The message
from JB contains these words:

On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 14:44:49 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

In the circumsatnces I wouldn't bother with the usual method of
getting new plants, which is by rooting some runners from your own crop.
Just in case they are diseased or not a good strain.. Prepare a new
strawberrybed in a different area, well dug, compost or manure added,
and see if you can beg some healthy runners from another allotmenter who
has a tasty strong crop.

Is there any particular reason to generate new plants from runners
rather than from seed?

Runners are foolproof to grow, will be identical clones of the
plant they came from, and will fruit well in two years from now. Have
you bought strawberry seed? Never seen or tried that. If it's seed
saved from a modern hybrid fruit, it won't all come true.

At present I have a fairly healthy crop of
poorly fruiting strawberries (most in their first year, a few in their
second) if I propogate from those using runners when should I do that?

They don't crop very well in the first year anyway. You need to cut
off all the runners from each plant to save it's strength for fruiting
next year, so reduce the number now, but let one or two per plant grow
on for propagating.

Keep an eye on the remaining runners. They will develop leaves and
start rooting into the ground where they lie. In a few weeks when they
have a little bunches of roots just dig them up with a trowel, trim
off the umbilical cord , and line out the new plants where you want them
to grow. If you do that in July they will be well established before
winter.

Janet.