What To Do With Strawberry Runners? Clip Leave or Wait? 

Last year I cut the bottom off solo cups to make a little collar for my strawberry plants so they’re not drooping down for the slugs to eat and they took off like crazy. I have a huge Rubbermaid tote full of runners I need to get in the ground elsewhere now. It was super easy to see which were the original plants too because they had red solo cup collars lol.

I root my runners in cups of compost then clip them off after they get rooted solid. And then transplant. From 6 plants I got about 100 daughter plants! Sold some, planted some, gave some away, threw the weak ones in the compost bin and I still have a lot left over.

I root runners into bio-degradable peat pots for thirty days. Then sever them from the mother plant and plant them where I want them. With this method there’s no root disturbance and the pot decomposes away over winter.

The first time I have ever understood strawberries and runners, thank you!

If short on plants/runners, or to simply increase success rate, allow the runner to root before clipping it. One can place a small pot of soil under each runner and allow the runner to root in the pot before clipping it off the mother plant.

I'm kinda glad to see your beds got even crazier than mine. I was feeling badly about them getting so far out of control. Blessings!

huh, it has never occurred to me that you can plant the baby plants to a different bed, what a genius idea. Luke, if you ever wonder whether to mention something or not, pls do mention, may be something very basic, but there ARE people who just dont think of it. :-D Thank you

Lots of methods for sure. I catch the runners thru the season in pots with soil, cut off from the mother plant when roots are good, and then plant the potted runner a bit later in a better spot in the patch. Good survival if properly watered. My patch started out 3 years ago and it produced until the frost this year. Best fruit ever.

Perfect timing Luke!! My first time planting edibles and my strawberries have runners with little roots, so the way you do it for you makes sense for me. I'll be cutting mine off and putting them into another area. I know some people think you take a while to explain, but I for one appreciate it since I'm just starting out and I have a lot to learn. Thank you young man, Peace to you and yours!

I plant into a kiddie large pool, about 10 plants and let them be crazy. Have tons and tons of strawberries, small area but works for me

All I do is cut them in the middle of the runner - I don't pull them up and replant them. Did the same with my blackberries and they are growing everywhere with tons of flowers! Getting ready for lots of blackberries! Yay!

I’ve been putting my runners in a compost filled yoghurt pots for about a months then snipping away from the mother plant I’ve quadrupled my plants from this year.. next year should be bumper year! Works for me 👍

This was really helpful, I jumped pots with my runners and now have to move the pots. Feeling more confident in cutting “the umbilical cord” Thanks 👍

It's good to know that they're so flexible. I've split and transplanted alpine strawberries more than typical garden varieties. I would love to expand my strawberry beds, but I probably need to fertilize a little more if that's the goal! 🙃

The Method I choose is, "Don't mess with them". I let the runners go. I just toss them back into the bed if they grow out of it, but other than that don't mess with them. What I've noticed The "umbilical" between the mother and runner will eventually die and you have 2 plants.

Love your channel, you got me wanting 7 beds. I'm a beginner in the garden and all your tips are welcomed. Just got though preparing my beds, cant wait to get started.

I place the runners in a plastic planting pot with potting soil for a week or so before cutting the runner stem. This allows the roots to develop further, I have experience almost a 100% growth rate by doing it this way.

you can also uproot the runners and put them into small potting containers, do not snip the runner from the mother plant, let it establish in the potting container, then prune it off... that way, the survivability of the runner is increased...rather then just transplanting it...

Much of what you are saying is also dependant upon your zone. I'm in a warmer climate, and many of my runners put on runners. So much so they're choking out the grass.

thank you for the video. I did this to my strawberries at the end of summer it can be a pain in the butt to keep in check

Over 50 yrs ago my Father taught me to plant strawberry runners alone. Every 3rd year the parent row is tilled up and the runners become the main rows. New plants will produce more and bigger berries.

Thank-you, I'm late to the party....First year growing strawberries thanks 😊

You forgot to mention not to cover the crown when planting.

I let my runners root in small pots last summer until they were well established and then planted them in early fall in a new bed. We had mild fall weather. They grew in their new spots undisturbed for 2+ months before the frost and snow came. Mulched them with pine needles. Most survived. I will see if they fruit this year.

I have a rotation system with 3 beds (Junebearing). I trim off all the runners in bed 1 until after harvest time, then allow enough runners to root into pots to plant a 2nd bed. The next year I trim all of the runners in the 1st bed all season, and repeat the rooting process in the 2nd bed. creating a 3rd bed. In the 3rd year I trim all runners, and after harvest remove the plants from the first bed and renew the bed for a different crop next year. (I really should put in a cover crop at this point. Gotta try that). This works well if you want a lot of berries and you have room. Thank you for all the work you've put into these videos over the years.

