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All plants are open to environmental threat , but with good flora farming , gardener can keep their strawberry plant vigorous and salubrious . As with all threats , prevention is better than therapeutic . goodish , resilient plant are a resultant of decent care and auspices .

“Close-up photo of two plump and fully ripe strawberries. The bright red fruit is covered in small seeds and green leafy stems. One strawberry is slightly larger than the other, with a more pronounced shape and a shiny, smooth surface."

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How to Keep Your Strawberry Plants Healthy

Strawberries are more vulnerable to disease when they are strain . nerve-racking berth in the garden can induce strawberries to weaken and become more susceptible to pests and disease . Consider factors that may increase your strawberry mark plants ’ susceptibility to infections .

How to Prevent Strawberry Diseases – Reduce These 9 Stressors

plant life accent give pathogen a foothold . By limiting stressor , you’re able to help your strawberry works ’s ability to fight down any onslaughts .

Below is a lean of nine plant terrors to be cognizant of . keep them , and you may trim infected tissue , leaf and roots ,

Reduced electric resistance to disease can ensue from damaged strawberry leaves . In addition to being an access full stop for hazardous germs , hole in the foliage service as a raising terra firma for pathogen . Several blighter are pathogen carrier , transferring infection from plant to plant .

A person is crouched down in a garden bed, using their bare hands to plant a small strawberry plant. The person’s fingers are pressing the soil around the base of the plant.

strawberry are susceptible to disease when their blooms and foliage are damaged by frost . Root freeze is usually terminal .

Wet leafage helps pathogen spread . denigrate raindrop splashes and eliminating overhead irrigation is all important to intelligent industrial plant .

grow a plant in poor soil is one of the primary causes of stress for any plant . strawberry mark thrive in soil that debilitate well and is plentiful in constitutional matter . Strawberry plants fight back wet foot and suffer in compact , operose clay territory .

Rows of ripe, red strawberries growing on a farm, with green foliage in the background.

Very rapid temperature transformation , such as those brought on by a cold snap , can badly damage strawberry plants , especially if they are already vulnerable to the effects of heating plant .

Shallow - rooted plants like strawberry are adversely affected when water is discrepant . discrepant watering causes disease like powdery mildew to take hold .

Strawberries need about ten hour of light and commence languishing when light levels are below six hours day by day . While they may ensure tad , it is a accent factor for them .

“Close-up image of a small, red and green aphid insect known as the strawberry aphid, crawling on a green leaf. The aphid has a slender body with long antennae and legs, and its mouth is visible as it feeds on the plant’s sap. This pest can cause damage to strawberry plants by stunting growth and transmitting viruses."

Strawberry plant are not heavy feeders , and unreasonable atomic number 7 stresses them badly . Still , goodly soil offers all the sustenance needed to fuel robust plant growth . The soil must stay slimly acidulent and have all the micro and macronutrients necessary to grow intelligent and resilient to disease threats .

blight and molds are foliar diseases that stagnant melodic line can significantly exacerbateFresh air is of the essence for plant life , just like human . Insufficient airflow allows the accrual of the works ’s transpiration and external respiration humidness , speed the banquet of pathogens .

Now that we know what ’s going on l let ’s research the most unwashed diseases that could pretend our strawberry craw and how to keep them healthy and productive . Before that , let ’s reckon at the pest common to strawberry plants .

A close-up photo of a potato leafhopper on a green leaf. The leafhopper is small, with a yellow-green body and translucent wings. Its head is pointed with two large black eyes and several small legs protruding from its body. The leaf surrounding the leafhopper is a vibrant green color with veins running through it.

9 Pests That Stress Strawberry Plants

Strawberries front terror from a wide variety of worm . Some of these pests will return annually , while others may ( hopefully ) never be seen again .

Strawberry Aphids (Chaetosiphon fragaefolii)

Aphids are a vulgar pain in the garden and can importantly damage yield and vegetable crops . If aphid population can grow out of control , they can transmit various viruses and impose encompassing wrong to your strawberry plants .

