Strawberry chlorosis may not be the most dangerous disease for this berry, but it brings very significant damage to gardeners and gardeners, up to the complete destruction of the crop. Therefore, it is imperative to take timely measures to prevent crop disease.
A plant becomes ill with chlorosis when the process of photosynthesis begins to slow down. The leaves begin to lose their rich green color due to the cessation of chlorophyll production and become yellow. In some cases, only yellow veins appear, or simply yellowing and drying along the edge of the leaf blade. The condition depends on the type of chlorosis.
Infectious, non-infectious, carbonate types of chlorosis
The most dangerous thing for strawberries is infectious chlorosis. The reason for its appearance is viruses, fungi and other dangerous microorganisms. The more pests there are on the site, the faster the infectious type of disease spreads to other plants.
A non-infectious species occurs when violations occur during the cultivation of the crop. This includes the periods from the very preparation of the soil for planting to the harvest. Most often, a crop becomes ill with non-viral chlorosis due to a lack of minerals in the soil. It especially suffers from a lack of nitrogen, iron, magnesium, zinc and sulfur.
Carbonate or lime chlorosis appears in plants growing on soil containing a predominance of lime. Despite the fact that there may also be enough other minerals in the soil, due to lime they cannot be absorbed by the plant in sufficient quantities.
Important! Chlorosis is sometimes inherited as a mutation to other plants. If the plant cannot be cured, it is better to get rid of it completely.
Light leaves of strawberries. Nuances of agricultural technology
Chlorosis of leaves in strawberries, or more precisely, in garden strawberries, since they grow in most summer cottages in our country, can begin for many different reasons. One of which is ignorance or non-compliance with agrotechnical recommendations for growing strawberries.
Basic mistakes
Wrong place chosen. For strawberries, it is best to set aside a spacious, well-protected area with plantings of other crops (with the exception of raspberries, they have common pests) and at the same time, a well-lit area. In extreme heat, young plants need shading. The root system of strawberries is sensitive to excessive waterlogging of the soil, so in places where water stands for a long time in the spring, the plants weaken, wither and may completely die.
Unsuitable soil. Strawberries feel most comfortable on slightly acidic loamy and sandy loam soils with sufficient humus content. It is important that the soil has the ability to pass and retain water. If the soil is too acidic (pH below 5.0), then the strawberries will definitely get sick, grow poorly and bear little fruit. Liming the soil will help solve the problem, and this should be done at least a year before planting the strawberries (under the predecessor). Lime applied immediately before planting will significantly worsen the survival rate of plants and will not allow roots to develop in a timely manner. Before planting, it is also better to apply fertilizers under the predecessor. If this cannot be done, then fertilizers must be applied at least 2 months before planting.
Inappropriate predecessor. Potatoes, tomatoes and other nightshades, cucumbers are absolutely not suitable as a predecessor for strawberries. These crops tolerate wilt. Plants from the Asteraceae family (asters, cinquefoils) and buttercups are also not suitable - there is a danger of the berry plant being damaged by a stem nematode. The best predecessors of strawberries: radishes, lettuce (in general, all green crops), legumes, mustard, radish, parsley, carrots, onions, garlic, phacelia, clover, as well as some flowers (tulips, daffodils, marigolds). After flowering, the aboveground part of legumes, mustard, phacelia, and clover can be buried in the soil - this will significantly improve its properties.
Sources of infection. After wintering, some of the strawberry leaves dry out and die; they must be removed. If left on plants, they will serve as a source of infection. It is best to process berry gardens in warm, dry weather.
Insufficient shelter for the winter. Strawberries are not winter-hardy; the root system of the plant is especially sensitive to frost. Reducing the temperature in the root layer to -8 °C can lead to serious damage to the roots; overwintering leaves are affected at a temperature of -10 °C and die completely at -15 °C. That is why it is very important to properly cover the plants for the winter. Even strawberries slightly damaged by cold will become sick, drop leaves, and bloom and bear fruit poorly.
