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Plant:

Strawberries
Image of Strawberries
Adaptation
Throughout the United States.
Planting Method
Select dormant or growing plants. Pick off all but 2 or 3 of the healthiest leaves. Prune away a third of the roots. Set the plants 18 inches apart with the roots fanning outward. The crown should be just above the soil level. As runners develop, maintain the rows no wider than 18 to 24 inches. Runners can also be removed throughout the season and established as separate plants.
Soil
Any good, well-drained garden soil that is high in organic matter. pH 5.5 to 7.5.
Water
How much: Apply enough water at each irrigation to wet the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. How often: Water when the soil 1 inch below the surface is barely moist.
Planting
Early spring.
Fertilizer
At planting time, add 1 pound of Scotts All Purpose Flower & Vegetable Food per 100 square feet, or 1/4 pound per 25-foot row. Side-dress after harvest every year with 1/2 pound per 25-foot row.
Harvest
For maximum production the second year, remove blossoms and runners the first planting year. Plants will usually be productive for 3 to 4 years.
Related problems

Gray Mold - Strawberries

Image of Gray Mold - Strawberries
Gray Mold

Root Weevils -

Image of Root Weevils
Root Weevils

Spider Mites - Strawberries

Image of Spider Mites - Strawberries
Spider Mites

Strawberry Leafroller -

Image of Strawberry Leafroller
Strawberry Leafroller

Verticillium Wilt - Strawberries

Image of Verticillium Wilt - Strawberries
Verticillium Wilt
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Gray Mold - Strawberries

Image of Gray Mold - Strawberries
Gray Mold
Description
Light tan spots appear on berries. Some berries are soft, mushy, and rotting. A fluffy gray mold may cover the rotting berries.
Analysis

Gray mold is caused by a fungus (Botrytis cinerea). It is the most damaging rot of strawberries, attacking both flowers and berries, and greatly reduces the amount of edible fruit. The flowers are infected when in bloom and may not produce berries. Berries are attacked at all stages of development. They are infected directly when a healthy berry touches a decaying one, the ground, or a dead leaf. Infected berries are inedible. The fuzzy gray mold on the berries is composed of fungal strands and millions of microscopic spores. The fungus is most active in cool, humid weather and is spread by splashing water, people, or infected fruit. Crowded plantings, rain, and overhead watering enhance its spread.

Solution

Destroy infected fruit. Use soaker or drip hoses. Mulch with straw, pine needles, or other material to keep fruit off the ground, and pick berries as they ripen. To help prevent infection the following year, remove and destroy plant debris in the fall. When setting out new plants, provide enough space between plants to allow for good air circulation.

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Root Weevils -

Image of Root Weevils
Root Weevils
Description
Plants wilt, grow slowly, and are stunted. Leaves turn reddish brown; notches or scallops are chewed in the edges. White, legless, C-shaped grubs up to 3/8 inch long with brown heads are found in the soil feeding on the plant roots.
Analysis

Several types of weevils attack strawberries. The brown to black, hard-shelled, 1/4-inch-long adult beetles with long snouts feed on the leaves at night. They hide during the day under leaves and clods of soil. Their feeding causes little damage but is a warning sign that their larvae, grubs, may be present. Only one generation occurs per year. The adults are present from spring through summer, laying their eggs in the crowns of plants in early summer. The grubs that hatch burrow into the soil and feed on the roots until late fall, then resume feeding in the spring. Their feeding reduces berry production and sometimes kills the plant. Adult weevils occasionally become a nuisance in the house. As they migrate in search of more food, they enter homes through open doors and windows and cracks in the foundation. Although they may feed on some houseplants, they do not eat food or clothing.

Solution

Monitor adult emergence with pitfall traps (made by burying tin cans to the rim among the strawberries) filled with an inch of soapy water. If you find adult weevils in the water, apply an insecticide labeled for this pest, following label directions. Destroy infested plants and any grubs found in the soil. Do not plant in soil known to be infested.

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Spider Mites - Strawberries

Image of Spider Mites - Strawberries
Spider Mites
Description
Leaves are wilted, stippled, yellowing, and dirty. Leaves may dry out and drop. There may be fine webbing over flower buds, between leaves, or on the lower surfaces of leaves. Few berries are produced. To check for spider mites, hold a sheet of white paper underneath an affected leaf and tap the leaf sharply. Minute specks the size of pepper grains will drop to the paper and begin to crawl around.
Analysis

These mites, related to spiders, are major pests of many garden and greenhouse plants. Spider mites are larger than cyclamen mites, which also attack strawberries. Spider mites attack older leaves, while cyclamen mites attack younger leaves. Spider mites cause damage by sucking sap from the undersides of leaves. As a result of their feeding, green leaf pigment disappears, producing the stippled appearance. Spider mite webbing traps cast-off skins and debris, making the plant messy and reducing berry production. Mites are active throughout the growing season but are favored by hot, dry weather (70&deg;F and up). By midsummer, they have built up to tremendous numbers.

Solution

Apply an insecticide labeled for this pest, following label directions.

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Strawberry Leafroller -

Image of Strawberry Leafroller
Strawberry Leafroller
Description
Leaves are rolled, folded, or webbed together. Some leaves may turn brown and die. Inside the rolled leaves are 1/2-inch-long brown or green larvae that wriggle when disturbed.
Analysis

Ancylis comptana This moth larva damages plants by feeding from inside the rolled leaves. This feeding weakens the plant, causing leaves to die and fruit to be deformed. Leafrollers hibernate as larvae and pupae in plant debris and folded leaves. In spring, the adult moths, rusty red with brown and white markings, lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves. The larvae that hatch from these eggs roll the leaves and feed inside. After feeding for 4 to 7 weeks, the larvae pupate in the rolled leaves; they emerge as adults to repeat the cycle. Two generations occur per year in northern regions and as many as four in southern regions.

Solution

Apply an insecticide labeled for this pest, following label directions. If practical, pick the larvae off by hand. Keep adults from laying eggs with row covers.

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Ortho® MAX® Malathion Insect Spray Concentrate

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Verticillium Wilt - Strawberries

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Verticillium Wilt
Description
Outer leaves wilt and turn dark brown along the margins and between the veins. Younger leaves are stunted but tend to remain green without wilting until the plant eventually dies. Few new leaves are formed. Plants are flattened, and few berries are produced. Brown spots or streaking may appear on leafstalks and runners and in crown tissue.
Analysis

This wilt disease affects many ornamental plants. It is caused by soil-inhabiting fungi (Verticillium dahliae and V. albo-atrum) that persist indefinitely on plant debris or in the soil. The disease is spread by contaminated seeds, plants, soil, and equipment. The fungus enters the plant through the roots and spreads up into the crown and leaves through water-conducting vessels that become discolored and plugged. This plugging cuts off the flow of water and nutrients to the leaves, causing leaf yellowing and wilting. Affected plants may or may not recover and yield fruit the following year. Sometimes the disease appears in mother plants but not in rooted daughter plants.

Solution

Destroy infected plants. Plant varieties that are tolerant of verticillium wilt.

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