When it came to my strawberries, it really didn't matter how I plantted them. Later in the first season, they're going to send out a zillion chaotic runners of their own which will obliterate any spacing system you set up. -Glenn

I know what you mean about runners...my last patch (planted about six years ago) quickly degenerated into strawberry chaos. This time around, I'm planning on removing the runners and focusing on growing the plants as perennials.

Shazaam:

Removing all the runners to rely solely on the mother plants will work until about the 2nd season. At that point, the original plants will enter into decline and berry numbers and size will fall off sharply. Older plants develop long crowns, with the history of all their leaves written upon them.

The trick is to allow runners to develop, but to limit them. One way to do this is to grow on solid black plastic, cutting slits to accommodate a limited number of new runners which are pinned to the ground at the developing crown. Eventually, the original mother plants are removed and replaced by new runners. This system also has the advantage of eliminating weeds, which are a constant bugaboo in the strawberry patch.

Strawberries require good air circulation and some space to produce well. When they get this, the plants become larger and more productive. I have always thinned my strawberry plants to at least 7-8 inches apart for maximum production and quality. But even a carefully maintained patch on black plastic will poop out after 4-5 years, and a new patch must be created in a different area.

Planting at 4 inches apart is wasteful of the plants and a recipe for disaster from gray mold and other rots. I would say that 12 inches is about as close as you would ever want to plant strawberries, and 18 inches is better, with the rows spaced at around 2 feet. Packing in plants will not increase your production. Rely on your runners to renovate your patch.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Thanks for your suggestions, Don. I have a problem with leaf spot in my existing strawberry bed, and I suspected that such tight spacing for the new bed would likely encourage disease. Nonetheless, I'm short on space, so the idea of fitting more plants in a smaller space was very alluring. I think I'll play it safe, though, and stick with the 12" - 15" spacing that's commonly recommended.

I'm really just beginning to educate myself about proper strawberry care. My old patch has provided a reasonable harvest in most years (despite the fact that I've largely neglected it), but I'd definitely like to do better in the future. What appeals to me about the hill system as opposed to the matted row system is the potential to stretch out the lifespan of the original plants. Lewis Hill (Fruits & Berries for the Home Garden) and Jerry Baker (Old-Time Gardening Wisdom) both suggest that they will produce a good crop for six or more years if runners are consistently removed. I take it that this doesn't mesh with your experience?

Shazaam:

Those guys are crazy. Stop reading that stuff.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Shazaam:

Let me expand a bit on my somewhat cryptic previous msg. Just try it. Cut off all the runners and rely solely on the mother plants. By the end of the 2nd season all your books by Lewis Hill and that nut case Jerry Baker will be going into the woodstove, where at least they will provide some heat.

Consider the fact that commercial strawberry growers in California rip out and replant strawberry plants each and every season to maximize berry size and productivity, control labor costs, and minimize diseases. Backyard growers don't have to achieve such extreme efficiency, since we have time to fiddle with runners, but the principle is the same.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

As always the fruit God...er I mean Jellyman is correct , I always pot enough runners to replace my crop, and after eight years of growing them; just for personal use, I find this the best for me.
Ken

Don:

To be honest, Baker's discussion of the hill system is very brief and sounds a bit derivative...I suspect that he's getting his information from another source and repackaging it. Hill is considerably more thorough, but I definitely won't argue with your experience. You make a good case for allowing controlled runners, and you've likely saved me quite a bit of disappointment further down the line.

On a related subject, I've also come across some of your posts in old threads with regards to winter mulching. I live in the NC Piedmont (just north of Charlotte), and, while I've never found the need to overwinter my plants under straw, I have occasionally used a lightweight floating row cover. I've noticed that the plants seem to perk up a little earlier under cover, but I haven't been rigorous enough to track whether it actually affects production. What's your take on row covers?

Ernie

I just bought 10 quinalt bare root strawberries. That seems to be the prevalent variety for sale in the area (northwestern Louisiana). I was a little suprised at the price per plant (over 40 cents) so I think saving runners for new plants is the way to go. Do the runners need to root before separating them from the mother plant or can they just be clipped and replanted? And then should I plant them in the ground or a pot like mudflapper uses and plan to transplant them next year? Won't these early runners start production this year or are the bare root plants i bought actually a full year old already?

If that's the case then the second year plants you referred to above as declining in production would be 3 yr old plants.

You might consider a mat organization of your plants. This will allow you to rotate your plants accross your garden. As they send out runners you can allow these runners to root and grow new plants while tilling up the older plants every couple of years. This will allow for a natural plant rotation as they work their way accross your garden.

pjames...the Lowes in my area is selling single plants (3 inches tall) for $2.49 EACH!!