Strawberries begin to flower in June and will quickly start to turn into berries, but it is incredibly important for gardeners to check the plant daily. Runners are thin, dangly stems that grow off strawberries, and if left alone, will grow into a new plant. 

However, runners take a lot of energy from their mother plant, which it needs for fruit production, and if left alone, you will get a much smaller fruit harvest. Tanya Anderson, an organic gardener and founder of Lovely Greens, has warned that it is best to remove runners as soon as you notice them, as they can quickly overcrowd your strawberry patch.

She said, “Strawberry plants will send out runners whether you need new plants or not. If the runners aren’t snipped back, baby plants can quickly crowd a strawberry bed. You can go from a tidy and productive patch to a matted mess in no time.”

Not only will runners take water and nutrients from the mother plant, but they can also become tangled, which can increase the risk of pests and disease in the soil. 

Runners begin to grow in June once strawberries begin to flower, so tidying up your plants now helps keep your plants healthy and stops them ruining your harvest in summer.

How to remove runners from strawberry plants

Runners will look like thin vines or stems coming off your main plant and often have clusters of leaves along the stem, which can become new strawberry plants. 

To remove them, all you need is a pair of clean scissors and cut the runner as close as possible to the base of the plant. 

Make sure to throw away the runner and do not leave it on the ground, as decaying foliage can attract pests to your strawberry patch. 

Runners will grow throughout summer, so it tends to be best to cut them in June if you want a big strawberry harvest with higher quality fruit. 

However, if you want to keep any, then simply place the runners in pots while still attached to the strawberry plant and then cut them off in a few weeks once they have rooted. 

Cutting off runners can expose the plant and dry them out, so make sure to apply compost to the soil as it retains moisture to help strawberries recover. 

Adding compost mulch creates a barrier which stops runners from being able to root when they sprout again, which makes it much easier to notice them.

Strawberries also need more nutrients now as they are beginning to fruit, so feeding helps keep them stress-free and productive.