The strawberry season is upon us and now's as good a time as any to increase your stock for next year - which couldn't be easier.

Runner plants are baby plants that grow from a stem and then root themselves as identical clones of the mother plant.

Let the strongest runners root in the ground or peg down the plantlets in pots. Once rooted, the plantlets can be cut from the mother plant and potted up in 3 1/2in (9cm) pots in summer and kept outdoors, then potted on as they develop. Up to three root runners on a healthy plant can be retained to make new plants.