Causes of strawberry diseases and pests, treatment and control methods

Garden strawberries are considered one of the most common berries in summer cottages. But diseases of strawberry varieties often appear due to improper care. Most often, the crop suffers from fungal diseases. Some diseases not only destroy the crop, but also kill the plants themselves. Factors in the appearance of pathologies include prolonged rains, cold snaps and dense plantings. Even those varieties that are immune to disease do not always remain healthy.

Strawberry diseases and methods of combating them

In most cases, strawberries are affected by fungal diseases. When the first symptoms of disturbances appear, treatment of strawberry bushes begins immediately. In addition, preventive measures are used as a method of combating diseases.

White rot

A characteristic sign of the appearance of this disease on strawberries is large white spots that first appear on the surface of the leaves. As the disease progresses, the white spots spread to the berries. Gradually, the fruits become moldy and rot, and then fall off along with the leaves.

Fighting white rot:

• It is recommended to plant strawberry bushes in elevated sunny areas;
• before planting, disinfect seedlings and soil;
• leave a large distance between the bushes;
• Regularly remove weeds and weed the soil.

When signs of white rot appear, strawberries are treated with fungicides. For example, the drugs “Switch” and “Chorus” are effective.

Gray rot

Gray rot appears on strawberries more often than any other disease. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of hard dark spots that are covered with a gray coating. Berries with mold shrink and rot. As the disease progresses, the spots spread to the leaves and stems.

Fighting methods:

• removing weeds and loosening the soil several times a month;
• the soil is sprinkled with ash and lime;
• with the onset of the flowering period and after it, strawberries are treated with Bordeaux mixture or the Barrier preparation;
• in the fall all foliage is cut off, except for the mustache;
• garlic and onions are planted in strawberry beds;
• in autumn the soil is mulched with straw or spruce needles;
• The harvest is harvested as the berries ripen.

To prevent the appearance of gray rot, strawberries are transplanted to a new place every three years.

Black root rot

The disease is characterized by the appearance of black spots on young roots. Gradually the root becomes brown, and the roots become brittle and weak.

Root rot cannot be treated. If it appears, the bushes are dug up and destroyed away from the site. The soil is disinfected with peroxide or potassium permanganate.

Black rot of fruits

Black rot appears due to humid and hot weather. Black spots appear only on the berries. The bushes remain healthy. The berries become watery, lose their shine and aroma.

With black rot, you will have to pick the berries by hand and burn them. There is no other treatment. To prevent the disease from appearing, the bushes are watered with potassium permanganate and nitrogen-containing fertilizers are regularly applied.

Late blight rot

Late blight is characterized by the appearance of compactions on the fruits, the pulp becomes hard and bitter in taste. Gradually the berries dry out. After some time, spots appear on the leaves.

Fighting late blight rot:

• Along with the harvest, diseased leaves and tendrils are cut off and burned;
• treat the beds before the onset of winter;
• when planting different varieties, leave a distance of at least 2 m;
• when planting identical varieties, the distance between the bushes is 30-45 cm.

Powdery mildew

Affects most crops on the site.The causes of powdery mildew can be waterlogged soil, cool weather and watering with cold water.

Signs of powdery mildew:

• white coating on leaves;
• decrease in yield;
• leaves curl and fall off;
• the fruits rot.

To prevent powdery mildew, the bushes are treated with copper sulfate before planting. Before flowering, strawberries are sprayed with Topaz. The leaves are treated with mineral fertilizers.

Fusarium

Fusarium appears due to heat and weeds in the beds. Plants turn brown and wilt. Both the leafy part and the fruits and even the roots dry out.

Measures to combat fusarium:

• do not plant strawberry bushes in areas where potatoes previously grew;
• replant the bushes every 4 years to a new place;
• constantly remove weeds.

Before planting sprouts, the soil and root system are disinfected.

White spot

This disease is characterized by the appearance of small scarlet spots on the foliage, which gradually increase in size and acquire a white tint.

To prevent the appearance of white spotting, the beds after harvesting are fertilized with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. You should also maintain the distance between seedlings and change the layer of mulch every spring. During the entire fruiting season, strawberries are treated with Bordeaux mixture.

Anthracnose

Anthracnose affects all parts of strawberries. Black spots appear on bushes, berries and stems. The first signs of the disease appear in May-June, when the weather is cool and humid.

