The leaves of garden strawberries can lose their rich green color, and sometimes even change it altogether due to a variety of circumstances, from the natural process of wilting to pathology. Sometimes there is no need to worry, but most often there is still cause for concern.
What kind of “colors” do strawberry leaves play if there is something wrong with them! Pink-red, pale yellow with veins, spotted, framed by a white border... But when this happens to them, gardeners have no time to admire. We need to save culture faster, but to do this we need to know exactly from what. The nature of how plant leaves change their color will help you understand this.
Lack of watering
Strawberry leaves are light green, what is it missing? The plant needs regular watering. The frequency of watering depends on the region where it grows. In regions with dry summers, strawberries need frequent watering. In areas where it rains frequently, watering is limited.
Excess moisture contributes to the development of various soil diseases, and the roots begin to rot. This is important to consider when watering the plant. Bushes need water; with its help, the roots are nourished with various fertilizers and elements.
Disease treatment and pest control
Leaves of eggplant seedlings turn yellow: what to do
Let's consider the basic agronomic requirements that must be met when yellowing leaves appear:
- To provide the soil under the bush with nitrogen, when planting in holes it is necessary to add humus, and in the spring it is necessary to add nitrogen fortified complexes. It is necessary to observe the measure, otherwise it will lead to an increase in green mass, rather than inflorescences and fruits.
Chlorosis - The crop often suffers from a lack of magnesium in acidified soils. Dolomite flour will reduce acidity and enrich the soil with a chemical element. It is necessary to fertilize the soil with magnesium at intervals of 2 weeks. Foliar feeding with iron can be done using any preparations containing iron.
- To treat diseases such as marginal yellowing and mosaic, it is necessary to promptly and regularly destroy vectors, as well as use high-quality seedlings.
- If aphids are found in the beds, it is necessary to urgently take measures to eliminate them. During flowering and fruiting, when the use of chemicals is contraindicated, aphids are collected by hand. After harvesting, strawberry bushes can be treated with a soap solution with the addition of tobacco dust, garlic infusion and vegetable oil. To achieve maximum results, it is recommended to alternate folk remedies with chemical ones.
- In case of severe damage by viruses/pathogenic bacteria and parasites, it is necessary to replace all planting material, and the affected bushes must be completely collected and burned.
Chlorosis - It is necessary to water the crop not only during flowering, but also during the entire growing season. In dry and hot weather, it is necessary to organize abundant watering, which should occur periodically - at least once every seven days.
Insufficient mineral supplementation
Why are strawberry leaves light green? The plant does not receive the necessary minerals and nutrients for its development. It is necessary to compensate for their absence and insufficient quantity.
We add magnesium sulfate to the soil to restore the lack of magnesium element. A lack of nitrogen also leads to yellowing of the plant's foliage.
The use of ammonium nitrate will not only repel harmful insects and pests, but will also replenish the lack of nitrogen in the soil.
General rules for caring for strawberries
Strawberries are a fairly unpretentious plant and can be grown even at home. A novice agronomist can grow a rich harvest of strawberries, but he needs to study the rules of agricultural technology, read care recommendations, and listen to the advice of experienced gardeners.
There are different varieties of strawberries (even ones that only bear fruit for one year). However, it doesn’t matter what kind of strawberry grows in your summer cottage; in any case, it must be prepared for the new season.
Strawberry seedlings
First of all, you need to open the beds. Remontant varieties overwinter with a formed bud, so they are not afraid of frost. But with ordinary varieties of strawberries it is a little more difficult - to prevent them from freezing, you will need to cover the bushes with earth and/or thick film.
Of course, you need to remove all garbage, including:
- leaves;
- dead inflorescences;
- mustache.
Dead strawberry bushes must also be removed, and new seedlings must be planted in their place. This should be done as early as possible so that new plants take root before the start of the growing season.
Next you need to pay attention to the soil. It must be carefully loosened without damaging the root system. Of course, the mulch will also need to be refreshed. This procedure not only destroys weeds and speeds up the process of warming up the earth, but also saves from insects that have not awakened after hibernation.
Important! To prevent attacks by harmful insects, it is necessary to promptly collect and burn dry grass and cut leaves.
For this plant, the soil is very important, or rather its composition and saturation with useful elements. It is important to monitor the health of the soil, mulch the soil and apply fertilizers under the bush as the weather warms up. Ash and kefir should be used as organic fertilizer.
In order for each bush to bear fruit regularly and abundantly, it is necessary to pinch the tendrils in a timely manner and not try to stimulate the growth of shoots during the formation of fruits. Strawberries and wild strawberries love a lot of sunlight and warmth. Under optimal temperature conditions, the berries quickly fill and exude a pleasant aroma. At the same time, the crop should grow in partly shaded areas so that burns do not form on the leaves.
Note! An alternative method for preparing fertilizer is using fresh nettles. The plant is collected and crushed, then it is filled with warm water and infused for 4 days. This fertilizing stimulates shoot growth and improves the condition of leaves.
Cold soil
Yellowing or chlorosis of strawberries can occur in early spring. The snow has melted from the beds, young leaves are reaching for the sun, and the soil surface is gradually warming up.
The plant begins to develop intensively. But the roots remain in cold soil and cannot fully supply moisture and microelements. The leaves begin to turn yellow. To eliminate this problem, plants are watered with warm water.