I can’t wait until the strawberry bed I started last year becomes totally filled out. The two plants I bought last year is now about 5 plants and they are loaded with flowers/ starting to form strawberries. Mine are the ever bearing. Nice big juicy strawberries. Mmmmmm. Gardening is awesome

great video...like the how to lecture then the actual doing of the lecture...makes everything stone clear thanks

Luke, you are my go-to for gardening information. You've taught me so much!

I make small V shaped stakes with wire and use to stake a new runner into a pot until it roots and then I cut off the mother. Works great and the metal wire stakes can be reused.

My bed looks crazy like that, if not worse! I was worried I was too late, but I'm glad you specified that the runners will just have good roots and I didn't mess up!

Im confused. That was a lot in the beginning but Im sure it will make sense when I get more experience with strawberry growing but really appreciate all your videos. They are very well done.

Best strawberry video ever

Thank you for explaining it so well. I have an overgrown bed of chaos from one planted in the Spring of 2023. Im not sure where my original plant is. My husband planted it and added 2 beds this year in 2024. They all look like mother plants. 😂

Thank you, you have answered my questions to myself about my strawberries.

Thank you! I’m container growing and my plants have a load of runners! And they are about 4 feet long from a hanging container. I didn’t want to cut them away and toss, so I’m looking forward to trying this method. Next is to find your videos on wintering stawberries!

Tried and true, 3" to 6 " raised beds two feet wide, plant two rows 4 inches from the edges and put runners into the opposite row on the same bed. dress with a mix of compost and well-composted sawdust in spring. I use cedar and it seems to work the best

You're amazing. Truly!! Strawberries are the only thing that ive has sucess with this year, and i learned my wildlife loved the produce. 😂 will learn next yr.

Thank you for covering multiple angles on this topic! 👊🏻💥👊🏻

Thanks for guiding me to have a great strawberry bed. My first time an I have beautiful plants this year with lots of runners, so now I will a extra bed to have for them.very helpful information.

Strawberries are very versatile, there are many ways to help them reproduce, i do find its best to leave runners alone until roots are up to 1cm long. Then place in a pot whilst connected to mother plant, let the runner root itself into the pot and only then chop from the mother plant

i let some runners root in place to extend my little strawberry patch. Others I root in pots and over winter those indoors to replace any that don't survive outside.

I recently got some big strawberry plants and I kept some runners to propagate in pots and I'm just going to have them chill in the pots with "strawberry potting soil" for about 4-8 weeks so the roots can get established and then cut them from the mother. I personally want big red berries.

This was super helpful! Another great video from MiGardener!

thanks for the tip that well help me a lote when I go to tranceplant my runners next year

Thank you for sharing your experience with excellent advice and very clear explanation.

Y'all are the best! My strawberries thst were crazy productive but have dine nothing for a month. More than a month of 100°+. Plants are shaded 2pm on. Cut all the runbers off, fertilized. Niw what? Thx for sharing, julie

5:29 - SQUIRREL!!! Well, you did say ANY comments!! :D

So I’ve tried various ways to grow strawberries from seed using well known sources and nev-ver sprouted one seed. Recently tossed bad berries into some potting mix. Periodically watered and I now have a dozen sprouts. HOW DO I now keep them alive and is there enough season left if I get them transplanted, so that they can over winter. Eastern Nebraska zone 5B Sooo excited

It would be nice to revisit how to videos later showing the successes of your methods.

I place pots next to the mother plant coax them into the pot and that way I know each pot is new

I will be watching this again! I also have to put a slug killer out or I won't have any strawberries.

Thanks. Very informative. Picked up a few tips and tricks.

Like the music while you were planting. Good info. I have been confused by the many approaches out there. I have seen decreased production for not thinning.

Wonderful! 😉😊💗 Best regards from London!

Its mid July 2019 in Salinas California the Salad Bowl Capital of the World... we grow tons of strawberries near this area. My strawberries at home are producing runners well before winter I placed small potting beds near the runners and allow them to establish roots then trim them cords off... In this area zone 9b winters are mild the problem Im having is its July and the mother plants are producing smaller strawberries right now because the runners are growing but thats ok for me... Next year ill have more plants And hopefully the strawberries arent that small

I often take unrooted runners and put them in water until they form roots. I give away hundreds of baby plants every year from a patch of about 25 main plants. I bounce between all of the methods he went over, just depends how I'm feeling that year 🤷🏻‍♀️

We, I kinda wish you'd shown both beds at a distance at the end. But, I'm so glad you made this very educational video. Thanks!

I have a vertical cascading strawberry patch. The runners are growing our into the air! I want to use them but not sure if they will develop roots in the air. In New Zealand & it is currently early summer. We have a temporate climate, not too hot, not too cold.

This is so helpful! Thank you.

I'm from uk and my strawberry s have really long runners /vines there in pots atm and are climbing round a frame what do I do wth the runners lol for autumn 🍂 thanks

5:38 that little squirrel is cute.

