and good fruits. You know the climate here is not the best to grow but I Will try. I Will do my best.
You can replant those runners also if they are mature enough! Who doesn't want more plants! But if you don't you can toss them. I want my bed to be full then I'll separate each plant for more space. I have half of my bed filled probably 7 plants total right now. I clipped off 3 runners. What about the flowers 🌼 ? I have small berries. I have Ever-bearing plants! We are on our 2nd year of having them. We do buy two new Mother plants each year to add to our beds. Next spring I want to make a new bed for more strawberries when I separate my plants. I don't want them to be one big mess! Once I do this I will be able to manage my both beds daily or every other day to make sure they are healthy and thriving! I would love to know what type of soil n food you feed them?! I would love to have mine big n juicy like yours! Im from Anderson, SC.
A lot of my viewers have asked about planting the runner and yes, you absolutely can plant them! Or let them root and then move them. Regarding the flowers, it is recommended to remove the first year flowers for a couple months. After that, let them flower and fruit. I use an organic garden mix for soil from a local vendor. It’s 2/3 top soil and 1/3 compost. I am preparing a fertilizing video to put out sometime early this summer so watch for that. Honestly, I use a balanced fertilizer where the npk numbers are pretty close. Nothing fancy. Hope this helps!
What is your method of watering , these soaker hoses doesn't put out evenly amounts of water . I would love ❤️ to share a picture of my June berries I picked this year.
I use overhead watering for now. It works well for me. I haven’t used soaker hoses but I know they do need to run for a long time to get enough water out. I’d love to see a picture of your strawberries!
Wow. Your strawberries are perfect. My children and I love strawberries and this year is our first year growing our own. Thank you for sharing your tips and garden. Loved the way you showed how to do it too. Definitely appreciate it.
In Autumn of 2021, I moved my plants from under a tree in packed soil and yuca roots to a raised bed of loose soil and compost. I pinched off the blooms so they wouldn’t bear, and to let the plants get settled during the 2022 summer. The 2022 garden put out a ton of runners, but no new i plants in 2023 from the runners. I let them bloom in 2023, thinking that I would get a good crop. The leaves are twice the size as normal, but few berries, from very small, and some no bigger than my thumb. Large leaves would indicate excess nitrogen? I had larger berries in the old bed, where the plants were close together. No fertilizer other than that from compost. BTW, My plants bear only in the final 2 weeks of May.
How do you manage growing strawberries with no bug bites? Those pill bugs are ruining my strawberries, also the birds eat them when they still green. So frustrated!!!
I would love to say my strawberries never have bug damage, but that would be a lie. I have managed birds with netting that I cover the beds with. Regarding pill bugs, I had an infestation of them this year so many of my berries had some damage. Pill bugs love dark and damp environments so I laid down a layer of straw so the strawberries would be off the damp soil. I also watered in the morning so everything had a chance to dry out through the day. It seems to help but a level of damage should always be expected. 'Tis the life a gardener. We have to share our garden with the bugs. ;) Happy gardening!
How do you prep your strawberries for the winter… Do you cut them down to the soil service? I’m in the Northeast and not sure if I leave them alone or cut them down before the winter.
A good question! So... for your june bearing varieties, it is recommended to mow them down to just above the crown as soon as they're done fruiting (mid summer typically). You then can thin the rows out. For everbearing/day neutral varieties, do not mow down. Just cover with mulch (I like straw) and remove it as soon as you're past your harshest frost but before the plants start coming out of dormancy. Hope that helps!
I recommend getting a good quality garden mix from a local landscape company if you’re doing raised beds. Strawberries like slightly acidic soil (5.5-6.5) so test your soil to see where it lands then add elemental sulfur to acidify it if needed. I have a video on acidifying soil if you need further help
I am starting a small raised bed of 2x4 ft . I was going to plant everglow and Seascape plants . Any idea if this small space will produce much fruit ? About how much in quarts ? June strawberry short cake for family of 5 , and fresh picked till sept. Let mrnknow what you think Thank ypu
I am switching to the fertilizer listed below. Follow the instructions on it and it should work great. Espoma Organic Berry-Tone Granules Organic Plant Food 4 lb. www.amazon.com/dp/B088WZH9KG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9X6WAMGMN44E5SA3G1DA
This is my first year growing strawberries. I happened to see them at a nursery and decided to give them a try. Right now I have them in a planter, but I know I need something bigger and I do have a runner. I will snip it and put it in water until the roots start showing. Thank you for this video. It was very helpful. I have a small strawberry growing. How do I determine when they need to be picked?
