Buying starter plants for your garden can get expensive, especially if you want a big, beautiful patch of fresh strawberries.
But what if you could turn one or two plants into an endless supply for free? A savvy gardener on TikTok shared a simple hack that shows you how to do just that using the strawberry’s own natural growth to your advantage.
The scoop
In a popular video, Graylen Brown (@urbangardeningwithgray) demonstrates how to propagate strawberries. As he explains, strawberry plants naturally send out long stems called “runners,” which are basically baby plants looking for a new place to grow.
“Every plant is always trying to find a means of being able to reproduce itself,” he says.
@urbangardeningwithgray 🍓 Creating Your Own Endless Supply of Strawberries 🍓 Want homegrown strawberries forever? Let runners do the work! ✂️ Propagation: – Strawberries send out runners with baby plants. – Let them root into soil or small pots for 3–4 weeks, then snip the connection. ☀️ Growing Conditions: – Full sun (6+ hours a day). – Slightly acidic, well-drained soil (pH 5.2–6.2). – Raised beds or containers are perfect for tricky soils. 💧 Care Tips: – Keep soil moist (drip irrigation is best). – Mulch with pine straw to stop weeds. – Cover plants if frost threatens. 🌿 Feeding: – Mix in balanced fertilizer at planting. – Use liquid fertilizer every few weeks as they grow. 🍓 Top Picks for Texas: ‘Chandler,’ ‘Festival,’ and ‘Seascape’ love our heat! Dig deeper with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension guides. Sources: 1. Growing Strawberries in Austin – Texas A&M AgriLife https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/edible-gardens-for-austin/fruits-and-nuts-for-austin/growing-strawberries-in-austin/ 2. Strawberry Production Guide – Texas A&M Research https://stories.tamu.edu/news/2022/04/20/getting-the-most-from-your-strawberry-plants/ 3. Container/Raised Bed Growing – Backbone Valley Nursery https://backbonevalleynursery.com/strawberry-growing-in-central-texas Happy planting! #StrawberryPatch #GrowYourOwn #fyp #gardening #strawberries #strawberry #northtexasgardening ♬ original sound – urbangardeningwithgray
The hack is to give these runners a perfect spot to take root. Simply place a small pot filled with quality, well-draining soil next to the main plant. Then, gently press the node of the runner onto the surface of the soil in the new pot, making sure not to bury the top of the plant or the crown.
After a few weeks, once the new plant has established its own roots, you can snip the runner connecting it to the parent plant. Now you have a brand-new strawberry plant, ready to be moved wherever you like.
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How it’s helping
This simple trick can save you a surprising amount of money on buying new plants each year. It also gives you a steady supply of delicious, homegrown strawberries that taste far better than anything from the grocery store.
Having a garden is great for your health, too. Research has shown that community gardening can improve both physical and mental well-being, with one study linking it to lower stress levels.
Growing your own food, even just a small amount, is also a win for the environment. It reduces the pollution associated with transporting produce over long distances. Plus, a healthy garden provides a vital food source for pollinators and can be managed without harmful chemical pesticides. You can even start with just a few containers on a patio.
What everyone’s saying
Viewers were excited and inspired by the easy-to-follow advice. The comments section was full of new and experienced gardeners ready to try it out.
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“This is good to know, thanks…now I will grow here in Houston for next season,” one user wrote.
Another shared their enthusiasm, saying: “I am loving the content. I am VERY new and just gathered the contents for my garden. … Starting my fall garden now. Wish me luck.”
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