Strawberries are among the most delicate plants in the garden. Despite all loving care, various diseases strike mercilessly. We sensitize you to the symptoms and explain effective control methods.
strawberry powdery mildew
If the temperatures exceed the 18 degree mark, it starts. Now there are perfect conditions for powdery mildew spores to spread explosively. An infected strawberry plant will show a white fungal coating on the underside of the leaves. As a result, the foliage turns purple to red-brown and curls up. The fruits are then infested. Under the whitish patina they do not mature, but rot and fall off.
combat
- Cut off all diseased parts of the plant
- Spray every 3 days with a milk-water mixture in a ratio of 1:4
- alternatively, dissolve 1 tablespoon of soda in 4 liters of milk with 15 milliliters of curd soap
gray rot
The causative agents of the fungal infection Botrytis cinerea do their disastrous work in warm and humid weather. The unripe strawberries turn brown and soften. In the further course they are covered with a grey-white mold fluff.
combat
- Remove fruit mummies immediately
- Endangered plants sprinkle with rock flour
- add nettle manure and onion extract to the irrigation water
- consistently weed and mulch with straw
An airy planting distance has a preventive effect on all fungal infections, so that the foliage can dry off quickly after a downpour. In addition, the location should be as sunny as possible.
White and red spot disease
These insidious fungal pathogens wait until shortly before the fruit ripens in order to thoroughly spoil the joy of fruity strawberry enjoyment. The foliage is dotted with white or reddish-brown spots. The plant is so weakened that the fruit does not ripen. There are no preparations available for direct control. Prudent prevention with the following measures is helpful:
- do not apply nitrogen-rich fertilizer
- After flowering, mulch with straw or bark mulch
- Plant strawberries in a mixed culture with garlic
- cut off and burn all stolons in autumn
- Do not leave any leaves in the bed, as the spores overwinter here
tips and tricks
Strawberry plants strengthened with liverwort extract are significantly more resistant to fungi and bacteria. The purely natural preparation uses the defense substances of mosses, which originate from an evolution lasting 35 million years. 5 milliliters of liverwort extract are dissolved in 1 liter of water and sprayed onto the plants every 10-14 days from the start of cultivation.