What to do with my strawberry runners?

Okay, this is probably not a problem for people, but I need some suggestions.

Several years back, I got some strawberry plants and put them in a pot. One sent out runners and ended up creating four plants by the door my spouse would accidentally weed-whack because he had no idea what they were. (He's not a farmer, Owen. He's too much like his father...) Anyway,
I created a small raised bed and dug up those four plants. I figured giving them a third of the bed would be good enough.

OMG, they think they're in a strawberry plant spa and have sent out runners in an attempt to take over the raised bed! (BWAHAHAHAHA! We are strawberry plants and we will take over the world!)  The thyme, chamomile, marjoram, and sage are giving them the side-eye. And of course, no strawberries to speak of this year. Sigh.

So, I have runners I've clipped and put into a pot. They'll probably send out runners of their own. 🙄 But the main plants are still sending out runners.

What should I do with them? I can't imagine I'll have enough to sell or give them away, but maybe I will. At the same point, it's almost fall and people aren't thinking about strawberries.

Ideas? 🤔

Personally? I'd move the herbs, and let the strawberries think they rule the world. I mean... they really DO. Don't they?

I would plant them where I need ground cover. My strawberries are ALL running for the shade. I'm taking that to heart and will transplant from my paths to a place that gets only 4 hours of sun. I really wanted them to fill in their own beds first. There is plenty of room in full sun! Ah well. After a couple years, I will try these beds again.

Yeah once they're happy they'll go wherever they want anyway. Might as well peg runners down where you actually want new plants and cut them free once they root. Keeps the original bed from getting overcrowded and saves buying more.

Are the plants already so thick that turning the runner back into the bed will not work?

strawberry plants are really only good for 3 years.  First year is establishing and the plant produces little or nothing.  Second year is most productive.  Third year is also very good.  4th year on the plant productivity falls.  So the runners are the source of new plants.  Best system we found growing up looked like this.  It amounted to a (5) roughly 6 inch wide strips that slowly moved from one to the other.  Tillage was one shovel wide with a board serving as a walk way.  with multiple rows of this system side by side it was like the strawberries travel 6 inches each year sort of like a conveyor belt.  There was one edge where instead of transplanting by runners still attached they were cut off and moved to start a new edge but most were transplanted just as far as the runners would reach.  Could nearly always create more new plants than needed simply jumping the runners sideways as far as they would reach.  Max travel distance was a bit over 18 inches typically and runners were typically only a foot so some plants ended up planted outside their year.

Current                                                                                                              Next year

Board for walk way with serious compost added under board                 board removed so this becomes forth year fallow planting location for runners
forth year fallow/planting location for runners for first                             1st year runners with low or no productivity  
1st year runners with low or no productivity                                               2nd year harvest fold all runners to 4th year or as close as possible
2nd year harvest fold all runners to 4th year or as close as possible       3rd year harvest fold all runners to 4th year or as close as possible
3rd year harvest fold all runners to 4th year or as close as possible        Board covering compost while killing off plants

Now given my age the goal is now to create raised beds instead of bending clear over and balancing on the single board width.

Anne Miller wrote:Are the plants already so thick that turning the runner back into the bed will not work?

I tried that for a bit. Is that appropriate?

C. Letellier wrote:strawberry plants are really only good for 3 years.  First year is establishing and the plant produces little or nothing.  Second year is most productive.  Third year is also very good.  4th year on the plant productivity falls.  So the runners are the source of new plants.  

Thanks for the advice! I did not know that.