How to Plant Strawberry Runners

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Knowing how to plant strawberry runners lets one healthy bed grow into the next. A runner is a stem that grows out from a parent plant and carries new plants, which gardeners call daughter plants. Set them in clean soil at the right depth and they can become the crowns of a new bed. The four extension sources cited here agree on the basic steps. They differ on watering, so those differences are shown rather than smoothed over.

Quick answer

• Set runners into clean soil in late summer, dig the new plants in October, and chill them for 10 to 15 days before planting.
• Plant with the roots spread out, two or three leaves left on each plant, and the crown just at soil level.
• Space plants about 12 inches apart in two-row beds, and remove extra runners so the bed stays in its planned shape.
• Water about one to two inches a week, because the guides give different figures, and mulch only after the new plants have rooted.

What a runner is and why timing matters

The Wisconsin guide describes runners as new plants growing from the parent plants, and the UC IPM page explains the simplest way to use them. In its words: “You can start new plants from your existing strawberries by letting runners set daughter plants into clean soil in late summer.” That late-summer window matters, because a runner that sets early has more time to grow before the next season.

The Purdue article makes that point directly: “The earlier a runner gets set, the higher its yield potential.” Purdue’s newsletter is written for commercial and advanced growers, so its timing is a commercial guide. It also gives a cutoff for commercial fields: “Thereafter, or in any case after early September, any runner plant not yet rooted is not likely to produce fruit next year and can be removed.”

Choose the planting system first

The Wisconsin guide describes two systems for handling runners. The first is the matted row. “This system requires the least amount of labor and is best suited for Junebearing cultivars.” Runners root at random within the row until they form a solid mat. The guide suggests limiting the row to 12 to 15 inches wide, with about 36 inches between rows. Vigorous cultivars can sit 24 to 30 inches apart in the row, and some others can be placed 14 to 24 inches apart.

The second is the hill system, which the guide describes as the choice for everbearing and day-neutral cultivars. Plant beds contain three rows spaced 12 inches apart, with plants 12 inches apart within the rows, and the middle row staggered. The guide’s rule for runners is short: “Cut off all runners as soon as they are visible.” It adds that runners should be removed for the life of the planting: “Continue to remove runners for the life of the planting to encourage large crowns, larger berries, and higher yields on the original plant.” The Nebraska article agrees that runners are normally removed as they appear when the hill system is used.

Pick healthy mother plants and a good time

Start only from strong stock. The UC IPM page gives the rule in one line: “Be sure to start daughter plants only from healthy mother plants and remove all parts of the mother plants after the daughters are started.”

Timing applies to purchased plants too. The Wisconsin guide says that “Strawberries planted late will have inferior yield the first season compared to stock planted early.” The same guide says that plants should be planted in early spring, as soon as the soil can be thoroughly worked. Planning around that calendar is worth the effort.

Dig and prepare the daughter plants

For runners you have rooted yourself, the UC IPM steps are clear. The page says: “Dig up these new plants in October, shake the soil from their roots, remove all but two healthy leaves, and place them in thin plastic sandwich bags.” Then comes the chilling step: “Hold them in a refrigerator for 10 to 15 days, then plant them into clean, prepared beds.” Chilling is part of the UC method, so it is shown here as the UC steps rather than as a general rule for every climate.

Keep the roots moist throughout. The Nebraska article gives a firm rule for handling plants before they go in the ground: “When preparing strawberry plants for planting, never allow them to dry out.” It suggests covering the roots with moist peat moss or cloth and keeping the plants shaded. Before planting, it advises removing all but two or three well-developed leaves per plant. The Wisconsin guide makes the same point with a slightly different number: “Leave two or three fairly well-developed leaves.” Clean up any dry or old leaves at the crown as well.

If you are also building the bed, see how much soil a raised bed garden needs.

Set the crown at the right depth

Depth is where most new plantings go wrong. The Wisconsin guide says to open a hole deep enough for the roots to hang straight, and then to “Spread out the roots for good soil contact.” It asks for “Place the plants so that only the roots and base of the crown will be covered with soil.” The UC IPM page makes the same point from the top of the plant: “Keep the growing point above the soil line.”

The Nebraska article explains the two ways to get it wrong. “If the crown is too high, the roots will be exposed and quickly will dry out.” And the opposite problem: “If the crown is too deep, it easily can be covered with soil and smothered.” Firm the soil around the roots so that air pockets do not remain, but keep the crown itself above the level where it could be smothered.

Spacing comes next. The UC IPM page gives a clear layout for two-row beds: “Space plants about 12 inches apart in each row with rows about 12 inches apart in two-row beds, and stagger the plants in the two rows to give them maximum growing room.” Its single-row figure is different. “In single-row beds, space plants about 10 inches apart.”

Water and mulch after planting

Water is the figure the guides disagree on most. The Wisconsin guide says that “Depending on soil type, strawberries require about 1 inch of water from irrigation or rainfall every week during the growing season.” The Purdue article is more generous: “Ideally the planting should receive 1 to 1-1/2 inches of water per week from either rain or irrigation.” The Nebraska article gives the widest range, saying plants “generally require 1.5-2 inches of water or more per week,” depending on soil type, temperature and wind.

