Strawberries at a summer cottage are often affected by diseases: leaves turn yellow, mustaches grow, shoots change, strawberries rot. Why do strawberries rot on the bush and what to do to prevent it?
The reasons for rotting strawberries may be improper care, fungal diseases, or the appearance of bacterial ones. How to distinguish between them and determine exactly the reason that influenced the rotting of strawberries?
Reasons why strawberries rot:
- Gray rot;
- Black rot;
- Excess moisture;
Gray rot on a strawberry bush
Unripe strawberries on the bush can be affected by gray rot. You can find black fluff on already ripe berries. The gardener should not ignore such manifestations, even if they were only on a few berries.
Causes of gray rot : gray rot, like black rot, overwinters in the ground. It activates in conditions favorable to itself. In addition, gray rot also persists on the affected residues, so all strawberries removed from the site must be burned away from their planting site. The soil mixture is processed, but it is advisable not to plant anything at the previous planting site for several years.
Where does gray mold appear? : The disease spreads to young and ripe berries. It appears in the form of a gray coating, exactly reminiscent of mold. The top berries on a strawberry bush are not affected as extensively as those that are in contact with the ground or located nearby.
Prevention of gray rot : in order to prevent the appearance of the disease, it is necessary not to thicken the garden beds when planting. Moderate dryness is also maintained. Strawberry bushes should be well lit and ventilated. In the spring, a moderate amount of fertilizer is applied, as it acts in the opposite direction, reducing the immunity of already weak strawberries.
How to care for strawberries : beds with strawberries are mulched to prevent gray rot from appearing. The procedure simultaneously preserves moisture and protects against bacteria, mold and fungi that love its excess. You can use: straw, pine needles, sawdust, peat.
How to process strawberries : In spring and after harvest, strawberries are treated with copper oxychloride.
Black rot on a strawberry bush
Black rot manifests itself in almost the same way as gray rot: a grayish-white coating forms on the strawberries on the bush, after which it acquires a characteristic gray color. What is the difference between gray rot and black rot? The difference is that black rot appears on harvested strawberries, and gray rot on still growing ones.
Causes of black rot : causes are similar to gray mold disease. It is also worth noting that black rot is detected mainly during transportation of berries - in closed rooms or boxes there is a risk of damaging the entire crop, and in a fairly short time.
Prevention of gray rot: Strawberries, as it has already turned out, are sown in lighted, open places. Regular ventilation, moderate fertilizing in the spring and watering the rest of the time prevent the appearance of black rot.
How to care for strawberries : beds with strawberries are sprinkled with wood ash. It is also used to treat row spacing and inhibits the spread of black rot. In the fall, be sure to remove old foliage and do not forget about weeding, since spores remain in the residue.
How to process strawberries : in spring and autumn, water with manganese solution for disinfection.
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We are looking forward to the first one. And, naturally, we get upset if, instead of a berry meadow, we find moldy fruits in indecently small quantities. And the culprit is gray rot, which, on favorable days for its development, can destroy up to 90% of the crop! The disease gets its name from the fluffy gray-brown mycelium growing on the surface of infected tissues.
The fungus overwinters in plant debris and in the spring attacks the peduncle, petals, sepals and strawberries. The disease is considered most dangerous during prolonged cloudy weather and prolonged rains, especially during the flowering period of the plant and harvesting berries.
Thickened strawberry plantings, which are placed in poorly ventilated, low places, are most susceptible to disease. The pulp of the fruit quickly turns brown and rots, the berry becomes “rubbery” and inedible. On completely rotten strawberries, microscopic spores and conidia form, which are carried by the wind over long distances and settle on healthy plants, causing massive development of the disease.
To prevent gray mold from developing on strawberry plantations, a number of preventive measures should be taken during growing and harvesting:
1. Choose an area for strawberries that is well ventilated and lit. In the spring, when the ground thaws, thoroughly clean the bed of plant debris, remove dry leaves and weeds.
2. During the period of berry formation, mulch the rows with a continuous layer of clean cut straw, fresh sawdust or pine needles so that the strawberries do not come into contact with the ground.
H. You can put wire supports under the bushes or put agrofibre under the flower stalks.
4. Pollination of damp bushes and soil with sifted wood ash inhibits the spread of gray rot on strawberries. At 15 sq. m area you will need 1 kg of ash.
5. Plant garlic in the strawberry rows - it contains phytoncides and essential oils that will help get rid of the gray scourge.