I'm so glad you are trying out strawberries! If you want more plants, you can sacrifice a lot of fruit for more runners so you can propagate your patch. Then next year, start pruning off the runners. I know my strawberries are ready to pick when there is no white left on it (only red). :). Hope this helps! Happy gardening!
Great video... you've inspired me to start growing strawberries in a big box-like "garden." What kind of soil should I use for box-cultivating them, and, how deep should it be?
Wonderful! Strawberries have a shallow root system so anything 8" or deeper is good (12" is typical for raised beds). I recommend buying a "garden mix" for your soil. You can get them bagged or buy it in bulk from a landscaping business. Strawberries like a slightly acidic soil pH so check your soil before planting them and add elemental sulfer if needed to acidify it (I have a video on testing soil pH if you need help). Happy gardening!
@@OurSanctuaryGarden Thank you. That'll be one of my upcoming summer projects to do this year. Luckily I have a great garden store nearby me that can help provide some of the essential items I'll need to get started.
hi sanctuary gardens 🤗 this video came across my feed and im so glad it did. im actually watching you on my tv and laptop 🤣😂 i have strawberries and will definitely try this idea the next time i renovate my patch (your video im watching on tv). i'm in zone 10. i'm not sure where you are, but i'm going to watch more of your videos to see what i can learn and what may work in my raised beds. where do you get your straw? tfs
Hi there! I'm so glad you're here! Thanks for stopping by. :) I hope you learn a lot from my videos! More strawberry ones will be coming out in August (a whole series!). I am in zone 8b so I have a shorter growing season than you. I purchased my strawberries from a local nursery that specializes in berries and shrubs. I got mine as bareroot (my recommendation). Hope this helps! See you in a future comment thread! ;)
Thank you! Yes, you can! There are a few options but the one that seems to work the best is place the runner in water. I haven’t personally done this yet but I plan to experiment with it this summer 😊
Thank you for the follow! I hope you find things helpful. And always feel free to comment with things you've learned in your gardening journey. Cheers!
Hi I’m watching from uk,I’m thinking of doing a bed of strawberry might have to be next year but could you tell me why straw is used please …great video very interesting specially with pinching off the long shoots
Hi there! I’m glad you’re considering growing strawberries! You won’t be disappointed! I use straw as a mulch around my strawberries. This helps with a number of things including water retention (less need for watering), regulating soil temperature, suppressing weeds, adding nutrients to the soil as it decomposes and keeps the strawberries off the dirt. You can use many things as mulch: straw, wood chips, grass clippings, compost, leaves, etc. Hope this helps!
Yes, you can! You can either let them take root in a pot of soil before clipping it from the mother plant or put the runner in water until it grows roots. Hope this helps!
Plants look great, thanks for the tip. I can't wait to eat strawberries from my indoor grow room. Animals always eat mine outdoors, so I am going to try indoors🙃
Hi there. Thanks for a great video. I have started growing strawberries from seed that I collected from strawberries that I bought. It has been three years now and I am really getting great strawberries. I was quite shocked when I saw some of my strawberries being about three fingers wide. I never knew what caused them to be so large but I was very excited. I have five questions. How often should strawberries be replanted and what soil mix do you suggest I use, what could I add to the soil to produce sweet strawberries and how often do you use fertilizer if any, and what type? Your assistance will be appreciated.
