There’s nothing quite like the taste of the first strawberry picked straight from the vine. Reaching under those scratchy leaves to pick a ruby-red berry, warmed by the sun. With its glossy skin and the way that first bite floods your mouth with the taste of summer.
Yeah! Forget Memorial Day; this is what kicks off summer for me.
I think the only thing quite as good is the first homegrown tomato, but I might be a bit biased.
But if your strawberry patch is all green and no red, or if you’re wondering why your plants seem to be growing legs as though they’re trying to run away, then it’s time we had a little chat about runners.
Not the 5K kind.
When it comes to growing strawberries, runners are both a blessing and a burden.
These long, vine-like shoots stretch out from the mother plant to create cute little clones that root themselves wherever they land.
Now, this is excellent news if you want to expand your strawberry patch. But if what you’re after is more berries this season, then runners are a problem.
Like all of us, strawberries only have so much energy to use. Once that energy is used up, they peter out faster than I do after a day working in the garden. Runners cost energy, energy that could be used to make berries.
I know I use this analogy a lot, but that’s because it holds true and it’s an easy way to understand how plants prioritize energy and nutrients.
All plants, if left to their own devices with plenty of nutrients and good growing conditions, have one goal – world domination. They will continue to expand their territory by growing.
But if they meet up with the right amount of stress, they will give up on their vision of a global empire and focus on preserving their legacy. They do this by producing fruit, ensuring there will be a new generation to continue their vision.
As gardeners, it’s our job to rein in their quest for world domination and to put enough stress on the plant to force it to fruit. That’s where pinching runners comes in.
Know Your Strawberry Type
First, it’s important to know which type of strawberries you’re working with. Different varieties behave differently, and runner control depends on your plant’s berry-producing window.
There are three main types:
June-bearing strawberries: These are your one-and-done producers, giving you a nice, big harvest in early summer. (Hence their name.) These guys also have a reputation for being the most enthusiastic runner producers. You’ll want to be especially proactive about pinching them if you want better berries.
Everbearing strawberries: These give you two (sometimes three) smaller harvests throughout the growing season. They don’t send out as many runners, but they still do better with a good pruning.
Day-neutral strawberries: These varieties flower and fruit continuously, regardless of day length. They’re usually the most well-behaved when it comes to runners, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for pinching duty.
If you’re not sure which type you have, a little online detective work can usually clear things up.
A Caveat: First-Year Plants? Hands Off the Fruit
You know there’s always a caveat to gardening rules. If your strawberry plants are new this year, you might be tempted to let those tiny flowers turn into berries right away. Don’t.
As hard as it is, you should remove both flowers and runners in that first year. I know—I don’t have that kind of patience either. But trust me, it will be worth it next year.
By redirecting all of the plant’s energy into building a strong root system and healthy foliage, you’re setting it up for an absolutely stellar second year. Future you will thank you.
Why Pinching Runners Matters
Let’s get back to those leggy little runners. Each one is essentially a clone-in-progress, a new plant forming at the end of a long stem. That’s fantastic if you want to propagate. (More on that in a minute.) But each runner that plant puts out siphons off energy that could have gone into where fruit production happens – the crown.
So, if you want bigger, better berries, the answer is simple: bye, bye, runners.
This is especially important for established plants. Once they’re in their second year or beyond, you can expect more consistent fruit, but only if you keep their energy focused where it belongs.
How to Pinch (Or Snip) Runners the Right Way
This doesn’t require any fancy tools—just clean garden scissors or pruners and a willingness to get in there once every week or two during the growing season.
Here’s what to do:
- Follow the vine – Look for the long stems extending from the base of the mother plant. You’ll see tiny plantlets starting to form at the ends.
- Snip close to the crown – Trim runners back as close to the base of the plant as you can without damaging the crown or leaves.
- Repeat regularly – This isn’t a one-and-done chore. Make it part of your garden routine, especially during late spring through mid-summer.
If you’re growing in containers or small raised beds, you’ll probably find runner pruning even easier since the space is more contained, and the runners won’t have anywhere to root unless you let them.
The Good News About Runners – Your Own Strawberry Empire
Of course, if absolute strawberry domination sounds like a good thing, you can make those runners work for you and expand your strawberry patch without spending a cent on more plants.
Pick the healthiest runners and nestle them into small pots filled with soil while they’re still attached to the mother plant. Weigh them down gently with a rock or a bent piece of wire to ensure good contact with the soil. (I’ve found that my hairpins are perfect for this.) After a few weeks, once they’ve grown roots, you can cut them free and transplant them to their permanent location.
This method lets you propagate without compromising the mother plant’s health too much. It’s also a fantastic way to create gifts for fellow gardening friends and family.
When to Let Them Run Wild
There is a time to let runners go nuts.
Strawberry plants need to be refreshed every three to four years if you want consistent fruit production. After four years, berries start to drop off sharply. So, if you’re renewing an older bed and planning to rotate out some of your older plants, you might dedicate one season to propagating new runners and lifting out older plants once the runners are established.
In that case, let the runners do their thing, root where they may, and then dig up the strongest young plants in the fall to transplant or share with friends. Just don’t expect a strong fruit harvest that year—it’s one or the other.
Ultimately, strawberry gardening is a practice in diplomatic patience and discipline.
It’s tempting to let your plants go wild with runners and flowers, especially when everything’s so green and eager. But the best berries come with good boundaries and slow and planned expansion.
Trust me. A little snip here and there, and you’ll be well on your way to a berry harvest that makes your wildest jam dreams come true.
Get the famous Rural Sprout newsletter delivered to your inbox.
Join the 50,000+ gardeners who get timely gardening tutorials, tips and tasks delivered direct to their inbox.