strawberry grey mould
Grey mould is a common fungal disease that attacks the ripening fruit, particularly during rainy weather. Remove infected fruits promptly and maintain good air flow around the plants.
strawberry black eye
The centre of the flower turns dark brown or black, while the rest of the plant appears quite healthy. This is caused by frost damage to the young flower – protect from frost with cloches or horticultural fleece.
strawberry virus
This will stunt the whole plant, and create mosaic like streaking on the leaves which will eventually turn yellow and drop off. The affected plants should be destroyed and watch out for future infestations of aphids which often spread the virus. Only buy plants from certified virus free stock.
strawberry root weevil
This pest is much more prevalent in Canada and the USA. What is more likely in the UK is the similar looking vine weevil that attacks a lot of plants including strawberries, and particularly those grown in pots. If the plant looks sickly it is worth turning out the pot and looking for the tell-tale white grubs that will be feeding off the roots. They hatch into small black beetles which then feed on the edges of leaves, making small, neat notches. If you find an infestation clean off all the grubs and repot the plant in a clean pot of fresh compost, or better still plant in the ground where the weevils have far more natural predators to prey on them.
slugs
There is nothing worse than going to pick a beautifully ripe strawberry only to find a slug has got there first. Having the strawberries held off the ground with straw does help, as does growing them in pots so that the fruit hangs over the side, well away from prowling slugs and snails. If you are growing in rows in the open ground, you can apply nematodes in the spring to control numbers or try the traditional slug traps to lure them away from your fruit with stale beer.
why are my strawberry leaves turning yellow?
This can be caused by virus (see above) but is usually caused by poor growing conditions – the soil might be low in nutrients, compacted or poorly drained. Try feeding with liquid seaweed which contains the trace elements and minerals which might be lacking. Move plants to soil that has had some grit added if you suspect that poor drainage is the problem.
why are my strawberry leaves turning red?
If the whole leaf has turned red and the whole plant is stunted with distorted fruits this could be a symptom of Strawberry Green Petal. This is caused by a mycoplasma, rather like a virus, spread by leaf hoppers. You will need to remove and burn the plants, making sure you do not propagate from them. If, as is more likely, you have red blotches with a fungal growth at the centre, you have probably got Strawberry Leaf Spot, a fungus specific to strawberry plants. Thankfully, it is not terminal and affected leaves just need trimming off and destroying, along with the surrounding straw and detritus.
why are my strawberry leaves turning brown?
Many varieties are naturally evergreen, in other words they keep some leaves all year, but consequently they also lose some all through the year. It is most likely that the brown leaves are just at the stage of dropping off, so speed them on their way by cutting off with scissors, just in case it is something more serious. Fresh young leaves should soon be along to replace it.