Hi there! Thanks for the comment and good questions. I’ll answer them in order as best I can. 1) strawberry lifespan is about 3-5 years. I have a new video on renovating an Everbearing strawberry bed. Go check it out on my channel for more info. 2) I suggest using an organic garden mix. I buy from a local company in bulk but you can also get garden mix in bags from nurseries. 3) I am not sure as to what to add to soil to sweeten a strawberry. I’ll do some research and try to include that in my upcoming fertilizing strawberries video (check back in about a month for that video.) 4 and 5) I do fertilize them 2-3x a year. I am trying out this fertilizer: Espoma Organic Berry-tone 4-3-4 Natural & Organic Fertilizer and Plant Food for all Berries. 4 lb. Bag. Use for Planting & Feeding to Promote Bountiful Harvest www.amazon.com/dp/B07KV692TG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Y7YPY5NBKFMV9FVNB7FC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Check back for that promised strawberry fertilizing video! I hope this helps in the meantime.
30 yrs ago I bought 2-6 pks of strawberries before the internet was in every house hold. Via an article in a gardening book I learned to plant the 1 yr old mother plant and to not allow the fruit to set but to snip off the blooms. Use a bright piece of yard or those piled up bread twist ties select the bright yellow or orange ones and place them around the base of each mother. Allow the runners to grow, root and mature. Depending on where you live 6 to 8 weeks before nightly temps are 32* transplant those runner babies on the other end of the strawberry bed(s). The next year allow the mother plants to set fruit but remove all runners as soon as you see them. Then the following years those original mother plants will produce huge berries, just keep removing the runners. Now you have those babies on the other end of the patch. Do the same thing with those the following year. Select one color per years worth of growth so not to mix them up and write on an index card whats what. The 2nd yr plants can then be moved closer to the original mothers and keep those runners snipped. After about 4 to 5 yrs start to replace the oldest mothers as many feel they start producing less fruits as they age. Have fun and gt down and dirty in the garden...!
Hi! This is very interesting to read. Thanks for sharing. That’s quite a system. Has it worked well for you? Do you have raised beds? I did a follow up video on renovating a strawberry bed and I had to do the process all at once because I needed to refill my raised bed with more soil. I like this process you have here as it makes it so you don’t have to renovate all the plants all at once.
Thank you 😊
Thank you for your advice! Using the bread ties are a smart idea! Thank you 4 this. It gives me a great start on my new bed next season!
I'll be giving this a try ! Thanks for sharing.
Try an individual pot, i made an experiment by planting half of my plant directly to the ground and some on a pot. They grow better in an individual pot. And each of the plant grow differently. Like it evolve themselves i was shocked to find one of my strawberry goes red(leaf). The pot one grow more fruit and free disease. The mixed one in the ground tend to be sharing disease. It leaf growth isnt good at all, also try hanging pot
I push the end into a 3 in pot for 5 days and let it send a root down before I clip it of the mother.
I've found that any longer than 5 days and you wont get as big of berries.
This is the way I ve found to get the best of both. I have allstars and quinault and this has worked for both for me
For those reading this and if she doesn't mention this in the video, it is vitally important to use runners to get new plants but restrict this effort to one or two plants as needed. A strawberry plant will produce for 3-5 years and then its production falls off.
Yes, thank you for bringing this up. In fact, we have plans to renovate on our strawberry beds this year with the runners since the production had declined slightly. They are about 4 years old.
@@OurSanctuaryGarden so it’s not needed the first 3 years? I planted strawberries from seed a year ago, right now they started flowering , the plants are big but not as big as yours so I wasn’t sure if I should cut flowers so that the plants can still grow
My plants started running a while ago so I have new patches that flower pretty quickly , so do I just cut off all the runners now or do I just wait until second year since 1st year plants don’t produce good fruit anyway? (Especially not in my weather )
@@vastya.3255 hi there! Regarding your questions, for the first few months after planting a strawberry plant, remove the blossoms to give the plant energy to focus on a good root system. It’s recommended to remove all flowers for the first year on June bearing, and to remove flowers until July for Everbearing. I would also start removing runners from your Everbearing plants unless you need/want more plants. For June bearing, I would let them produce some runners but don’t let them go crazy. You’re right that second year plants produce more and better fruit. I have a follow up video on my channel I posted recently on how to renovate an Everbearing strawberry bed. You might find it helpful as I clear a few things up. 😊 hope this answers your questions.
@@OurSanctuaryGarden o
@Sanctuary Gardens hello so remove all runners for the first 3 yrs
"Runners" are daughters. Keep the mother and get rid of the daughters. Replace the mother with new daughters every 3 -4 years.