Strawberry leaves darken and wilt
As verticillium wilt (this is the name this disease bears) develops, the plant darkens and withers, starting with the lower and older leaves, and then all the rest are affected. Gradually, interveinal necrosis develops on them. Subsequently, the disease can also affect the root system.
If wilting begins at the edge of the leaf, then most likely your strawberry is dealing with fusarium. If, as the leaves wilt, they curl and take on a grayish tint, the wilting is likely due to late blight.
What to do? Completely remove diseased plants from the area and burn them. Treat healthy bushes with biological products Gliokladin, Trichodermin or the chemical fungicide Maxim according to the instructions. You can use copper-containing preparations. For example, a mixture of 100 g of copper sulfate, 100 g of lime and 10 liters of water will help. Garden strawberries need to be treated with this solution, but before flowering and fruiting begin.
For prevention purposes, crop rotation must be observed, and all plant residues must be completely removed from the beds.
Pests
The location of the bed near the raspberries suggests the appearance of a common pest - the weevil. Irreversible damage is caused by the larvae that it lays in the buds. As they develop, they devour the flower bud and the strawberry cannot bear fruit.
Spraying with special means before the buds appear helps. A solution of potassium permanganate helps fight spider mites; you can wash off other pests with a hot solution.
Why do strawberry leaves turn pale? What factors influence the development of diseases in strawberries
The causative agents of all diseases persist in the soil and on plant debris. Strawberries can be grown in one place for no longer than 3 years in a row, then the beds need to be moved to another part of the garden; the worst predecessor for berries is potatoes. Spores and bacteria accumulated in the soil will provoke outbreaks of diseases that are epidemic in nature, then it will no longer be possible to cure the crop.
Infections spread with water, in the wind, they are carried by harmful insects, spores or bacteria can persist on shoes and garden tools.
The plant should be planted in open, well-lit and ventilated beds, while avoiding drafts. Strawberries cannot be planted in places where water accumulates and stagnates. In a constantly humid environment, fungal diseases actively develop, and they are considered the most dangerous. During rainy periods, it is necessary to organize drainage in the beds and, if possible, loosen the soil.
Poor-quality seedlings (even if they look strong) can become a source of infection of plantings; seedlings should be purchased only from proven, reliable places. Do not neglect recommendations for planting certain varieties; failure to follow planting plans and thickening are a common cause of disease. Strawberries do not tolerate proximity to weeds; they clog the plantings, create shade and a humid environment.
Landing place
One of the reasons for the appearance of yellow leaves may be the wrong place to form the bed. Areas exposed to direct sunlight can burn young strawberry leaves. They will begin to turn yellow.
In order not to expose the plant to stress, the area should be shaded using non-woven fabric or other similar materials. Strawberries should not be planted in places where asters and tomatoes previously grew.
Acidic soils also cause leaves to change color. Adding ash between the rows helps to cope with this problem.
What does chlorosis of strawberry leaves look like?
The main sign of chlorosis is a yellowish tint to the foliage. Upon careful examination of the plants, in addition to it, other symptoms of the disease are discovered:
- Gradual grinding of sheet plates.
- Curling their edges.
- Drying of the tops of the shoots.
- Falling of leaves and inflorescences.
- Rotting and further death of the root system.
With viral chlorosis, you can notice that the internodes of plants are shortened. The main reason for such changes is the cessation of chlorophyll formation as a result of a decrease in the process of photosynthesis.
Spraying treatment should be carried out in cloudy weather.
Prevention
There are many reasons for the appearance of pale green leaves on strawberries. The plant will not change its color without reason. It is necessary to identify them and begin timely actions to eliminate them.
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Care for the beds where this crop grows must be carried out correctly. It is necessary to consider where and how to plant strawberries. Strawberries must be periodically fed with fertilizers and minerals.
Fight against harmful insects that can cause irreparable harm. Disinfect the soil in a timely manner and add ash, reducing its acidity.
Provide shade from the active sun and water the plants properly. Healthy plants will produce an excellent harvest and delight gardeners every year. The transplant must be carried out on time. The soil must first be fertilized and disinfected.
Brown and gray spots on strawberry leaves
A disease such as gray rot of strawberries is difficult to confuse with something else. Fruits suffer the most from it, but signs can also be seen on the leaves in the form of brown and gray spots, which are subsequently covered with a gray or smoky fluffy coating, especially in wet weather. Then the green fruits dry out, and the ripe ones become watery and quickly rot.
What to do? Alirin-B will help fight this disease. Strawberries are treated with this biofungicide three times: during budding, after flowering and after the berries begin to form. For treatment, prepare a solution at the rate of 10 tablets per 10 liters of water. This volume is enough for an area of 100 sq.m. The second option is the drug Prognosis. It is sprayed on plants during the growing season before flowering and after harvesting. The consumption rate of the drug is 1 ml per 1 liter of water, and the correct consumption of the solution is 1.5 liters per 10 sq.m. Agromedicine is also suitable: the crop is sprayed with it twice - before flowering and after harvesting, dissolving 10 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water and consuming 1.5 liters of solution per 10 sq.m of area.
- Gray rot on garden strawberries: symptoms and control methods
And that berry is rotten! We analyze the most effective methods of combating gray rot.
As preventative measures, experts recommend choosing disease-resistant varieties, planting them in a well-ventilated sunny area and correctly dosing fertilizers containing nitrogen, which promotes foliage growth and, as a result, the appearance of shaded areas.