I always wondered about. When to cut or to not at all. thanks for this video.

I have first year everbearing strawberries. I bought the plants already established. I am planted them in my container garden. My containers are getting so full of runners, and becoming overcrowded. I am wondering if I can cut the runners and transplant them, or if the plant is too young and wouldn't survive. I clipped the flowers for the first 2 months, and since then have let them do their thing. I pick about 2 strawberries a day. I have about a dozen or so on at all times thus far. Thanks for your help!

What about taking strawberry runners into a green house, have plans of taking PVC pipe(vertically), creating pocket holes up the pipe, and planting each hole with a runner, Your thoughts??

I'm trying to get more strawberries in pots so I cut the runner and put it in water to let them grow roots.. it works ...

Trying to decide when to plant my strawberries roots in mich.its cold nights!

Do you have to cover your strawberries in winter or just let them go n they just come back?

I grow indoors and will be trying to root runners and will report back results

Thanks Luke!

What about runners from plants in pots? That have now roots? Will they die?

Hi this Phil when do sperate strawberry plants in sping 2:20

Lucky you. All my strawberries die. But I do live in Arizona. By the way awesome background beat.

is it possible to go out and gather wild strawberry plants and pot them to grow at home?

Please post the link to how you prepared this bed for the strawberries. Thank you.

Hi! I am a new gardener from Boulder, Co and just discovered your channel-thank you so much! I have learned so much from the little I have watched thus far. Question: Can I clip the runner from the mother plant if there is a significant root system established in that runner AND plant it near the mother plant/same bed?

Mmm strawberries 😋😋. I'm going to be growing a few strawberry plants next spring found this video helpful. Like mint, do I have to regularly trim back the runners to keep a tidy plant?

Your video was very informative! Thank you for all the info and you have gained a sub 😊

Hey Luke, I know I'm a bit late for this video, but it was really helpful and I still had one question about runners from all plants in general. When clipping them to start new plants, I've always had confusion with what to do with the extra stem. Do you cut the runner stem right up to the plant and roots, or leave a bit? Thanks so much for you help.

Is there a way to tell how old a plant is? I bought a plant at Home Depot in pot. Is it more likely it’s a runner that grown?

What time of year would you suggest I do this in Florida (zone 9)? It stays quite warm here through the end of November.

funny squirrel at the back 😄

I would put the mulch down first and plant through it; it's more difficult to get the mulch evenly distributed between all the plants without covering them over.

Thinking about planting strawberries. Could you tell me an estimate of about how much fruit you get off of an established bed like the one here? Trying to just get an idea. Thanks

Do I follow the process of removing runners for wintering over in the house? My strawberry plants are potted

Thank you for this! Haven't watched yet, but I have a huge bucket full of runners that I've pulled!

When do you get rid of mother plant. Didn’t do much this year. So have cut some babies off and hopefully they will grow next year.

I have bought strawberry this year did not know but I do have long Runners on the strawberries and I don't know when to cut them and when to plant them but they're very long and it's already August

My strawberries are in the ground from last year starting to grow can I plant tomato plants in the same bed with my strawberries

Hi thanks for your video. I've got some crazy runners with dead leaves. It's actually the middle of winter now almost spring. should I still follow the above method if there's flowers and the start of fruit showing? Should I also be cropping the dead leaves?

Lol @ 9:21 a chipmunk was coming from under the fence to eat your strawberries 😊

5:30 Mr. Squirrel! Hi Leah Bob!

Really great video! Thanks for the information. Also,, I really liked the timelapse with the music~

what you did is how i imagined to do it.. its the when on cutting them and well if they have dug in and rooted well thats definitely a good time...this really doesn't seem critical .. it lil more anxiety about it than need be considering i haven't done it yet. like when i got my first chicken .. all the what ifs.. now having chickens is old hat

I just started gardening and I choose to make a very small raised bed to put strawberries now it took a while for them to grow actual berries and they finally started producing runners I kinda want to know why the plants aren't producing runners

How much rain do you get a year? I couldn't fathom growing strawberries in the ground where I live. I've never seen one that liked water. I had to make a greenhouse and hang mine in peat/perlite mix

so i just cliped my runners in august so they can focus on root growth like you recommended. I was sure to wait for the plants to root atleast an inch before i clipped them. Its been about 6 hours and i noticed my now clipped small plants are all wilting! i feel like i messed up and dont know what to do.

I started strawberries this year.; they are beautiful. Picked the blooms as I have been instructed. Now I have runners and are propagating them. I will not pick their flowers. So what am I missing here? I want to eat some strawberries!

Thanks for sharing.

I didn’t find strawberry seeds in your seed store. Have you consider carrying them and comfrey seeds too?

I was wondering about when is the last time they need to be watered or how long can they go without being watered over the winter if I am covering them for the winter from the frost. I am in Western Slope of CO.