Exactly! Thanks for adding your input!
Can't you use the daughters to start another branch on the family tree? 😊 I mean if you're getting rid of them might as well make use of them. Make more strawberries 😁
@@luvmy5515 would depend on available room/space, I'd think...
Can you plant the runners?
@@terrig2467 yes. If you have the room. In time you will get overcrowding. I think taking the runners and planting them next to a row of mother's would work and then in 3 years remove the mother's when the daughters are producing well. The strawberries will be small if you don't thin them out at some point. The mother last 3-4 years.
Great tip. Now I know why I had so many new plants and small, not so sweet berries.
Thank you.
Strawberries like acidic soil for sweeter fruit
I tried cutting my runners off and rooting them with hormone and it works, so you let the mother focus on berries and at the same time you can make more plants.
Awesome! That’s a question I get a lot if the runner can be used to make a new plant after it’s been clipped so I’m glad to hear you’ve had success with it.
We just moved to this new house last fall. Previously, my strawberries were attacked by slugs, snails and birds before we ever got fruit to eat. Now, we are in a drier climate and will be purchasing my new berries within the month. This nice tip comes in perfect timing with the onset of gardening season. Thank you. 6:47
How are they ?
Wow! Thank you SO MUCH for that amazing tip! It's brilliant! I can't wait to get out there tomorrow and pinch or cut off the runners from my strawberries! And each time I do, I will be thanking you. I just can't believe that no one has ever thought of this before now. God Bless!
You’re most welcome!
Thanks for sharing...we tried to grow strawberry in the tropic where it is green all the year round... removing runners and some leaves are essential..to increase the yield and size of the berries.
First year growing strawberries here! Have little day neutral strawberries that are just starting to form! I pinched the buds until beginning of this month and they are flowering like crazy!
Wonderful! I hope they produce an abundance for you! :)
“Nothing beats home grown berries” I agree 100%!
They truly are the best! 👌🏼
You’re strawberries are huge & they look so AH-MAZING!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thank you!
I often place the tiny runner plants in a small pot of potting soil while still connected to the mother. After it roots, I snip the umbilical cord. Then I can move the new baby wherever I want.
I planted a dozen Quinalts in March. They became 100 plants, but I saw no fruit until this month(November)...three small strawberries. Wish I had known your trick. There’s always next year. 🙂 Thank you.
At least you have a bunch of plants now! How are the new plants doing? Have they started producing?
A big plus is having many plants, with this trick you can now get a huge yield
reduce nitrogen
Hi friend. I got strawberries un march and they are growing again. I told you I was going to do my best and I did It.
Yay!! That’s great! Congratulations!
The slope of your yard is great. My last residence had that slope and everything I planted in that low area did the best. I guess wetness is good.
Great tip. I prune mine and I replant the stem.
Pretty cool!😊
Very nice~ How long have those strawberry plants been in the garden beds? To save the clipped runners, put them in water, with the torn off end in the water and keep the growing tip out of the water but still resting on the water, and they will form roots.
Hi! These plants have been in the raised beds for about 2 years. In 1-2 more years, I plan to refresh the bed by doing exactly as you described! :) Cheers!
How do you rest the growing tip on the water?
Just got a Seascape variety plant (no doubt grown from a runner, lol) and was looking for tips on what to do with it. I will keep this tip and remember it when my plant is much bigger, because I want LOTS of strawberries and strawberry plants in the future. Been dreaming of that hanging, indoor strawberry cornucopia... :)
Thank you!
Actually water tends to rot them quickly. Letting them root directly into the ground either from the container of planting out the container gives it the best chance. There are ways to use water but they are still more advanced than me
Thank you answered my question 😊
For anyone reading when removing the runners it actually works way easier to just push down instead of pinching off. The whole section would get removed with ease
I started a strawberry plant in a pot this year. Let's see if it grows big after I plug off a runner. Thanks for the tip.
You’re welcome!
Around here, the Mt. Hood strain of strawberries are smaller, but boy are they delicious.