Insufficient area of food for plants, excessive density of plantings. The optimal distance is considered to be from 20 to 35 cm (depending on the variety) from bush to bush. The row spacing is 50–60 cm. In overly dense areas, plants do not have enough nutrition, slugs and ants breed there, and the risk of developing fungal diseases, in particular gray rot, increases.
Improperly organized watering. You cannot get a good harvest of berries without watering; with a lack of moisture, the leaves droop, turn yellow, the leaf blades are placed randomly and curl upward. In dry summers, strawberries (garden strawberries) must be watered regularly and generously. In this case, you need to use warm water (from + 15 °C). In order for the soil to better retain moisture and not dry out, it is very advisable to cover it with a layer of mulch. This method will additionally protect the berries from contact with wet soil, and therefore reduce the risk of fungal diseases in strawberries. The best method of watering is in furrows or overlapping; in very hot weather it is justified to use “sprinkling” to refresh the plants. However, excess moisture on the plantation can provoke root rot and the development of fungal diseases.
Excessive growth of mustaches around the bushes clogs the area, depletes the plants, the leaves turn yellow, the berries become small, and the yield is significantly reduced.
Causes of the disease
Chlorosis on strawberries occurs for many reasons. Infectious diseases are spread by pests and parasites. Therefore, the lack of control of parasites is one of the reasons for the occurrence of this disease.
The non-infectious type includes more reasons:
- violation of the rules for planting strawberries in the ground;
- climate harmful to healthy plant growth;
- poor soil drainage;
- damage to the root system of the plant, frost or excessive heat contributes to the occurrence of the disease;
- planting plants too close and far from each other;
- lack of sunlight or excessive darkening of the area where the crop grows;
- increased acidity of the soil, which lowers the pH level in its composition.
Most often, strawberry leaves begin to acquire a yellow tint due to carbonate chlorosis. In which the level of alkali in the soil, on the contrary, increases and the plant cannot receive all the necessary nutrients. This provokes a lack of iron, sulfur, magnesium, zinc, which leads to a slowdown in photosynthesis and yellowing of the leaves.
Chlorosis in the garden
The disease is often confused with scab. This is due to the similarity of symptoms. The list of crops susceptible to chlorosis includes vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers. A gardener who does not forget about prevention will significantly reduce the risk of chlorosis.
Tomato chlorosis
Tomatoes are more susceptible to non-infectious chlorosis than many other crops. Excessive watering causes stagnation of liquid in the root system, which gives rise to rot. The lack of minerals can be relieved by introducing special preparations and fertilizers.
Bushes damaged due to viral infection are disposed of, and the land is immediately processed. To do this, you can use a solution of magnesium permanganate (potassium permanganate) or a fungicide. Otherwise, nearby plants will become infected.
Chlorosis of cucumbers
Changes in the shape of leaf blades and yellowing of the veins are a symptom indicating many diseases. This may explain the difficulties that may arise during treatment.
In any case, chlorosis of cucumbers is easier to prevent than to eliminate. To do this, two weeks before planting, it is necessary to add vegetable humus to the prepared soil. It contains all the necessary substances.
What does it look like
Symptoms of strawberry chlorosis disease can begin at an early stage of development. Lack of treatment will lead to the rapid spread of the disease to the rest of the berry bushes.
If we consider the symptoms of the disease by stages of development, we can distinguish the following:
- the activity of chlorophyll formation decreases, strawberry leaves begin to acquire a yellowish tint;
- new leaves do not increase in size;
- the edges of the leaves dry out and begin to curl;
- the edges of the shoots dry out;
- shoots, leaves and inflorescences fall off;
- the root system dies.
Important! Chlorosis is not just a yellowing of the leaf blades of a plant; the consequences of the advanced course of the disease lead to the complete destruction of the crop.
Chlorosis of fruit trees
The development of chlorosis is indicated by the appearance of pigmentation on the leaves. Pale yellow spots form on their surface. It should be noted that the color of the veins does not change. Lack of treatment entails gradual curling and death of foliage.
Chlorosis of apple and pear trees
Apple and pear trees affected by iron deficiency are sprayed with medicinal solutions. They are also given injections of iron sulfate. The hole that is drilled in the trunk for this purpose is then covered with cement.
