Strawberry plants can produce fruit for 2-3 years, but the first year is generally the most productive. New seedlings are generally planted in March-April in the subtropics. The plants above are two years old and now producing runners. I will propagate new plants from these runners by filling a starter cup with fresh soil and pinching down the runner on the soil using a tooth pick. Once the root system is strong enough to be separated from the mother I will transplant it. I can generally tell this once the roots start coming out from the bottom of the started cup, so I have to pick them up and check the bottom of the cup on occasion. Strawberry plants should be planted at least 35cm (14in) apart. I will plant these in a Strawberry tower, which I introduced previously. The tower I will use has four tiers and each tier has three lobs, so I will need twelve plants. Stay tuned!