Good to know! We weren’t happy with our Hood strawberries but maybe I’ll give them another chance 😊
Thank you so much for this video! Just an additional tip for those having trouble getting bigger berries .. it may be to do with pollination. If - like me - you live in 'the 'burbs' rather than out in the country, you may be noticing a decline in pollinator populations. Try planting flowering, pollinator attracting plants such as marigolds around/within your strawberry patches (mine are in hanging pots). If the time to do this has passed, then get yourself a soft-bristled paint-brush and hand pollinate your flowers, from the outside in towards the centre of the flower. If you have the time to do this daily (for a few pots of plants like I have), then great! Otherwise, you can get away with doing this every 3-4 days. Strawberry flowers are self-pollinating (meaning even just one flower can fertilize itself to produce a fruit as it has both male and female flower parts). However, some help from you may be needed. Brush from the outside (male parts) of the flower to the inside (female part*s*). For the size of the fruit to be maximized to its capacity, *each* female part needs to be pollinated. Hope this helps as an addition to the great info in this video!
Thank you for sharing this great tip!!
strawberry plants can self-pollinate
Salvia is a great plant to have near your berries. Bees love “Salvia”
I use the runners for propagation but I can see why allowing them to develop can divert the plant's energy.
Oh my gosh! Your berries look AMAZING and big. I know the flavor is off the chart. Enjoy!!
Thank you! They are scrumptious! 🍓😉
I only grow Everbearing Strawberries because I prefer them producing throughout the summer. Right now, my bed is new, and I want more plants, so I am leaving the runners. Once I have all the plants I want, I fully intend on pinching those runners. Maybe I'll keep a few and start a few for my friends to have and to freshen my stock every few years.
You betcha! Sounds like you know what you're doing! I prefer everbearing myself... I may be getting rid of my June bearing this year. Happy gardening!
Thank you!!! I’m so glad I came across this video! I planted 50 bareroot strawberries in March/April and they are all smaller strawberries now that they are producing and tons of runners are coming! Now I know how to get big strawberries!!! Yay!!!
Glad to hear it! Hope this helps! Happy gardening
So did it work
Those plants look very healthy
I like what you did and that’s a great idea, but the runners can also be soaked in water and make another plant and possibly sell them. And definitely use a scissors. You were really fighting there to pinch that off you can use a small scissors.
We are in Bellingham Wa and are starting a garden 🪴 this year. Thanks for the tips :)
Hi neighbor! 😊 I wish you all the best in your new gardening journey. I hope you find some helpful info here for gardening in the PNW. Cheers!
I am not perfect. But my strawberry plants are getting real good fertilized soil, rain and sunlight and when ever the mini plant grows I cut them all together and plant them. I started having them all from a single plant.
Thank you! This is my first year gardening so I’m not expecting fruit until next year, but I’ll make sure to remember to do this!
I wish you all the best! 😊
Do I need to fertilize strawberry plants other than when first planted? If so with what?
@@slk363 yes, strawberries should be fertilized after their last crop. Try to avoid fertilizing them in the spring right before they start flowering, otherwise they may put out only leaves and less or no fruit. I plan to do a video on fertilizing strawberries once they’re fruiting (soon!) so watch for that.
I ordered ever berries this year and they're planted they look so healthy. I definitely needed to know this tip I'll just pick the runners and start new plants give them away lol
Glad this was helpful! I love sharing the runner baby plants with others!
nice sharing very informative
Good to know - thanks for sharing
Nice shRing my friend
yummi yummi, never neglect strawberries.
My older kiddo asked if you would share some with us, ha ha! Beautiful berries!! Need to go out and pluck my runners now.
I'd gladly share my bounty! ;)
Last year I bought 3 plants and didnt know to prune off the runners. I didnt get ANY berries. However this year i took all those new plants i replanted in a more suitable area and ive got sooo many berries coming in.
That’s wonderful! Hopefully this tip helps too. 😊 happy gardening!
I have everbearing strawberries, by thinning the number of flowers I allow to bloom in the flower clusters to 3 to 4 berries is how I get very large tasty strawberries. I'm not sure of the variety as I inherited the plants. They do not make runners however the crowns get multiple plants and in Octobre I separate the crowns for even more berry plants the next season.
That’s an interesting point about thinning the flowers. It makes sense. I’m glad it’s working for you. Maybe I’ll try it out. 😊 Enjoy those strawberries!
