How to Transplant Strawberry Runners

To maintain your strawberry patch in peak production season after season, you will need to transplant some of the innumerable runners that form from the mother plants, the secondary growth and the tertiary runners. Place the new runners in an area of full sunlight, facing south or west. Follow these guidelines to successfully transplant strawberry runners.

Strawberry runners can adapt most effectively when transplanted in the late summer to early fall after fruit has formed, matured and been harvested.

The best soil has organic mulch worked in, with excellent moisture drainage and is free from weeds and large stones. Avoid transplanting strawberry runners into soil that has previously grown tomatoes, raspberries, or potatoes to avoid spreading fungus-based disease. The soil should be slightly acid, with a pH value near 6.5.

Select runners from your youngest plants, or those that are the most productive. Remove flower buds, dead leaves and stems, and dead roots before transplanting runners.

To speed up the acclimatization of a large number of transplants, cover the ground with fine gauge landscape fabric before planting. This will enhance moisture retention and discourage weed growth in the new patch. Overlap the landscape fabric by 3 inches at each edge so it forms continuous coverage.

Using the pointed spade or the handheld spade in tight spaces, dig down to the bottom of the root bed, about 3 to 4 inches. Dampen clumps of sphagnum moss and press them gently around the roots to retain moisture. Transplant and water one runner at a time. Cut the landscape fabric in an "X" 10 inches in diameter and dig a planting hole for each runner, 4 inches deep and 10 inches wide. Set the root mass and the sphagnum moss into the hole and re-cover with the garden soil. Press down the soil gently around the roots and pull the landscape fabric around the root crown. Adjust the runner so it forms a straight row. Do not water newly transplanted strawberries from above, to prevent leaf scorching. Supply water from a garden hose or watering can to the root mass only.

Keep the new transplants in moist soil throughout the fall until the first frost, then stop providing water to them. Pull weeds promptly, so the runners can stabilize in their new soil. As winter approaches, mulch the landscape fabric with dry straw or dried leaves. Avoid grass clippings as they will introduce mold to the strawberry roots.

Do not transplant from beds that are already 3 or more years old, as they are naturally slowing down production. Obtain fresh seeds or young plants to establish a new strawberry patch next spring.