Every healthy, strong offshoot has the potential to become a high-yielding strawberry plant. Follow our instructions and turn the suitable tendrils into a new plant in just a few simple steps after harvesting. That's how it's done.

Select and mark candidates

Strawberry bushes of the same variety have identical genetic material, but differ in their earning power. The offshoots of a richly bearing mother plant thus have a more efficient growth power than the tendrils of weak strawberry plants. Keep an eye on your favorites throughout the harvest season and mark them with a clearly visible wooden stick.

From offshoot to plant - this is how it goes step by step

July is the best time to start propagating by cuttings. The harvest is either in full swing or has already ended. This year's harvest winners have emerged and could be marked with a clear conscience. How to proceed:

  • the ideal scion is as close as possible to the mother plant, has healthy leaves and is not firmly rooted
  • Lift out of the ground with a small shovel and set aside
  • bury an unglazed 10 cm clay pot there
  • fill with humus-rich, loose substrate up to 2 cm below the edge of the pot
  • place the offshoot in the pot and press down in the middle

Experienced hobby gardeners lightly scratch the offshoot with a razor blade where it goes into the ground. The clay pot is now completely buried so that the pot wall has continuous contact with the ground. If there is a shoot behind the offshoot, it is cut off. The last step is to water everything well and keep the area constantly moist for the following weeks.

Transplant in late summer

While the offshoot continues to be cared for by its mother plants, an independent root system develops in the clay pot. If you feel firm resistance when you gently pull on the drive, the development has progressed far enough for the next step.

  • Cut off the offshoot from the mother plant with a sharp knife
  • loosen the soil at the new location and enrich it with compost
  • dig a planting hole with twice the volume of the root ball
  • pot and plant the young plant that has been pulled from the offshoot
  • Press down the soil, water and mulch with compost, bark mulch or straw

If you have chosen several offshoots for propagation, consider a planting distance of 25-30 centimeters and a row spacing of 60 centimeters. The young strawberry plants will be able to establish themselves well in the warm soil by winter, in order to thrive magnificently next year. During this time, pay particular attention to an adequate water supply.

tips and tricks

When assessing the yield of a mother plant, experienced hobby gardeners should not be fooled by the growth rate of the tendrils. The more productive a strawberry plant, the later its offshoots develop.

Category:

Vegetable garden