Strawberries

[vinegar]

My strawberry bed is sending out runners--out into the lawn. Dozens of them. They are very crowded and I'd like to start another bed.
I tried taking up the mother plant and all the runners and planting it into another prepared bed, but each time I do it, they die. About a week later the leaves are crisp, and the babies are hard and dead.

What am I doing wrong? Is it a bad time of year? What can I do to keep them alive?

[applestar]

Easiest way is to surround the mother plant with small pots (or cups it's drainage holes) of well draining potting mix (adding a little sand would help to weigh down the pots, too) then snuggle the babies still attached to the mother plant in each pot. You can use pieces of wire coat hanger bent in a U (or buy earth staples) to secure them in the potting mix.

The babies will get water and nutrients from the mother plant via the runner/unbilicus until they can get established.

[vinegar]

But the mother plant dies. Nearly immediately. ???

[applestar]

Don't dig up the mother plant.

[vinegar]

Thanks!