Question
I don't know if you are the right person to ask, but we're organic gardners (in that we use no chemicals and rely heavily on natural fertilizers, etc.). We have two questions:

Strawberries:  What is the difference, if any, between the baby strawberry plants at the end of the runners the mature plant sends out, and the strawberry plants you buy at the nursery?

Raspberries:  Every year we prune out the old canes at the end of the growing season, letting the new shoot take over.  In weeding the raspberries, we're now finding that many of the large root clumps (for lack of an official term) have died, as have the corresponding cane for this year.  However, this doesn't appear to be happening in our newer row (we transplanted volunteers to make a new row 3 years ago).  Question is, do raspberry plants exhaust themselves after so many years, necessitating replacement? Or is there something wrong with our beloved raspberries??

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Lee Anne

Answer
Lee Anne, most berry plants, including strawberries and raspberries, have a life span of 3-5 years.  Once the mother clump dies, it needs to be removed.  In the case of strawberries, the runners will produce new plants.  Once established the following year, they can be pruned from the mother plant.  Most gardeners rejuvenate the bed every 3 years just to keep their production at a maximum.

To answer your first question, there is no difference.  Growers propagate by cuttings (removing the runner) and by seed.  Regardless of which method they use, the new plant will grow and produce just fine.

By the way, I am also an organic gardener.  I stopped using chemicals several years ago when I built raised beds for all of my vegetables and berries.  I have found by using ample compost and other organic materials, I no longer need to fertilize, experience less disease and pest problems, and grow much more productive and healthy plants.  I will never go back.

Good luck, and have a great day.

Regards,

Mike