Flower Thrips (Frankliniella spp.)

peak thrips are tiny dirt ball that feed on strawberries ’ leafage , prime , pollen , and fruit . They rust a range of cultivate plant and sens in addition to strawberries .

Strawberry Bud Weevil (Clipper Weevil)Anthonomus signatus

This flyspeck weevil is a dark reddish - browned and bar approximately a tenth of an in in length . Its head is roughly half as long as the body . On its back , you ’ll notice two vast black Elvis .

Potato Leafhopper (Empoasca fabae)

The full - maturate leafhopper is only about a fourth part of an inch long , is green , and has a sub shape . midget , light yellow or white eyepatch are dispersed across the body .

Because of its retentive hind legs , this louse can jump neat distance . nymph ( immature insects ) resemble grownup in visual aspect but do not vaporize . They have a bluish - green hue to them .

Sap Beetles (Stelidota geminata)

Sap beetles are widespread pests that can cause damage to ripe fruit . They thrive on mushy , rotten , and overripe strawberry fruit and can be kept at bay with steady pick of ripe fruits and maintaining good hygiene around plants .

Slugs (Gastropoda Pulmonata)

bullet overwinter in fields as eggs , immature or mature slug , and even under boards , charge card , or rot vegetation .

Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)

Drosophila , sometimes known as pomace fly , are little louse oft found with overripe or rotted fruits and vegetables .

Tarnished Plant Bugs (Lygus lineolarisandL. hesperus)

Tarnished plant microbe ( Lygus hesperusin the west andL. lineolarisin the eastern United States ) , often known as Lygus bug , are a summertime pest of strawberries .

Two-Spotted (Spider) Mites (Tetranychus urticae)

white-livered stippled , and a spider jot infestation causes suntanned foliage . They may also have webbing - covered leaf , and if you look closely , you may notice mites moving on the web or underside of the leafage .

20 Strawberry Diseases

Below is a inclination of 20 strawberry diseases and the pathogen primarily responsible for the infections they cause . The list is alphabetized and not in the ordering of prevalence .

20 Common Strawberry Diseases and How to Manage Them

1. Alternaria Black Spot (Alternaria alternate)

Alternaria bootleg blot is an opportunistic strawberry disease that affects hail - damaged hemangioma simplex fruit or fruit damaged by unreasonable mite infestations or other forcible or biological injury .

Alternaria disgraceful point is classified as a secondary infection because the fungus does not cause unmediated injury but expand on already damage strawberry yield .

2. Angular Leaf Spot (Xanthomonas fragariae)

Strawberry angulate folio office disease , induce by the bacteriumXanthomonas fragariae , is frequently mistaken for conversant strawberry leaf blot ( Mycosphaerellaleaf spot ) and leaf singe diseases .

Other leaf spot disease are list below : Mycosphaerella folio blot and singe disease .

Once the hemangioma simplex angular ( bacterial ) folio spot has develop , little can be done until the crocked , chilly condition slack . as luck would have it , strawberry leaf speckle has a minor shock on yields .

A person’s hand holding a ripe red strawberry with a small slimy slug crawling on it.

3. Anthracnose Fruit Rot (Colletotrichum acutatum)

Crown guff ( bud bunk damp ) is a significant disease in fond production areas , such as the southeastern United States , where temperatures top 77 ° F/25 ° coke . It is triggered by the fungusColletotrichum , which kills strawberry plants by infiltrating crown tissue sharply .

Anthracnose strawberry mark diseases are why most strawberry transplant output has shift to the cooler north .

4. Black Root Rot (Pythium, Fusarium, and Rhizoctonia spp. fungi. Also lesion nematode (P. penetrans))

Strawberry diseases can be divided into leaf disease , diseases that touch hemangioma simplex flowers , and root disease .

Common root - have-to doe with strawberry diseases includefreeze injury , red stele , verticillium wilt disease , and opprobrious root rotting . Healthy roots are white throughout , whereas freeze down injury causes the electric cell in the entire root to burst to ferment the whole ascendant system shameful .

Red steleaffects thinner part of the root system , like the tips . Some etymon may appear healthy alfresco but will show signboard of intragroup harm when cut .