The Nebraska article offers a way to check the soil rather than trusting one number. Wet the soil to a depth of six to eight inches, which it describes as “the zone in which most of the plant’s roots occur.”

Mulch comes later than many gardeners expect. The Wisconsin guide says: “Wait to apply the mulch until after the runner plants have rooted.” Once the runners have rooted, the Nebraska article says that “Any organic material, free of weed seeds, makes good mulch, like hay, straw, and pine needles.” Keep the row itself free of mulch where you want new runners to fill in. The Wisconsin guide says: “Be sure to leave the row free of mulch so new runner plants can fill in to restore proper plant row width.”

Thin the runners and keep the bed in shape

A bed fills in quickly if you let it. The Nebraska article describes a thinning step for an established bed: “Thin out the remaining plants leaving three plants per square foot or thin plants to a spacing of 7-11 inches apart by removing old mother plants and weak new runner plants.” The article gives a deadline for that work: thinning after harvest alone usually does not reach the density needed for good yields.

Purdue’s guidance on runners in the row is for commercial fields, but its principle carries over. “Cultivate to sweep runners into the row until plant stand is sufficient.” Keep runners in the row where you want them, and remove the rest.

Renovate the bed each year

A planting does not last forever. The Nebraska article says that “Strawberry plantings can produce for several years, but yields decrease with each year of harvest.” It adds that “do not expect a bed to maintain its quality for more than three fruiting seasons.” The UC IPM page gives a similar cycle for nursery stock: “Replace your plantings with new plants from a nursery every 2 to 3 years.”

Renovation starts after harvest. Purdue says: “Growers should begin renovation as soon as the last marketable berries are harvested.” It also says that “Renovation should be completed by the end of July in normal years.” For the steps that follow in autumn, see how to prepare raised beds for winter.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Setting the crown too high, which leaves the roots exposed and drying out.
• Burying the crown, which lets soil smother the growing point.
• Letting the roots dry out between digging and planting.
• Planting late in the season, when the first crop will be weaker.
• Covering the row with mulch before the runners have rooted.
• Leaving runners that wander outside the row where the bed was meant to end.

How we chose

The four sources in this article were opened on 2026-10-23: a UC Statewide IPM page on planting strawberries, a University of Wisconsin Extension publication (A1597), a Purdue Extension article on matted-row renovation, and a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension article on renovation. Each is an extension or university source, and each quoted sentence was checked against the fetched text. The Purdue article is written for commercial growers, and the article labels its steps that way. Where the guides disagree on watering, the article shows each figure. A Cornell extension document returned 403, and an Ask Extension question page was private, so neither is cited.

What we could not verify

The guides do not agree on the exact amount of water a new bed needs, and none of them gives a cutoff date for a home planting that suits every climate. The chilling step in the UC method is a practice the page describes, not a result it reports, and this article presents it that way.

What the sources do not say

The sources do not say how many days a daughter plant needs to root in a home bed. None gives a number of days for chilling beyond the 10 to 15 days in the UC method. The Purdue article is for commercial fields, and the Wisconsin figures are for that state, so neither is a direct guide to every home garden. None of the four sources covers planting in containers. Where a figure appears here, it belongs to the guide named beside it.

Frequently asked questions

When should runners stop rooting in a matted row?

Keep the runners that root inside the row, and remove the rest. The Purdue article says that “Thereafter, or in any case after early September, any runner plant not yet rooted is not likely to produce fruit next year and can be removed.” The Wisconsin guide recommends limiting a matted row to 12 to 15 inches wide.

Can runners be planted straight into the bed in midsummer?

The UC IPM page describes a different route. It sets runners in late summer, digs them in October, trims them to two leaves, chills them, and plants them into prepared beds. The page does not describe planting a daughter plant straight into a bed in midsummer, so the chilling route is the one covered here.

How much water do new strawberry plants need?

The guides differ. Wisconsin says about 1 inch a week from irrigation or rain. Purdue says 1 to 1-1/2 inches a week, and Nebraska says 1.5 to 2 inches or more, depending on soil and weather. The Nebraska article recommends wetting the soil six to eight inches deep, so check the soil before you water.

How long should a strawberry bed last?

The Nebraska article advises not expecting a bed to keep its quality for more than three fruiting seasons. The UC IPM page suggests replacing plantings with nursery plants every two to three years, a timeline close to the Nebraska figure.

Should the bed be mulched right after planting?

Wait until the runner plants have rooted. The Wisconsin guide says to hold off on mulch until then. Once the plants are rooted, the Nebraska article says that hay, straw and pine needles all make good mulch, as long as the material is free of weed seeds. Leave the row free of mulch where you want runners to fill in.

Sources

• https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/CULTURAL/strawplanting.html (opened 2026-10-23)
• https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/files/2023/12/A1597.pdf (opened 2026-10-23)
• https://fff.hort.purdue.edu/article/matted-row-strawberry-renovation (opened 2026-10-23)
• https://lancaster.unl.edu/renovation-strawberry-plantings (opened 2026-10-23)