Are your strawberries not growing or blooming? Then it could be due to an infestation or disease. We explain which strawberries pests and diseases can be to blame.
Their sweet fruits are the great pride of every hobby gardener: strawberries are one of the most popular fruit plants in home kitchen gardens. However, for a rich harvest, the plants must remain healthy. If they neither grow nor produce flowers, then the hobby gardener should act quickly. The causes of slow growth can vary, but the first step is always to check for signs of infestation or disease. Especially in May, a change in the weather can make the situation even worse. The sooner youthe reason for wilting leavesand recognize instincts, the better. We list the diseases and pests that now affect strawberries.
Recognize and naturally combat green and white lice on strawberries
Signs of an infestation:Aphids can also attack strawberries. If you see lots of small green or white insects on shoots and on the underside of leaves of plants, then it is probably an aphid infestation. Aphids usually do not pose a threat to outdoor plants - the plant continues to grow well and bears healthy fruit. However, it becomes problematic when it comes to potted plants or when the strawberries grow in a greenhouse. This can lead to leaf deformation and in some cases compression.
What can you do against lice on strawberry plants?
NettlesPour (about a handful) into a plastic bucket and pour 1 liter of water over it. Then put the bucket in the garden for a sunny day. The next morning, strain the liquid and pour it into a spray bottle. So that the affected plants get wet.
Curd soapGrate and add to 1 liter of warm water. Stir well so that the soap can dissolve. Then pour it into a spray bottle and stir well until the soap dissolves. TheSpray strawberries with it.
Worms in strawberries: The larvae of the centipede are pests
Signs of an infestation:The harvest time for the early ripening strawberry varieties begins in mid-May. All the more annoying when you find lots of long, thin worms on the plants and fruits. The thin worms are actually millipede larvae that grow to a maximum length of 2 cm.
What you can do about the worms in the strawberries:
- Make sure the ripening fruit does not come into contact with the ground. You can remove the fruits at the bottom of the plant straight away. Do not mulch the root area. This can allow the worms to spread further.
- You can remove rotten and infected fruit once a day.
- Slice potatoes and place them on the ground around the infected plant. The worms find potatoes irresistible and will congregate around the bait.
- If you have eaten these “worms” in strawberries,then you don't need to worry. These are usually millipede larvae or fruit fly larvae - in both cases consumption is not harmful.
Strawberry pests: This beetle attacks rose plants
Signs of infestation: The strawberry blossom beetle is a type of weevil that only lives around rose plants. They lay their eggs on flowers, which then dry up and fall off. The young beetles crawl out of the dry flowers and immediately attack the nearby plants.
Fighting the strawberry blossom pruner:The first measure against the beetle is to immediately snap off any wilted material including the children. Do not leave dead flowers on the ground, but collect them immediately.
How to recognize the most common strawberry diseases
Strawberries are not particularly disease resistant. Incorrect location and lack of care can weaken the plant and make it more susceptible to various pathogens. The signs of disease are not as easy to recognize in the early stages as those of an infestation.
If strawberries have a white coating: recognize and combat strawberry mildew
Clinical picture:Strawberry powdery mildew is a fungal disease that typically causes a white coating on fruits and leaves. First, the affected leaves turn purple-red, then the pathogen forms a white coating on their underside. If the disease is not recognized in time, flower petals and fruits will also be affected.
The disease spreads particularly quickly at temperatures above 18 degrees Celsius and humidity above 60%.
Fight mildew on strawberries:The fungi are mostly transmitted through wild plants. The first step is therefore to keep the bed free of weeds. It is also important to avoid fertilizers rich in nitrogen and instead use fertilizers with a high potassium content. To prevent transmission, the distance between individual strawberry plants in a row should be at least 45 cm.
Strawberries have wilted and yellow leaves? Possible cause: rhizome rot
Rhizome rot is also a fungal disease favored by low temperatures. The pathogen's spores primarily contaminate clay soils with poor drainage and can survive in the soil for up to 13 years under favorable conditions.
Clinical picture:The disease first manifests itself through sickly, yellow leaves at the bottom. The foliage loses its typical shine and the plant grows much more slowly. The strawberry does not form new shoots, the young leaves turn blue-green, the older leaves turn red or dark yellow. In the early stages, the roots turn red, then turn gray.
What you can do:The disease cannot be cured. To prevent further spread, dig up the infected plants and dispose of them with household waste, dig up the soil with a diameter of 40 cm around the plant and also dispose of it. Leave the contaminated area empty for the next 2-3 years. Do not plant strawberries there. During this time, you can try to improve the permeability of the soil. For this purpose, work sand into the soil.