6. When harvesting, be sure to collect berries affected by gray rot in a separate container and destroy them.
Healing tinctures
It works very well with gray mold in strawberry beds. Mix 100 grams of powder with 10 liters of hot water and leave for 2 days. Then dilute the resulting mass with water in a 1:1 ratio. Spray with the solution until flower stalks appear, once a week. Also, the resistance of strawberries to a “velvety coating” is increased by phosphorus-potassium fertilizing and treatment of plantings with a solution of microfertilizers. Another remedy effectively combats “harmful grayness”: dissolve 2 grams of boric acid in 10 liters of hot water, add 5 grams of copper sulfate and 1 teaspoon of 5% iodine. Repeat treatments after 10-15 days.
Important
Select the strawberry varieties most resistant to gray rot for cultivation - Druzhba, Zenit, Desnyanka, Tentra, Kokinskaya rannyaya, Ruby pendant, Pocahontas, Muto.
Before the beginning of the growing season of garden strawberries, use a 3-4% solution of Bordeaux mixture, and immediately after harvesting, use a fungicide, for example azocen (20 g per 10 liters of water).
Inna Semirod, Chernigov
One of the most common strawberry diseases is rot. It can be gray, late blight and root.
With gray rot, brown spots form on the berries, covered with a gray coating on top. It is spread by spores using the wind.
Late blight rot manifests itself in the form of brown spots with further coarsening of the berries and drying out. It spreads somewhat worse than gray rot.
Both of these diseases, in addition to the berries themselves, can affect both leaves and stems.
There is also root rot, which mainly affects the roots of strawberries. It forms on young roots, turning them from green to black. Then the plant dries out and dies.
To combat these diseases on strawberries, it is necessary, starting in early spring, to carry out preventive measures and choose the best growing option for your plot.
How to protect your strawberry crop from rotting
Any rot forms on strawberries, first of all, from the abundance of moisture. This can be caused by both heavy rainfall and improper watering. Strawberries do not really like strong soil moisture, so watering is not done very often. This depends on the amount of rain, soil moisture and other factors. Only during ripening can you slightly increase the amount of water poured onto the strawberry beds.
Also, low temperatures at night and during the day have a positive effect on the formation of rot. Therefore, on cold days it is better to cover the beds, for example, with agril. This will somewhat protect your crop from disease.
Rot forms on the berries when they are overgrown with weeds and poorly blown by the wind. Therefore, regularly remove weeds from your beds.
Often, many diseases appear in densely planted strawberry beds. It is correct to plant this berry crop in rows, at some distance from each other.
To protect strawberries from rotting, various materials are used, such as agrofibre, spunbond or black film. Small holes are made in them through which strawberry bushes are passed. Thus, this material is between the berries and the ground and protects them from excessive moisture.
In the same way, dry grass or sawdust is placed under the strawberry bushes. But they have a serious drawback: they themselves begin to rot over time and require regular replacement of the litter. 
Well, the best option is dry pine broom. It is usually collected in forests in the fall or early spring before the buds open. Then they are scattered between the rows of strawberries. It protects berries from the formation of gray rot. In addition to pine needles, you can also add spruce cones - this is also a very good means of protecting crops in your garden.
It is better to make the beds themselves for planting strawberries high and can line the sides with boards or slate to prevent them from spilling.
Well, if you are not lazy and have a lot of free time, then you can make small canopies over the strawberry beds. This will protect the crop from heavy rainfall. It is better to make canopies up to 1.5 meters high for better ventilation and without side walls.
In addition to all this, it is necessary to regularly remove affected berries from the beds.
Fighting strawberry rotting with folk remedies
A very good remedy for all garden pests is an infusion of wormwood. Wormwood is poured with boiling water and left for a couple of days. Then filter and water the strawberry bushes. It has a very specific smell, so it is advisable to do this a couple of weeks before picking the berries.
For prevention purposes, add iodine to weekly watering (approximately 10-15 drops per bucket).
You can also sprinkle the beds with an infusion of mustard or horse sorrel.
In early spring or late autumn, it is possible to use chemicals, such as Horus. They spray beds with strawberries according to the instructions.
If you grow strawberries, think about preserving a tasty and abundant harvest.
A wonderful early berry, garden strawberry, or as we call it, is always ready to feast on, but also from. One of them, gray rot, is a real punishment of nature.
Initially, it should be said that varieties resistant to gray rot have not yet been bred and any species is susceptible to it to a greater or lesser extent.
Signs of gray rot
If you look for the positive in the bad, then this is what a plant infected with gray mold is immediately visible and impossible to confuse with no other disease.