“Close-up photo of a tarnished plant bug at 100x magnification, showing its black and orange body with distinct patterns and a shiny, metallic sheen on its wings and legs."

Inblack root rot , ascendant are part black-market in some section and on thicker origin , the core is still white . inglorious tooth root guff also affects the plant life ’s shoulder joint just above the ground .

Verticillium wiltaffects some roots on the plant and not others . The unnatural roots are entirely dark throughout ( like freezing injury ) . The fungus also affects the plant cells above the soil surface .

5. Charcoal Rot (Macrophomina phaseolinafungus)

Charcoal rotting is more rife in warmer regions . Plant mortality is high , with more than half of infected fields perishing .

Plants ab initio show sign of pee stress and finally collapse . cut the crowns of affected plants reveals firm dingy brown necrotic sphere along the margins and in the woody vascular ring .

M. phaseolinais a common soil - borne pathogen in many strong regions and may infect subsequent veggie crops planted after strawberries , such as squash , Piper nigrum , and legumes .

“Close-up photograph of a strawberry leaf showing the symptoms of Alternaria black spot disease. The leaf has numerous small, dark circular spots surrounded by a yellow halo, indicating the presence of the fungal pathogen Alternaria. The leaf appears wilted and may be starting to dry out."

Generally , temperatures around 86º F/30 ° C , sandlike soil , and low soil wet favour infection and disease growth .

6. Eye Spot (Leaf Spot) (Mycospharella fragariaefungus)

Strawberry leafage spot , also be intimate as Mycosphaerella , Ramularia , strawberry , and bird’s - center , is a fungal leaf disease that affects unwarranted and farmed strawberry worldwide .

While it was important , strawberry familiar folio spot has been managed by using insubordinate hemangioma simplex form / cultivar and better strawberry farming method . The disease is now principally cosmetic .

7. Fusarium Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae)

Strawberry Fusarium wilt is get by the fungus F. oxysporum f. Sp . fragariae . The symptom include foliage wither , plant life acrobatics , and the drying and death of older infected parting , while the youngest leaves in the centre of the plant often remain green and live .

Symptoms usually develop after the works have been make for a while . plant carrying big yield gist or under stress ofttimes display the most severe symptoms .

works can finally collapse and perish . When vascular and cortical tissues are examined , the internal tissues of flora tops are dark to orange - brown .

“A close-up photo of a plant with wilted leaves and blackened roots, indicating the presence of black root rot disease. The soil surrounding the roots is dry and crumbly, and the plant appears to be struggling to survive."

As previously state , the midland tissue of the major roots are usually not discolor .

Fusarium wilt is oftentimes more knockout when weather extremes , a deficiency or inordinateness of body of water , poor soil conditions , or adult fruit load stress the impaired plant .

8. Fruit Rot and Leaf Blotch (Gnomonia comari sensu lato)

Gnomonic leaf blotch and yield rot infrequently occurs in annual strawberry yield systems and is oftentimes linked to plant source .

The pathogen is ordinarily found on foliation , although it can also infect flush part and make root word - goal yield wound on rare occasions .

Gnomonic yield bunk infects leaves , causing chocolate-brown to purplish wound that start tiny but spread to vast country , especially when lesion consolidate to work all-inclusive blotchy area of leaf terms . Lesions get along in various colour and can be seen on the upper leafage open and below .

A close-up photo of several bright red strawberries with charcoal rot. The strawberries are arranged in a group, with some of them showing black, sunken areas on their surfaces. The overall image has a dark and ominous feel due to the presence of the charcoal rot.

9. Green Petal (Mycoplasma-like organism (MLO))

Green - petal MLO is induce by mycoplasma - same organism ( MLO ) that are spread by clover leafhoppers . The leaves form dark light-green curls upwards , and the yield remains unripe .

10. Gray Mold (Botrytis cinerea)

Botrytis yield rot ( gray mold ) is a annihilative strawberry mark disease rarified in daylight - indifferent strawberries .

