Strawberry plants use a natural method of lateral growth called runners (stolons) to expand their territory. These long, leafless stems produce a small plantlet or node at the end, which is a perfect genetic clone of the mother plant. Managing runners is a primary task for gardeners, depending on whether the goal is to maximize the current season’s berry harvest or to create new plants for future seasons.
Understanding the Runner’s Role
Runners are the strawberry plant’s asexual reproductive strategy. The mother plant dedicates significant metabolic energy to produce these stolons and the daughter plantlets at their tips. This energy expenditure is directly diverted from other physiological processes, including flower and fruit development. A single, healthy mother plant can produce many runners in a season, each draining its internal resources. While effective for the plant in nature, this expansion often works against the gardener’s desire for a large yield of berries.
Removing Runners to Increase Harvest
Gardeners focused on maximizing the size and quantity of berries should routinely remove runners. By eliminating the runner, the plant redirects nutrients toward existing flowers and developing fruit. Consistent runner removal can lead to a substantial increase in fruit yield, sometimes boosting the harvest by 17 to 30%.
The most effective technique is to use sharp, clean shears or scissors to snip the runner as close to the mother plant as possible. Runners should be removed as soon as they are observed, before they expend too much energy.
For aggressive varieties, this requires inspection and removal every one to two weeks throughout the growing season. This proactive removal is particularly beneficial for day-neutral or everbearing types focused on continuous fruit production.
Using Runners to Expand Your Strawberry Patch
Runners offer a cost-effective method for expanding an existing strawberry patch or replacing aging plants. The process involves encouraging the new plantlet to root while it still benefits from the mother plant.
Select a healthy runner with a small cluster of leaves at its tip, and gently press the plantlet down onto moist potting mix or directly into the soil. To ensure firm contact and rapid rooting, the node can be secured using a U-shaped wire staple or a bent paperclip.
The runner must remain attached to the mother plant, which provides water and nutrients until the daughter plant is self-sufficient. After four to six weeks, the new plantlet will have established a strong root system.
At this point, the connecting runner can be severed close to the daughter plant, creating a fully independent clone ready for transplant. Propagating new plants every few years helps maintain the vigor of a patch, as mother plant productivity declines after three to four seasons.
Allowing Runners to Form a Matted Row
The matted row system involves allowing runners to root freely in the soil around the mother plants. This method is favored by home gardeners and large-scale operations in cooler climates due to its low maintenance and low cost. Initial mother plants are set at wider spacings, and runners are permitted to colonize the open space, forming a dense, continuous row.
While this system reduces the labor of yearly planting, it trades off fruit quality. The resulting high density leads to overcrowding and competition for light, water, and nutrients.
This competition often results in smaller fruit size and a reduced yield per individual plant. Furthermore, thick foliage increases humidity and reduces air circulation, making the patch more susceptible to fungal diseases.