- First, brown spots appear on the berries, which quickly grow.
- Then a smoky-colored coating forms on them, which, upon careful examination, consists of tiny spores.
- The berry becomes watery and inedible. Even if a small barrel is damaged by gray rot, it cannot be cut off and eaten; it must be thrown away immediately.
- At the end, the berry dries out and turns into a hard gray lump.
Gray mold as a disease
Gray rot also quickly copes with strawberry seedlings if the fungus gets into the soil during planting.
Gray rot is a fungal disease that affects all parts of the plant above the soil.. Since it reproduces by spores that are carried by the wind, insects, rain and dew, not a single plant, even with, is immune from infection.
The source is sclerotia and conidia , which develop very quickly in a humid environment.
It is important to take emergency measures at the slightest sign of disease, since one infected plant, under favorable conditions, can cause the death of up to 90% of the crop.
Path of infection
Humid air and dense planting promote the spread of infection.
At temperatures around zero, conidia germinate within 24 hours, but at summer temperatures 20–30 degrees their pace accelerates and takes between 5 and 9 hours.
A prerequisite: at least a drop of water with carbohydrates.
Microcracks formed by rain falling on the berry release juice, thus creating an environment ideal for the development of fungal spores. The fungus then penetrates into the body of the host that provides nutrition, attaches itself with needle-shaped suckers, and begins to grow at a rate of about 4 mm per day , turning into mycelium that permeates all tissues.
That is why, even with the slightest visible damage, the entire berry is unfit for consumption.
Danger Signs
A strawberry patch in this state will probably get sick from something.
The gardener should be wary and attentive:
- during rainy periods of summer;
- during dry periods, strictly calculate the amount of water for irrigation so as not to create a humid environment necessary for the development of gray rot;
- with heavy dew;
- when the temperature drops to 15 degrees;
- at high air humidity;
- if there are infected plants in other beds. Gray rot affects not only strawberries, but also currants, grapes, cucumbers, etc.;
- with rapid growth of plant leaves and thickening of planting;
- for weeds;
- with the carpet growing method.
Prevention
Since gray mold spreads almost at lightning speed, it is difficult and tedious to fight.
Initially, you need to follow the planting rules, and then you need to care for the strawberries.
Preventive measures, if they do not completely save you from infection, will help to avoid rapid spread. Rot will avoid the plant if:
- they are planted in a well-lit and ventilated place;
- were not injured during planting; the more mechanical damage, the more vulnerable the bush;
- corresponding to a given variety, i.e. planting density, planting location, neighboring crops;
- the soil is loosened and dug up in a timely manner;
- the plant is fed, but not overfed. When overfeeding, strawberry leaves begin to grow rapidly, shading the berries and retaining excess moisture in the ground;
- weeds are regularly removed;
- planting is thinned out;
- diseased berries are immediately removed;
- before flowering, treated with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or a weak solution of potassium permanganate, it should be pinkish in color;
- Mulching perfectly repels gray mold. It is permissible to mulch the soil with sawdust, pine needles or straw, i.e. waste from grain processing. Hay and dried grass are not suitable as they retain moisture;
- you can cover the ground with black film and place the seedlings in the slots, but you must strictly follow the instructions to prevent water from accumulating;
- Harvest the crop completely and cut off all the leaves so that new shoots have time to grow before frost.
You can choose varieties with long and powerful peduncles that can support the berries by weight. But each variety has its own undeniable advantages, the disadvantage of which may be that the stems are not long and strong enough.
Mulching
If you cover the bushes with rye stalks during the flowering period of strawberries, then later the ripening berries will appear above the surface of the ground.
Mulching and using film require additional costs. A more economical option is to place plastic tubes or wooden slats along the beds on supports on which the flower stalks are laid.
- Alternatively, they will fit disposable forks , which are stuck into the ground with the teeth up, and the peduncles are fixed between them; if they are large, then a couple of the teeth should be broken off.
- The multi-tiered slide looks beautiful - Strawberries are planted in each tier along the perimeter. With this planting, the berries hang from a hill onto a wooden wall without touching the ground, so the berries are clean. By planting bushes in tiers, they take up less space and the berries are easy to pick.
Fighting gray rot
Whenever treating a plant for gray rot, the entire plant is sprayed.
You should start thinking about the harvest in the fall. The plant is sprayed in early December. Gray mold tolerates frosts and winters without snow, deep digging and other earthworks well.