Do you thin the flowers while they're actively growing?
going with seascape in hanging bags this year
You explained that so well. Thank you.
You’re welcome! Happy gardening!
Thanks for shareing
Thank you this is some helpful advice. Your garden lookds beautiful
So nice 😍 home grown is so satisfying 🤩😍
Yes, they are so much better!
Hola, I AM from Habana. This is the first time I grow strawberries. I think I AM going to have a beautiful plant and good fruits. You know the climate here is not the best to grow but I Will try. I Will do my best.
I wish you the best! :)
You can replant those runners also if they are mature enough! Who doesn't want more plants! But if you don't you can toss them. I want my bed to be full then I'll separate each plant for more space. I have half of my bed filled probably 7 plants total right now. I clipped off 3 runners. What about the flowers 🌼 ? I have small berries. I have Ever-bearing plants! We are on our 2nd year of having them. We do buy two new Mother plants each year to add to our beds. Next spring I want to make a new bed for more strawberries when I separate my plants. I don't want them to be one big mess! Once I do this I will be able to manage my both beds daily or every other day to make sure they are healthy and thriving! I would love to know what type of soil n food you feed them?! I would love to have mine big n juicy like yours! Im from Anderson, SC.
A lot of my viewers have asked about planting the runner and yes, you absolutely can plant them! Or let them root and then move them. Regarding the flowers, it is recommended to remove the first year flowers for a couple months. After that, let them flower and fruit. I use an organic garden mix for soil from a local vendor. It’s 2/3 top soil and 1/3 compost. I am preparing a fertilizing video to put out sometime early this summer so watch for that. Honestly, I use a balanced fertilizer where the npk numbers are pretty close. Nothing fancy. Hope this helps!
Awesome! I'm going to go out and do this tomorrow morning. My strawberries are fairly small.
Glad this was helpful! 😊 Happy Gardening!
First time on your channel. Great video! Very clear explanation. I’ll be pinching off the runners we get this season. Thanks!
Welcome! Glad you found it helpful! 😊
Thank you for the tip.
What is your method of watering , these soaker hoses doesn't put out evenly amounts of water . I would love ❤️ to share a picture of my June berries I picked this year.
I use overhead watering for now. It works well for me. I haven’t used soaker hoses but I know they do need to run for a long time to get enough water out. I’d love to see a picture of your strawberries!
@@OurSanctuaryGarden how can I send you pictures 📸
Wow. Your strawberries are perfect. My children and I love strawberries and this year is our first year growing our own. Thank you for sharing your tips and garden. Loved the way you showed how to do it too. Definitely appreciate it.
Thank you! Strawberries are our favorite! I'm so glad you're growing your own! I hope they will be abundant! :)
I love your garden 💞💞💞
Thank you ☺️
Thank you! I've always been great at growing strawberry plants but lacking on the actual strawberries lol
You’re welcome and I hope you have better luck! 😊
In Autumn of 2021, I moved my plants from under a tree in packed soil and yuca roots to a raised bed of loose soil and compost. I pinched off the blooms so they wouldn’t bear, and to let the plants get settled during the 2022 summer. The 2022 garden put out a ton of runners, but no new i plants in 2023 from the runners. I let them bloom in 2023, thinking that I would get a good crop. The leaves are twice the size as normal, but few berries, from very small, and some no bigger than my thumb. Large leaves would indicate excess nitrogen? I had larger berries in the old bed, where the plants were close together. No fertilizer other than that from compost. BTW, My plants bear only in the final 2 weeks of May.
Hey I was wondering if you could replant the runner and have another plant grow from it?
Yes. I have a whole video on what to do with runners besides clip them off!
How do you manage growing strawberries with no bug bites? Those pill bugs are ruining my strawberries, also the birds eat them when they still green. So frustrated!!!
I would love to say my strawberries never have bug damage, but that would be a lie. I have managed birds with netting that I cover the beds with. Regarding pill bugs, I had an infestation of them this year so many of my berries had some damage. Pill bugs love dark and damp environments so I laid down a layer of straw so the strawberries would be off the damp soil. I also watered in the morning so everything had a chance to dry out through the day. It seems to help but a level of damage should always be expected. 'Tis the life a gardener. We have to share our garden with the bugs. ;) Happy gardening!