With insufficient nitrogen, the foliage located below begins to lose color. In this situation, gardeners recommend using organic fertilizers containing nitrogen. A lack of potassium is manifested by yellowing of leaves on young shoots.
A necrotic border and dark spots on the leaf blade indicate a deficiency of sulfur and oxygen in the root system. Therefore, the gardener will need dolomite flour and wood ash. The longer non-infectious chlorosis progresses, the more difficult it is to identify the cause of its occurrence.
The viral variety of the disease is expressed in two forms, including mosaic and chlorotic ring spot. The first affects stems, fruits and leaves. Pronounced spots and stripes appear on them. The list of symptoms can be supplemented by delayed fruiting and decreased yield. Ring spot is manifested by spot yellowing of foliage, slowing growth, and shortening of shoots. Sick trees do not tolerate temperature changes well.
Treatment of strawberry chlorosis
It is almost impossible to cure infectious chlorosis. Only if you identify and begin treatment at the earliest stages of the disease, can the plant be saved. It is necessary to carefully monitor the cleanliness of tools and always disinfect all garden tools after working in the garden.
Pests are the main carriers of a viral type of disease; it is necessary to combat them with special insecticides. The soil with this disease also needs to be disinfected. To do this, treat the soil with fungicides. They are applied in the form of fertilizing and watering, as well as by sprinkling the soil.
If the disease is advanced and cannot be treated, it is necessary to get rid of the plant as soon as possible before it infects the remaining seedlings.
Important! It is recommended to carry out all strawberry treatments before flowering.
The non-infectious type of disease is much more readily treatable. If the plant suffers from cold weather, you need to cover it with a special plastic container or build a small greenhouse yourself. Keep the strawberries in this state until warm days arrive.
If the seedlings are too close, it is necessary to transplant them further away. This is done in early spring or late autumn. It is important not to damage the root system. Apply fertilizer when planting.
With chlorosis, it is most often necessary to combat the lack of useful microelements. Only chemistry can help with this. To increase the level of iron, the soil is fertilized with the preparations “Helatin” or “Ferovit”, which are diluted in water and the solution is poured over the soil.
Iron supplements:
You can check for iron deficiency in a little tricky way: dip a cotton swab in the prepared solution and draw something on the leaf plate. If the plant is really sick, then the drawn sign on the yellow, diseased leaf will clearly turn green.
To replenish the soil with magnesium, various preparations are used in the form of magnesium sulfate: dolomite flour or Mag-Bor. The reduced content of sulfur, potassium, zinc, nitrogen, phosphorus will be replenished by complex preparations: “Kalimagnesia”, “Diammofoska”, “Azofoska”.
There are many folk remedies for getting rid of chlorosis, but not all of them help. The most effective are spraying the leaves with iron sulfate dissolved in water and reducing the acidity of the soil with a solution of slaked lime.
Important! It is highly not recommended to apply nitrogen-containing preparations during strawberry flowering.
Chlorosis of fruit bushes
Gardeners often call the disease pale sickness. Infected bushes (currants, raspberries, gooseberries, etc.) grow slowly and bear fruit poorly. The causative agent of yellow mosaic (infectious chlorosis) is a nematode. By carrying out timely prevention, the gardener will protect himself from most possible problems.
Grape chlorosis
The development of pathology is indicated by the appearance of spots located between the veins on the leaves. Their color varies from cream to lemon. Old plates are provided, new ones are painted acrid yellow. The fruits are small in size.
Chlorosis has a negative effect on frost resistance. Signs of the disease become more obvious in spring and late summer. To detect pale sickness, a discolored grape leaf is coated with iron chelate.
A positive test result is indicated by a rich green pattern that appears on the plate within 24 hours. Among the varieties of grapes that are resistant to chlorosis are Muscatel, Limberger, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Saint Laurent, Elebing, Riesling, Pinot Meunier, Trollinger.
