Question
I have container strawberries, in one of those terra cotta pots that hold 9 plants.  I have two questions:  I lost all of my plants last winter.  I live in Oregon and we had a pretty intense freeze, longer and colder than usual.  I wanted to know how do I winterize my strawberries so I don't loose them again?  I also would like to know what to do with the runners, cut them? let them go? redirect them?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Yes, I too live in Oregon, so I know what the winter was like. Many tender plants were lost.
But, Strawberries are not usually tender. They are hardy in zone 4-8. Could the plants, have gotten the disease called Red stele. It causes the roots to rot. The leaves turn brown. and die. If this is what you had, then the container could be contaminated. Just a warning. . .
The soil should be changed every year when growing in a strawberry pot.
If you have a garage, or basement, that is insulated from freezing, it would be a good place to put your strawberries for the winter.
The runners will pull energy from the plant, and cause the fruit to be smaller. So the rule is, more plants, smaller fruit, less plants, larger fruit. I say pinch the runners.

bakerplanter