Cutting strawberry runners and self pollinating strawberries (Best way to grow strawberry plants)
Strawberry plant maintenance. Last time, I made “strawberry pillows" (keeping strawberries off the ground). About 40 days have passed since then. This time, we will deal with strawberry runners and pollination. (Cutting strawberry runners and strawberry plant pollination.)
https://www.vege-try.net/en/keep-strawberries-off-the-ground...Cutting strawberry runners (Strawberry care tips)
The strawberries in the field are getting close to harvest time. For strawberries planted in the ground, harvest usually starts from late April to early May. However, a bit earlier, around early to mid-April, runners begin to grow. A runner is a stem-like shoot that comes out from the crown of the strawberry plant.
Strawberry runners are young plants that develop as offshoots from the parent. When the end of the runner touches the ground, it grows roots there and forms a new strawberry plant (baby plant).
If you leave the new strawberry plants that have taken root, they will produce more runners and create “grandchild" strawberry plants. In this way, strawberries keep growing more and more descendants by spreading runners.
Store-bought strawberry plants also use this method to grow more plants. So, the strawberry plants you see for sale at planting time have runners that were cut off from the parent strawberry plant.
If you want to grow strawberry plants next year, keep the runners. But, remove the runners that appear during the fruit harvest time. When runners appear during the time strawberries are flowering and fruiting, the runners take nutrients away, which can weaken the strawberry plant.
When to remove strawberry runners, remove them as soon as they appear. You can use scissors to cut them or pull them out by hand from the base. If runners grow too long, they can be bad for the strawberry plants, so remove them early.
How to pollinate strawberries (Strawberries self pollinating) – Strawberry plant pollination
Next is pollinating strawberries. Since strawberries are grown outdoors, they can set fruit with natural pollination, but artificial pollination (strawberry self pollination) is more certain. (If you want to harvest well-shaped strawberries, artificial pollination is more certain.)
Let’s check the pollen on the strawberry flowers before pollination. Gently touch the stamens with a black cloth. If pollen sticks, the flower is ready for pollination.
For artificial pollination of strawberries, use a brush with soft bristles. Pollinating strawberries (self pollinating strawberries) is easy. Just gently brush the center of the flower with a brush. This way, pollen from the stamen sticks to the pistil, and the strawberry is pollinated. You can also use a makeup brush or cotton swab.
Strawberry pollen is available for a few days after blooming. Gently brush the same flower for about three days. This increases the chance of successful pollination.
If strawberry pollination is successful, the fruit will start to grow like this. We are looking forward to strawberry harvest time.
Cutting strawberry runners and pollinating strawberries are complete. (Spring care of strawberry plants is done.)
Related information on strawberry cultivation（Frequently Asked Questions for growing strawberries）
What is a good mulching material for growing strawberries? (Mulch cultivation for strawberries)
For growing strawberries in open fields, an easy-to-get mulch sheet is recommended. You can find black plastic mulch at home improvement store or garden shops. For strawberries grown in planters, options like straw or coconut husk fiber are also good choices.
Using mulch has many benefits, such as keeping the ground warm, stopping weeds from growing, and preventing soil and fertilizer from washing away. Since strawberries are grown for a long time (from mid-October to late April next year), it is a good idea to use mulch to keep the soil in good condition.
How long to keep mulch for growing strawberries?
For growing strawberries outdoors, mulching is usually kept from soil preparation until the end of the season. However, during the overwintering period (from around mid-November to early February), the mulch might be removed. This is to expose strawberries to the cold. (Strawberries need a period of winter cold to trigger flowering.)
From early February, mulching is restarted to help strawberries grow toward harvest. For strawberries grown outdoors, side-dressing is done in January, and the effects of that fertilizer start to show around this time. (The fertilizer applied a month earlier begins to work slowly.)
Following is the video for how-to. English subtitles are available.