Raspberry chlorosis
This shrub can also be affected by functional and infectious chlorosis. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of pale yellow spots, which over time grow and merge with each other. Following the leaves, stems and young shoots are affected.
To avoid such problems, you must:
- use only healthy seedlings for planting;
- regularly loosen the rows and remove weeds;
- treat bushes with solutions that prevent the appearance of sucking insects;
- water the raspberries with water heated in the sun;
- Apply nitrogen-containing fertilizers, forest litter, peat, humus or compost to the soil.
Strawberry chlorosis
The causes of the disease in this plant are the same as in raspberries: mineral deficiency, infectious contamination, increased soil acidity.
With viral chlorosis, in addition to a change in the color of the leaf blades, short internodes are formed. In this case, it will not be possible to get rid of the disease. The only way out of the situation is to destroy the affected strawberries and immediately treat the soil. Non-infectious chlorosis is treated with special medications.
Disease prevention
Preventive measures must be taken in advance. Only they will help avoid the most dangerous infectious chlorosis for strawberries. Measures to prevent any type of iron deficiency in strawberries:
- constant disinfection of garden tools, wiping them with alcohol or treating them with boiling water;
- regular application of complex preparations containing the required level of minerals to the soil;
- disinfecting the soil with fungicides before planting strawberries in the ground;
- high-quality soil drainage;
- timely weed control;
- control of pests that carry disease infections.
It is better to care for the plant from the moment it is planted and not waste time and additional funds on treating the disease.
Before planting strawberries in the ground, you need to choose a good site for it. You cannot plant berries in soil where plants of the nightshade and aster families were previously grown. But after eating cereals, garlic, parsley, strawberries, on the contrary, will grow better.
What happens if the disease is not treated?
Chlorosis does not end with simple yellowing of the foliage. Without proper treatment, you can lose your plants. This happens after the course of the disease has started. Complete death of strawberries rarely occurs, but without treatment, the yield drops, the immunity of the berry bushes decreases, they often get sick and become extremely susceptible to pests.
Infectious chlorosis carried by insects is rare. His treatment is absolutely pointless. To prevent the infection from spreading to other plants, they should be dug up and burned. The soil is disinfected with Fitosporin, bleach or copper preparations.
Why do garden strawberries turn yellow and black?
Absolutely any berry crops are susceptible to diseases, and at present, completely disease-resistant varieties of garden strawberries have not yet been developed. The first signs of disease can be observed on various above-ground parts of the plant. Berry crops, as the most early-growing ones, with a short growing season, are most susceptible to many fungal and viral diseases.
| Berry color changes | Damage factor | Treatment options |
| Garden strawberries become covered with grayish spots and turn white | White rot | Mulch the soil on berry plantations in rows with black synthetic non-woven materials or straw disinfected with the highly effective Extrasol agent. |
| Strawberries have a mushroom smell and may develop plaque | Powdery mildew | Three-time spraying of strawberry bushes with Bordeaux mixture or modern and effective means: “Ordan”, “Previkur”, “Ridomil-Gold MC” and “Acrobat” |
| A thick white coating of fungus forms on the berries | Late blight or leather rot | Spraying before the active flowering phase with preparations such as Metaxil, Ridomil or Quadris |
| Strawberries become covered with plaque, gradually dry out and mummify | Gray rot | Spraying during the period of active leaf growth on strawberry bushes with “Switch”, “Euparen”, “Topsin-M” or “Derozal” and repeated spraying immediately after mass flowering |
Strawberries are damaged by about 50 different types of plant parasites, as well as about 60 different bacterial, viral and fungal pathogens. In addition to the very common and most easily recognized fungal infections, hidden diseases of garden strawberries have also become more frequent in recent years.
Signs of late blight require special attention . Considering the ability of the pathogen to also infect vegetables, shrubs, fruits and stone fruits, it is not recommended to place strawberry plantings between the rows of the garden. It is allowed to select seedling material only from completely healthy strawberry plants.
Yellow or red spots appear on the leaves
A classic manifestation of leaf rust, the natural result of which is their premature drying.