Infected fruit has a grey-haired mold . Botrytis also live in the plant ’s petioles and leaves . Contributing factors to gray mould are high humidity and propagate assisted by wind and water .

The gray mold infection may endure on green tissue , but lesion form and mold spreads as the fruit ripens .

Close-up photo of a strawberry leaf with brown, wilted edges and discoloration in the center, caused by the fungal disease known as Fusarium wilt.

11. Leather Rot (Phytophthora cactorum)

In wet years , leather rot can cause meaning losses in yield output , and it is especially bothersome when disgusted fruit is mixed in with healthy fruit . pickle and preserves created from diseased fruit may produce acid press and jellies .

Phytophthora spp . can also get strawberry top rot , while the two diseases do not always co - occur .

morbid while on dark-green yield remain firm . The gullible color may remain with brown edges around affected places , but the entire fruit finally becomes brown with a toughened and leathery texture .

Close-up image of several unripe green strawberries still attached to their stems, growing on a plant with green leaves and white flowers in the background.

Even if the color does not change , infected ripe fruit has a bitter , disagreeable flavor and olfactory sensation . The primary symptom of leather rot is similar to sun - scald .

12. Phytophthora Crown Rot (Phytophthora cactorum)

Strawberry infection byPhytophthora cactorumoccurs in warm areas on ill drained , over - irrigated grunge or during long full stop of rainwater .

Disease symptom are exacerbate during periods of high water need , such as after transplantation , during hot , dry weather , or as the yield burden increases .

A flop of plants and a recondite dark crimson coloring of the pate are the most distinguishing feature article of plant with advanced symptoms .

“Two ripe strawberries, with visible signs of decay and mold, sitting on a white table."

The other indications are strawberry works stunt flying or wilting of young leave-taking , which can emerge at any point during the time of year .

This is similar to Anthracnose crown guff , but the cause and controller disagree .

13. Powdery Mildew (Podosphaera aphanis)

Powdery mold is seldom a problem on strawberries grown in one-year systems . The pathogen may arrive with northern - uprise strawberry transplants , but powdery mold patterned advance stops once the plants are transplanted into fruiting fields .

Powdery mildew is a possible issue in matted row product .

The curling of folio margins , exposing fuzzy white fungal development on the lower leaf surface , is oftentimes the first symptom remark .

“Close-up of strawberry leaves covered in white powdery mildew, a fungal disease that causes discoloration and distortion of the plant’s leaves, reducing its ability to photosynthesize and potentially affecting fruit quality."

The patches may gradually blend to cover the intact underside of the leaf . Powdery mold on hemangioma simplex farewell is not as seeable as on other plants .

A backbreaking powdery mildew infection can severely reduce photosynthesis , impacting plant vigour , yield production , and character .

14. Red Stele Root Rot (Phytophthora fragariae)

Strawberry cultivator in the northern two - third of the United States have been severely affected by this root rot disease .

The disease is most harmful in fleshy clay soils soaked with piddle . Once implant in a theatre of operations or garden , the red stele fungus can hold up in infected soil for up to 13 years .

Usually , the disease is only fancy in the planting ’s lower or poorly drained section ; nevertheless , it can spread across the intact patch , especially during a cool , squiffy spring .

A close-up photograph of a strawberry plant with leaves that have brown, crispy edges and spots. This is likely an example of leaf scorch, a common disease in matted row systems but rare in annual production systems.

The red stele is likely to do plants to droop and give way in the lower regions of the hemangioma simplex planting . flora that have been infected become stunted lose their shiny - green lustre , and produce few runner .

Younger leaves oftentimes have a metallic , blueish - green hue to them . Older leaves turn lily-livered or red prematurely .

15. Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne hapla)

M. haplais a significant strawberry mark disease , causing distinctive gall to form on the roots .

M. haplacan cause severe acrobatics in lovesome , sandy dirt . If other works infection are present , plant death is likely . source - nautical mile nematode - infest plants appear to be water - starved .

