Strawberries near peppers... concern?

[Wulf]

Last year I planted 2 strawberry plants near the area I use to grow peppers. Not having any experience with strawberries, I assumed that I'd see any runners growing towards the peppers and just redirect/hack them off before they started to interfere. Everything I read online only hinted at the above-ground runners being a problem.

As the snow melts and I start to look at these strawberry plants, I notice that extending in a circle about 18 inches from each plant, there are little strawberry leaves shooting up from the ground. If strawberries spread from underground as well as above ground, I may have a much harder time containing them than I thought.

Will my peppers be fine with strawberries nearby, or are they gonna get choked out from beneath? Will that 18 inches turn into 36 inches next year? 72 the year after?

 

[PIC 1]

I yanked out my Strawberry plants for that reason.......they're too invasive. Everbearing will produce throughout the season but the viney plants take up too much room for the backyard garden. I let my sister tend to hers...she gets lbs worth but every year she spends time thinning them out. They won't harm your peppers but will attrack ants, that could pose another problem. Eat them while you have them....the strawberries not the ants.....lol