Can something with those runners plants....be done so they will grow more plants once cut from the mother plant?
My strawberries are loaded... heading out right now to do this!!!!
Nice job
How do you prep your strawberries for the winter… Do you cut them down to the soil service? I’m in the Northeast and not sure if I leave them alone or cut them down before the winter.
A good question! So... for your june bearing varieties, it is recommended to mow them down to just above the crown as soon as they're done fruiting (mid summer typically). You then can thin the rows out. For everbearing/day neutral varieties, do not mow down. Just cover with mulch (I like straw) and remove it as soon as you're past your harshest frost but before the plants start coming out of dormancy. Hope that helps!
Thanks for sharing your tip 😊
Thank you for the tip! What about your soil? What is the best? Thanks!
I recommend getting a good quality garden mix from a local landscape company if you’re doing raised beds. Strawberries like slightly acidic soil (5.5-6.5) so test your soil to see where it lands then add elemental sulfur to acidify it if needed. I have a video on acidifying soil if you need further help
Good, good information.
I am starting a small raised bed of 2x4 ft . I was going to plant everglow and Seascape plants .
Any idea if this small space will produce much fruit ?
About how much in quarts ?
June strawberry short cake for family of 5 , and fresh picked till sept.
Let mrnknow what you think
Thank ypu
Great Tip. Thanks for sharing
Hey, what fertilizer do you use when the plant is that big? Thanks
I am switching to the fertilizer listed below. Follow the instructions on it and it should work great. Espoma Organic Berry-Tone Granules Organic Plant Food 4 lb. www.amazon.com/dp/B088WZH9KG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9X6WAMGMN44E5SA3G1DA
Thanks for the tip.. 💕
Great video thanks
Thanks for sharing such a great tip👏🏽keep up the good work fellow gardener 👍🏽
Thank you! Happy gardening!
We too have strawberry, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberry "patches".
This is my first year growing strawberries. I happened to see them at a nursery and decided to give them a try. Right now I have them in a planter, but I know I need something bigger and I do have a runner. I will snip it and put it in water until the roots start showing. Thank you for this video. It was very helpful. I have a small strawberry growing. How do I determine when they need to be picked?
I'm so glad you are trying out strawberries! If you want more plants, you can sacrifice a lot of fruit for more runners so you can propagate your patch. Then next year, start pruning off the runners. I know my strawberries are ready to pick when there is no white left on it (only red). :). Hope this helps! Happy gardening!
Great video... you've inspired me to start growing strawberries in a big box-like "garden." What kind of soil should I use for box-cultivating them, and, how deep should it be?
Wonderful! Strawberries have a shallow root system so anything 8" or deeper is good (12" is typical for raised beds). I recommend buying a "garden mix" for your soil. You can get them bagged or buy it in bulk from a landscaping business. Strawberries like a slightly acidic soil pH so check your soil before planting them and add elemental sulfer if needed to acidify it (I have a video on testing soil pH if you need help). Happy gardening!
@@OurSanctuaryGarden Thank you. That'll be one of my upcoming summer projects to do this year. Luckily I have a great garden store nearby me that can help provide some of the essential items I'll need to get started.
Very helpful video! Thank u ❤️
Wow amazing 👍🥰
Hi I love your dogs they are very cute 😊😁
Thank you!
Can the shoots be placed in water til in roots ( like a cutting) then planted in a separate container?
Yes it can! I haven't done it myself but I know of others who have. Let me know if you try it and it works :)
wow great info my first year starting strawberries .question can you replant the runners ? again thanks for the great info
Wow. Nice plants. What variety are these? thanks
This variety is called Albion and is our favorite. 😊
hi sanctuary gardens 🤗
this video came across my feed and im so glad it did.
im actually watching you on my tv and laptop 🤣😂 i have strawberries and will definitely try this idea the next time i renovate my patch (your video im watching on tv).
i'm in zone 10. i'm not sure where you are, but i'm going to watch more of your videos to see what i can learn and what may work in my raised beds.
where do you get your straw? tfs
Hi there! I'm so glad you're here! Thanks for stopping by. :) I hope you learn a lot from my videos! More strawberry ones will be coming out in August (a whole series!). I am in zone 8b so I have a shorter growing season than you. I purchased my strawberries from a local nursery that specializes in berries and shrubs. I got mine as bareroot (my recommendation). Hope this helps! See you in a future comment thread! ;)
Can you replant the runner to produce a new plant? Your strawberries look delicious and juicy.
