Saving strawberry runners

[IC_Gardener]

I started a small strawberry bed in my garden this spring. It has filled out quite nicely, but there are a number or runners that are not quite rooted. Is it possible to save them somehow? Can I just try burying them a bit before I cover the bed with straw for the winter, or should I cut them off and let the mother plant put the energy into its own roots?

Thanks for any help.

IC Gardener Iowa City, Iowa Zone 5A

[Persephone]

Depends on your objective. If you want more plants, let them root and

*then* move them to another space or simply separate them from the mother plant, if there will be ample distance between the two.

OTOH, if you prefer to save the "energy" for the mother plant, simply cut off the runners before they root.

I'm in So. Calif coastal, 24/8 if that's relevant.

[FDR]

Those runners will most likely die during the winter. You should have buried the node on the runner in some soil and let it take root during the late summer. You can still try, but with the cold weather upon us, it's unlikely it will get any rooting.