Hand pollinating strawberries and cutting runners on strawberry plants (strawberry growing guide)
Growing strawberries in mulching cultivation. Last time, we made strawberry supports, thinking about the harvest time. (Keeping strawberries off the ground.)
About one month has passed since then. This time, we will do self pollination for the strawberries. (Hand pollination for strawberries.)
https://www.vege-try.net/en/keep-strawberries-off-the-ground...The strawberries I grow are in open-field cultivation, so I think natural pollination by bees or wind will set fruit, but I also do self-pollination.
If you grow strawberries in planters on the upper floors of an apartment, self-pollination can be very helpful. Bees can’t come easily because the area is surrounded by concrete.
Strawberry pollination method (How to do hand pollination for strawberries) – Japanese june bearing strawberries pollination
What is the pollination method for strawberries?
Before we talk about how to pollinate strawberries, let’s check the pollen of the strawberry flower. Prepare a black or navy cloth and gently touch the stamen of the flower with it. If pollen sticks to the cloth, it means the strawberry flower is ready for pollination.
For self pollination (hand pollination) of strawberries, a brush is used. Since the stamen and pistil of strawberries are delicate, it’s good to use a makeup brush with soft bristles.
The way to pollinate strawberries is simple. Just gently brush the center of the strawberry flower with a brush. This will transfer the pollen from the stamen to the pistil, and the strawberry will be pollinated. Strawberries can self-pollinate, so as long as there is one flower, it can be pollinated. (no pollen from other plants is needed.)
Strawberry pollen is released for a few days after the flower blooms, so gently brush the same flower for about three days. This will increase the chances of successful pollination.
Removing strawberry runners (How to cut strawberry runners)
When strawberries reach the pollination stage, runners begin to grow. (Runners are like stems or vines that come from the crown part 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.
In home gardening, if you want to grow new strawberry plants for the next year, you can keep some runners. However, if you leave all the runners, the strawberry plant will lose its energy. So, it’s better to remove the runners that grow during the harvest time. (If you are not keeping runners and only harvesting the fruit, you should remove the runners as soon as they appear.)
When should I cut the strawberry runners?
Cut the strawberry runners as soon as they appear. You can cut them with scissors or pull them out by hand from the base. If the runners grow too long, the strawberries won’t get enough nutrients. So, deal with them quickly.
That’s it for strawberry pollination and runner removal.
Following is the video for how-to. English subtitles are available.