Thank you! Yes, you can! There are a few options but the one that seems to work the best is place the runner in water. I haven’t personally done this yet but I plan to experiment with it this summer 😊
Skip to 4:45 for the tip.. come ooooon…. Video is great! Don’t click bait it with long intros
Hi, just found your channel🤗 subscribed! Lovely garden and looking forward to more of your videos.
Thank you for the follow! I hope you find things helpful. And always feel free to comment with things you've learned in your gardening journey. Cheers!
Hi I’m watching from uk,I’m thinking of doing a bed of strawberry might have to be next year but could you tell me why straw is used please …great video very interesting specially with pinching off the long shoots
Hi there! I’m glad you’re considering growing strawberries! You won’t be disappointed! I use straw as a mulch around my strawberries. This helps with a number of things including water retention (less need for watering), regulating soil temperature, suppressing weeds, adding nutrients to the soil as it decomposes and keeps the strawberries off the dirt. You can use many things as mulch: straw, wood chips, grass clippings, compost, leaves, etc. Hope this helps!
Thanks for making the video lady 👍🏽👍🏽
Can you replant the runners in another pot?
Yes, you can! You can either let them take root in a pot of soil before clipping it from the mother plant or put the runner in water until it grows roots. Hope this helps!
If I cut off a runner can I plant it by itself to produce a new plant?
Your strawberries are beautiful
Thank you! They're our favorite!
Thanks for sharing
Can you do anything with the mother plant? Can you replant them?
Those are the best looking homegrown strawberries I have ever seen. When did you put the straw down?
Plants look great, thanks for the tip. I can't wait to eat strawberries from my indoor grow room. Animals always eat mine outdoors, so I am going to try indoors🙃
That will be nice to have them inside. I hope it works for you!
Thank you!!!
Pollination is more important than removing runners!!
Hi there. Thanks for a great video. I have started growing strawberries from seed that I collected from strawberries that I bought. It has been three years now and I am really getting great strawberries. I was quite shocked when I saw some of my strawberries being about three fingers wide. I never knew what caused them to be so large but I was very excited. I have five questions. How often should strawberries be replanted and what soil mix do you suggest I use, what could I add to the soil to produce sweet strawberries and how often do you use fertilizer if any, and what type? Your assistance will be appreciated.
Hi there! Thanks for the comment and good questions. I’ll answer them in order as best I can.
1) strawberry lifespan is about 3-5 years. I have a new video on renovating an Everbearing strawberry bed. Go check it out on my channel for more info.
2) I suggest using an organic garden mix. I buy from a local company in bulk but you can also get garden mix in bags from nurseries.
3) I am not sure as to what to add to soil to sweeten a strawberry. I’ll do some research and try to include that in my upcoming fertilizing strawberries video (check back in about a month for that video.)
4 and 5) I do fertilize them 2-3x a year. I am trying out this fertilizer: Espoma Organic Berry-tone 4-3-4 Natural & Organic Fertilizer and Plant Food for all Berries. 4 lb. Bag. Use for Planting & Feeding to Promote Bountiful Harvest www.amazon.com/dp/B07KV692TG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Y7YPY5NBKFMV9FVNB7FC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Check back for that promised strawberry fertilizing video! I hope this helps in the meantime.
@@OurSanctuaryGarden Thanks for the information. It is appreciated.
Awesome thanks for that!
I'll try it on my strawberry plants 👍👍🙏🇭🇲🇭🇲🇭🇲
Glad to help! Happy gardening!
The suckers you pulled can you put it in a cup of soil and or transplant it once it's been pulled from the mother?
If there are root nubs on the end of the sucker, you can put it in a cup of water to encourage rooting then transplant.
Awesome tip!
Great vid
I think a pair of small pruners would be best to use, to avoid damaging the plant...thank you!!
I agree. 😉