The best source for info on container mix recipes is the Container Gardening forum here as that is their focus - as opposed to folks who do in-ground gardening. That said, there are literally hundreds of discussions all over the forums here on 'best container mix', 'best potting mix', 'make your own recipes' for container mixes, etc. that the search will pull up for you. Many of them address specific plant's needs as no one mix works for all. Many cover the pH issues, water retention/drainage issues, compaction issues, nutrient supply/retention issues, mix sustainability issues (use and reuse), etc. so lots of good information is already available. Common points reconfirmed by all the discussions is that (1) container gardening is unique, a different world that shares little in common with in-ground gardening, 2) that the use of "dirt"/garden soil in a container is not recommended for several reasons, that (3) there is a big difference between "potting mixes" and "potting soils", and that (4) there are many high quality bagged potting mixes available depending on local availability. Probably the one container mix that gets the most discussion on the various forums is the 5-1-1- mix recipe discussed in great detail over on the Container gardening forum. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Container Gardening forum

Strawberries totally die down every year. They don't form buds, they form flowers which turn into berries. Go a head and cut them down, it doesn't really matter this late in the season. I wouldn't transplant the daughter plants, unless you have 2-3 weeks before a big frost sets in.

I have never heard about the pinching off of the buds for increased productivity. I'm curious about that one, as I have a new patch this year, too. From my experience, expecting 5 or so daughters from each mother plant is about right, though I often have some that don't do quite that good. I also pull the mulch away from the spot where I want the new plant to set at the distance it's decided on. But, I've had good luck just replacing the mulch on top of the sucker stem. As long as the new plantlet is touching the ground and has moisture, it gets the roots in. I didn't plan quite enough room for all the daughters I'm getting this year, so I'm going to start having them root in plastic yogurt containers to put somewhere else.

I have never heard that removing runners hurts the plant. Not removing some sure CAN hurt them. I started a new patch last year [Jewel, Earliglow, and Mesabi] and intend to have it bear 3 years with good care. I let the runners go out farther than 1 plant. [probably letting the mother make a dozen new ones.] Yes, it is import to keep the plants spaced about 6 inches apart. I had a tremendous crop this spring.