If anthracnose was detected early, then it can be controlled with fungicides and Bordeaux mixture. For prevention, strawberries are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture with the addition of sulfur.

Brown spot

With this type of disease, red spots appear on the leaves, which gradually turn brown. The spots on the back are purple.

Fighting brown spot:

• treat strawberries with fungicides;
• in the fall the soil is mulched;
• do not flood the beds so that the soil does not become waterlogged;
• to increase immune protection, strawberries are fed with nitrogen and phosphorus;
• After harvesting, the bushes are treated with Fitosporin.

In spring, the strawberries begin to rejuvenate the bushes and it seems that the brown spot has disappeared. But this is not always the case, so it is worth monitoring the bushes even after treatment.

Verticillium wilt

With verticillium wilt, the lower leaves dry out first. Then the berries turn brown and the leaves fall off. In this case, the disease does not affect the amount of harvest.

Before flowering, strawberries are sprayed with fungicides and biological products. During fruiting, strawberries cannot be sprayed with these substances, as they will accumulate in the berries.

Rust

Rusty marks appear on the leaves. Red spots appear on all leaves and stems. Affected leaves will have to be removed by hand and burned. They need to be cut above the film to prevent fungal spores from falling onto the soil. It is not recommended to plant strawberries next to fruit trees. Regularly you need to trim the mustache, thin out the plantings and remove weeds. Do not overfeed strawberries with nitrogen fertilizers.

Strawberry pests and methods of protection against them

In addition to diseases, gardeners have to deal with pests on strawberries. Most often, insects appear during fruiting.

Bronzovka shaggy

The bronze bug is a bug about 12-13 cm long. The body is partially covered with yellowish fibers. The beetle reproduces in the ground. In the spring, the hatched larvae emerge and feed on the foliage.When a pest appears, it is recommended to dig up the substrate to a depth of 10-16 cm. Straw or hay is also burned on the site. The chemical used is Calypso.

Tobacco thrips

Larvae and adults gnaw leaves of bushes. The appearance of thrips leads to deformation of inflorescences and loss of foliage. For destruction they use “Shar Pei”, “Nurell-D” and “Karate”.

Among the traditional methods, watering with chamomile decoctions, infusions of orange peels, soap solutions and dandelion-based infusions is effective.

Spider mite

The chemicals Omite, Ortus, Flumite and Nurell-D are used against spider mites. Watering the beds with decoctions of tobacco, hot pepper, onion and garlic peels also helps.

Strawberry mite

Treatment with Karbofos helps against this insect. Colloidal sulfur is also suitable. The first spraying is carried out after the bushes enter the growth phase. The second is after the harvest. Among the traditional methods, spraying with a decoction of onion peels and yarrow is effective.

Slugs

Slugs are often found in damp and cool climates. They eat leaves, stems and fruits, causing damage to crops. Insects overwinter in the soil. To prevent pests, the soil in the beds is mulched and covered with a special film so that in the spring they cannot get out. The beds are treated with Slimak or metaldehyde. The bushes are sprinkled with wood ash and sawdust.

Mole cricket

It is difficult to get rid of mole crickets. Traps with chemicals are buried in the soil - “Zolon”, “Marshall”. If the areas are large, then they are watered with a solution of these chemicals from a regular watering can. Marigolds and calendula are planted in strawberries.

Chafer

The larvae gnaw out the strawberry rhizome. The worms grow for several years, and all this time they feed on the roots.To combat the cockchafer, apply nitrogen to the soil and plant clover in the beds. Chemicals used include Zolon, Karate or Shar Pei. In the fall, the soil is dug up as deeply as possible so that the larvae end up on the surface of the ground and freeze in winter.

Raspberry-strawberry weevil

The strawberry weevil eats the leaves and receptacle. Productivity decreases and bushes stop growing. When an insect appears, the leaves are collected along with fallen leaves and affected buds and burned. Plants are sprayed with Karate or Nurell-D. A decoction of celandine, tansy and onion helps.

Green peach aphid

Aphids are destroyed with the chemical "Zolon". The substance “Nurell-D” is also suitable for this purpose. The beds are also watered with tobacco decoction, soap solution or hot pepper tincture. Aphids always appear together with ants, so if one type of insect appears, you can prepare to fight the second.