What to do? Treat the crop with Alirin-B twice (or three times) per season by dissolving 2 tablets in 1 liter of water. This volume of solution is enough to treat an area of 10 sq.m. Parts of a plant (or the entire plant) affected by rust must be destroyed by cutting them off above the spread film (this will prevent fungal spores from getting on healthy plants).
In the spring (late April - early May) for prevention, strawberry bushes are treated with 1% Bordeaux mixture (1 liter per 10 sq.m.). Also, for preventive purposes, it is necessary to thin out the plantings and change the “place of residence” of the bushes every 4-5 years.
Preventive measures
Grape leaves turn yellow at the beginning of summer, what to do
To prevent yellowing of the leaves due to sunlight, water the plants early in the morning or late in the evening. It is recommended to use a drip irrigation system. For irrigation, the water should be moderately warm.
In addition to providing regular watering, the crop needs regular fertilizing with mineral or organic fertilizers. A mandatory preventive measure is to irrigate plants with drugs against viral diseases and pests.
Even a novice agronomist can grow berries on his summer cottage. The main thing is to first familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the variety and the agricultural technology for its cultivation. Only through trial and error can one achieve perfection in growing crops in personal plots.
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What causes strawberry flowers to turn black?
When flowers freeze in early spring as a result of return frosts, gardeners very often encounter a phenomenon in which the flowers on strawberry bushes turn black. Gardeners need to remember that garden strawberry flowers are so delicate that even in light frosts they can die very quickly. Therefore, experts recommend covering strawberry bushes with covering material in the spring.
Reason four: strawberry diseases
Yellow strawberry leaves cause such a dangerous viral disease as xanthosis (or strawberry jaundice).
In diseased plants, the leaves turn yellow first at the edges, then the yellow spots merge into one. The leaves become smaller, deformed, curl along the central vein, and the petioles are shortened. Few berries are produced and they become tasteless. Xanthosis spreads with vegetative planting material (it is not transmitted by seeds); the infection is transmitted from one plant to another by aphids.
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to treat xanthosis. The only thing left is to remove and burn diseased plants.
Drugs for chlorosis
Below we will describe those drugs that are used to treat non-infectious chlorosis:
- Iron chelate . This microfertilizer contains iron in chelated form, which is completely absorbed by plants.
- Chelatin . This microfertilizer contains iron in chelated form; it is used for root feeding, and also for spraying on foliage in the treatment of chlorosis.
- Ferovit . This universal stimulator of respiration and photosynthesis of crops is used both for the treatment and for the protection of vegetable, ornamental, indoor and fruit crops from chlorosis. The preparation contains iron chelate in high concentration.
- Brexit . This is a series of micro- and mesoelements, as well as their compounds in a chelate complex, which are designed specifically for the prevention and treatment of chlorosis; they are used for foliar feeding. This series includes the following products: Brexil Ca (containing calcium), Brexil Mg (magnesium), Brexil Mn (manganese), Brexil Fe (iron) and so on.
- Iron sulfate (iron-II sulfate) . This product is a contact fungicide, antiseptic and microfertilizer, which contains iron in chelated form.
- Orton Micro-Fe . This microfertilizer for foliar feeding is considered universal, and it is suitable for garden and vegetable plants; it contains both microelements and iron in chelated form, which help fight chlorosis and increase the resistance of crops to diseases and adverse environmental conditions.
- Ferylene (Ferrylene) . This chelated universal fertilizer is used for foliar feeding of fruit and berry, vegetable and ornamental plants, as well as flowers. It helps improve chlorophyll synthesis in bushes.
- Agrecol . This is a concentrated multicomponent mineral fertilizer for balcony, indoor and garden crops, which helps combat chlorosis due to a lack of iron in the soil.
Reason one: direct rays of the sun
Direct sunlight burns strawberry leaves, causing them to yellow and then dry out. Young, fragile bushes and old plants of the last year especially suffer from excess sun. The solution to this problem is simple: arrange the strawberry beds so that they are exposed to both sun and shade during the day. You can create light shading using mixed plantings, for example, planting onions next to strawberries.