If you didn’t have time to do prevention in the fall, you should definitely take care of it in the early spring.
Chemical methods
- Gardeners with long experience advise purchasing “ Switch", which effectively fights not only gray mold, but also fusarium, white and powdery mildew. True, they note that you will have to fork out for it. Treat before and after flowering.
Switch is a proven remedy for many of the ills of strawberries.
- « Alirin-B" Available in tablets that need to be diluted in water. But you will have to spray 2 times before flowering and 2-3 times after.
Biofungicide in the form of soluble tablets.
- « Horus" It does not contain phytotoxins, is not washed off by rain, is ten times more economical than other drugs and, according to reviews from most gardeners, does not work. Although some people praise it.
Teldor is used at any stage of strawberry development.
There are many other products, both patented and non-patented, that help to varying degrees. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions and do not forget that these are chemicals that can cause harm.
Folk remedies
These recipes have been double-tested by gardeners and are passed on by word of mouth.
- Iodine. 10 drops per 10 liters of water. Spray at least once a week both for prevention and for illness;
- Mustard. For 5 liters of hot water use 50 g of powder. Leave for 2 days, then strain and dilute 1:1 with water. Treat in spring.
- Potassium permangantsovka . Dissolve in hot water until bright pink. Spray before flowering. Gardeners recommend adding 2-3 drops of boric acid to improve results;
- Garlic. Grind a couple of cloves, add water and leave in a warm place for a week. Dilute with 10 liters of water, in which dissolve a bar of soap. Spray before flowering. The soap solution will stick the garlic tincture to the leaves, giving it a longer time to work.
- Or all together : crushed garlic – 150 g, soda ash – 50 g, mustard powder – 100 g, tar soap – 20 g, pine needle extract – 1 tbsp, 10 l of warm water. Spray during flowering and while the berries are still green.
- Ash. Infuse 100-200 gr. for 10 liters of water.
Video about biological preparations for gray rot
Gray rot- fungal disease. Typically, outbreaks occur in years with cool, damp weather. Severe damage to berries occurs in old, thickened areas. Softened brown spots appear on the berries, then they enlarge, and the berries are almost completely covered with a thick gray velvety coating and rot. Diseased berries should not be left in the garden, as the disease spreads through tiny spores throughout the entire area by wind and rain.
Wilt- a fungal disease, also known as “Verticellosis wilt of strawberries.” The fungus damages the roots. As a result, plant growth stops and they die. Affected plants are noticeable even during the budding period. At the end of summer and autumn they stand as if ruffled and withered. Growing varieties resistant to wilt helps. If diseased plants are discovered, they are dug up and burned. Plantations are started only with healthy planting material purchased from nurseries.
At late blight Mostly berries are affected. At the same time, brown spots appear on them, which increase in size and eventually cover the entire berry. Spots also appear at the base of the leaf petioles, enveloping them in a ring, causing the leaves to die. The roots also die. Control measures are similar to wilt. In addition, predecessors that are affected by the same disease (potatoes, tomatoes, etc.) should be avoided.
Slugs, snails, centipedes severely damage strawberries, especially in damp, shaded areas with humus soils.
Strawberry nematode- a small worm that settles in strawberry inflorescences between the stamens or in the tissues of the stem or leaves. Plants affected by the nematode are usually underdeveloped and have dwarf growth. The strawberry stems are thickened and twisted, the leaves are wrinkled at the edges and covered with brown spots. The fruits are always underdeveloped. The disease manifests itself most clearly in June-July. The strawberry nematode spreads with seedlings. The area where nematode-affected strawberries grew should not be returned to the area for several years. When planting a new plot of strawberries, you need to take seedlings that are known to be free from the pest and plant them in the new plot.
Strawberry-raspberry weevil damages the buds. The female lays eggs in them, gnawing the pedicels. One female can damage 50 buds. Control measures: mulching between strawberry rows in the spring, spraying plants with soap or ash solutions.
If there ants, water these places with a solution of boric acid. You can also mix boric acid into large thin-necked bottles filled with sour milk or syrup and bury them level with the soil so that the ants fall into the bottle and cannot escape.
General treatment of strawberries against pests and diseases in the fall is carried out around the second ten days of September. Process as follows: add 2 tbsp to 10 liters of warm water (30 °C). l. liquid soap, 3 tbsp. l. burnt vegetable oil, 2 tbsp. l. wood ash and 2 tbsp. l. vinegar, stir everything well, strain and immediately sprinkle not only the strawberry bushes, but also the soil.