Strawberry leaf beetle

The pest on strawberries eats the succulent leaves of the plants. When the leaf beetle appears, small holes appear in the leaves and the fruits become small.

You can fight the leaf beetle with the help of “Karbofos”, “Metafos” or “Corsair”. Before flowering, strawberries are processed twice. The last spraying is carried out after harvesting. Also, after the snow melts from the site, the strawberry beds are sprinkled with tobacco dust.

Strawberry nematode

The nematode lives in leaf axils and tries to sap. The strawberry nematode is a worm up to 2 mm long. Due to the pest, the leaves darken and deformation of the foliage and berries occurs.

The pest can be removed using methyl bromide. The drug "Fitoverm" is also effective. Traditional methods include replanting bushes and watering the soil with boiling water. Transplantation is carried out in early spring.

Nettle leaf weevil

The nettle leaf weevil is a beetle with green wings and long antennae. Weevils overwinter in the soil. The weevil eats the leaves. The larvae destroy the root system. Because of this, the yield decreases and the rhizome dries out.

The chemicals used are Karate, Zolon and Nurell-D. Among the folk methods for control, infusions of plants such as henbane or yarrow are used. In addition, replanting bushes is effective.

White midge

White midges are small white bugs that look like moths. They usually appear on plants in numerous populations. Signs of the appearance of midges are the presence of a white coating and light spots on the leaves. In addition, pests leave behind secretions that lead to the appearance of sooty fungus on strawberries. The white midge is a carrier of more than 20 diseases dangerous to agricultural crops.

Watering with a soap solution, infusion of garlic and yarrow helps against insects. White midges can be washed off manually with water. Early in the morning they are in a daze. Then the soil is sprinkled with ash and dug up.

Ants

Ants cannot tolerate the smell of mint, lavender, and wormwood, so these herbs are scattered between the rows. Boric acid helps against ants. It is mixed with sugar or honey, filled with water and placed on the site.

Among the chemicals that help against ants are “Muracid”, “Anteater”, “Grom-2”. You can also dig up the anthill, destroying the larvae. The dug up soil is mixed with ash, soda or lime.

Horsefly bug

Due to the horse fly bug, inflorescences and fruits become deformed, and the bushes grow poorly. Treatment with chemicals helps control the pest. For example, the drug "Aktara". In the fall, you should immediately remove and burn fallen leaves on the site.In summer, weeds in strawberry beds are regularly destroyed. Loosening the rows and digging up the soil in the fall helps.

Slobber pennitsa

Foam accumulations can often be seen on plant leaves. The pennitsa lays its eggs in them. When there is a large concentration of insects on strawberries, chemicals are used to destroy them. The beds are sprayed with the preparations “Aktara”, “Kinmiks”, “Karbofos”, “Intavir”. The berries are processed in the morning before sunrise.

A folk remedy that helps is a solution of laundry soap. A decoction of tansy, wormwood, and garlic is also effective. The larvae can be destroyed by sprinkling wood ash over the foam accumulations. If the insect was found at the time of fruiting, the foam is washed off with water, and adult individuals are collected by hand.

How to protect strawberries from birds?

Birds often peck at ripe strawberries, causing damage to the crop. You can protect berries from birds using the following steps:

• cover the garden strawberries with a net;
• To scare away birds, shiny objects, such as CDs, are hung on the site;
• install a scarecrow in the beds;
• install an electronic device that makes birds of prey sounds when other birds approach;
• arrange or hang chopped onions in the strawberries.

The most humane way to repel birds is to plant rowan, cherry or sea buckthorn on your property. These berries attract birds more. But this is also the most ineffective way.

Prevention measures

Folk remedies often help against pests. For example, soap solutions, decoctions of onion peels, celandine, tansy and other herbs. When cobwebs appear on the bushes, they are removed immediately.

Preventive measures against diseases and pests:

• In the spring, once every 4 years, strawberries are transplanted to a new place.
• In autumn, the soil is dug up to a depth of 10-15 cm and mulched.
• The soil is regularly fertilized with fertilizers.
• It is not recommended to over-moisten the soil.
• Plantings should not be thickened.
• When planting, the distance between bushes is 30-45 cm.

You also need to constantly destroy weeds from the site.