The summer is half over. I'm looking to grow strawberries next year. Would it be a bad idea to "staple" the strawberry plants for the rest of this season into the soil (to discourage strawberries from growing berries and get more plants next season)?
I'm thinking a few 8"X10' vertical PVC pipes under the deck would be nice over the next few years.
I'm not sure what zone you are in but here in Zone 5 the runners on the strawberries can be transplanted during the next month in order to get rooted well before winter. You can cut the runners off and replant or just retrain the runners to grow where you want. Either way, since it is still fairly hot out they will need to be watered, especially if you cut them off to transplant them.
Also of note is if you want bigger fruit next year it is best to cut all the leaves off the strawberry plants in July so that the plants do not spend all their energy into runner production. Instead the plant tends to grow bigger berries the next year. My old strawberry plants I cut off the leaves a month ago, and my new plants I just bought I am letting produce runners so I can propagate them before the winter. No clue what you are doing with the pvc. Also for new plants it is best to cut the flowers off the first year to get the plant established.