16. Root-Lesion Nematodes (Pratylenchus penetrans)

This is the most prevailing industrial plant - parasitic nematode and is usually hosted in weed . P. penetranspredisposes plant life to invasion by soil fungi such asCylindrocarpon , Fusarium , Pythium , Rhizoctonia , andVerticillium .

The strawberry shameful root putrefaction disease building complex is thought to be exacerbated by lesion nematodes , specificallyP. penetrans . It has been shown that lesion nematodes andRhizoctonia fragariaeinteract to advertise the growth of strawberry mark black tooth root rot .

P. penetrans causes the most impairment on light , flaxen soils .

A close-up photograph of a strawberry plant leaf with visible signs of leaf blight, characterized by small brown spots and patches on the green surface. The leaf is partially covered by a shadow, and the background consists of other green leaves and blurry foliage.

harvest rotation is ineffective at controlling lesion nematodes . A salutary alternative is bring in sizable micro-organism into the grunge using high - quality compost .

The most effective control condition proficiency is to plantP. penetrans - free glasshouse fund . The susceptibility of strawberry eccentric to calamitous root bunk varies .

Weed command is also critical .

17. Sclerotinia Fruit Rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum)

Sclerotia are small , inflexible , irregular , bootleg formations found on or in infected works tissue , leading to fluffy white growth on afflicted plant sections , most detectable in high humidity .

Sclerotia can be found in soil and on the wastefulness of pathological plants . Any contact with Scierotia spreads the disease . In optimal environmental conditions , mushroom cloud - like formations ( apothecia ) form and emit airborne spores .

18. Scorch Disease (Diplocarpon earlianum)

Leaf singe is a frequent strawberry disease in matted row system but uncommon in one-year production organization .

The leaf scorch computer virus can live and make disease in a wide mountain chain of temperature , and it has been observed that it causes malady on perennial crops all class .

In annual production system , the leafage scorch can spread on transplants or tips and build up up in the field during the male plug product phase in the early pin . However , the infection will have no gist next natural spring .

Leaf singe cause D. earlianum population in snarl row arrangement might reach dangerous symmetry . Fungus - produce spore are formed on the low leafage surfaces of dead septic leaves and are dispersed by flatus and splashing rain .

Leaf singe spread is help by leaf moisture in warm weather ( 68 to 86 ° F/20 – 30C ) and is likely to become more rife on older plantings of vulnerable type .

The pathogen can go torpid in dry consideration , but if wet conditions return , they become participating again .

19. Viruses

Strawberry mottle and strawberry mild yellow edge viruses are ordinarily not spartan issues in yearly output systems or nursery operation .

However , a low incidence is possible . case-by-case viral strains may not be a concern in some circumstances , but significant plant impact may emerge when two or more viruses mix .

Some aphid circulate these virus .

20. Phomopsis Leaf Blight (Phomopsis obscurans)

Strawberry folio blight is one of the most common folio disease , especially in warmer region . Infected leaves develop pinkish , round , water - soaked spots .

Diseased industrial plant have less ability to produce food for the plants , so yield yield decreases . The disease advance , organise enlarged spots that sprain brown .

The fungus overwinters within infested industrial plant junk or septic plant parts .

FAQs on The Ultimate Guide to Pest and Disease Control in Strawberry Gardening

How do you control strawberry disease ?

To keep in line strawberry diseases , focalise on bar by save industrial plant healthy , using disease - resistant varieties , removing infect plants promptly , and avoiding overhead watering . Apply fungicides and exercise crop rotation when necessary .

What do you apply to protect strawberry mark plants ?

To protect strawberry plants , use row covers , apply fungicide , mulch , and urine systematically , remove infected foliage , use good insects , and plant life in nutrient - rich soil .

How do you grow strawberries without pests ?

Tips for mature strawberries without plague : expend hefty industrial plant , well - drained soil , decent sunshine and line circulation , organic plague ascendence method , harvest rotation , and actuate yield harvest home .

In Closing

vulgar hemangioma simplex leaf disease can be tied to overhead irrigation , inadequate flow of air , and deficient sunshine . Root wellness is commonly related to drain and organic thing substance . These five factor can go a long way to keep your strawberries sound .