Every he althy, strong offshoot has the potential to become a productive strawberry plant. Follow our instructions and transform the suitable tendrils into a new plant in just a few steps after harvesting. Here's how.
How do you propagate strawberry plants from cuttings?
Propagate strawberry offshoots: After harvesting, select high-yielding mother plants and mark them. In July, lift the cuttings and place them in a clay pot with loose substrate. Keep it moist and plant it in the desired location in late summer.
Select and mark candidates
Strawberry plants of the same variety have identical genetic material, but differ in their productivity. The offshoots of a richly bearing mother plant therefore have more efficient growth power than the tendrils of weak strawberry plants. So keep an eye on your favorites throughout the harvest season and mark them with a clearly visible wooden stick.
From cutting to plant – this is how it works step by step
July is the best time to start propagating through 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 offshoot is as close as possible to the mother plant, has he althy leaves and is not firmly rooted
- lift it out of the ground with a small shovel and set it 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 cuttings in the pot and press in the middle
Knowledgeable hobby gardeners lightly scratch the offshoot with a razor blade (€5.00 on Amazon) where it comes 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. In the last step, water everything well and keep the area constantly moist in the following weeks.
Transplanting in late summer
While the offshoot continues to be nourished by its mother plant, an independent root system develops in the clay pot. If you feel firm resistance by gently pulling on the shoot, development has progressed sufficiently for the next step.
- cut the offshoot from the mother plant with a sharp knife
- loose up the soil at the new location and enrich it with compost
- dig a planting hole with twice the volume of the root ball
- potting and planting the young plant grown from the offshoot
- press 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. By winter, the young strawberry plants will be able to establish themselves well in the warm soil in order to thrive next year. During this time, pay particular attention to sufficient water supply.
Tips & Tricks
When assessing the productivity of a mother plant, experienced hobby gardeners are not fooled by the growth rate of the tendrils. The more productive a strawberry plant, the later its offshoots develop.