Strawberry diseases and pests: causes, treatment and methods of control, how to process

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

Strawberry diseases and methods of dealing with them

In most cases, strawberries are affected by fungal diseases. When the first symptoms of disorders appear, they begin to treat strawberry bushes 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, white spots spread to the berries. Gradually, the fruits become moldy and rot, and then fall off along with the leaves.

White Rot Control:

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

When signs of white rot appear, strawberries are treated with fungicides. For example, drugs "Switch" and "Horus" are effective.

Grey Rot

Gray rot appears on strawberries more often than all diseases. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of hard dark spots that are covered with a gray coating. Moldy berries shrivel and rot. As the disease progresses, the spots move to leaves and stems.

Control 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 liquid or the Barrier preparation;
• cut off all the foliage in autumn, except for the mustache;
• garlic and onions are planted in strawberry beds;
• in autumn the soil is mulched with straw or spruce needles;
• harvest 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 brittle and weak.

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

Black fruit rot

Black rot appears due to wet and hot weather. Black spots appear only on the berries. Bushes remain he althy. The berries become watery, lose their luster and aroma.

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

Phytophthora rot

Late blight is characterized by the appearance of seals on the fruit, the flesh becomes hard and bitter in taste. Gradually the berries dry up. After a while, spots appear on the leaves.

Fight against late blight:

• together with the harvest, diseased leaves and mustaches 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 the same varieties, the distance between the bushes is 30-45 cm.

Powdery mildew

Affects most crops on site. Powdery mildew can be caused by waterlogged soil, cool weather and cold water irrigation.

Signs of powdery mildew:

• white bloom on leaves;
• decrease in yield;
• leaves curl and fall;
• fruits rot.

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

Fusariosis

Fusariosis 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 up.

Fusariosis control measures:

• do not plant strawberry bushes in areas where potatoes have grown before;
• replant bushes every 4 years to a new location;
• constantly remove weeds.

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

White spotting

This disease is characterized by the fact that small scarlet spots appear on the foliage, which gradually increase in size and become white.

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

Anthracnose

Anthracnose affects all parts of the strawberry. 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 discovered early, then you can fight it with fungicides and Bordeaux mixture. For prevention, strawberries are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid with the addition of sulfur.

Brown spotting

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

Fight against brown spot:

• treat strawberries with fungicides;
• Mulch the soil in autumn;
• do not flood the beds so that the soil is not waterlogged;
• to increase immune defense, strawberries are fed with nitrogen and phosphorus;
• after harvesting, the bushes are treated with Fitosporin.

In the spring, strawberries begin to rejuvenate the bushes and it seems that brown spotting has passed. But this is not always the case, so it is worth keeping an eye on the bushes even after treatment.

Verticillium wilt

With verticillium wilt, the lower leaves dry up first. Then the berries turn brown and the leaves fall off. However, the disease does not affect the yield.

Before flowering, strawberries are sprayed with fungicides and biological products. When fruiting, it is impossible to spray strawberries 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 manually removed and burned. You need to cut them over the film so that the spores of the fungus do not fall on the soil.It is not recommended to plant strawberries next to fruit trees. Mustaches need to be trimmed regularly, plantings thinned out and weeds removed. Do not overfeed strawberries with nitrogenous fertilizers.

Pests of strawberries and ways to protect against them

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

Shaggy Bronze

Bronzovka is a bug about 12-13 cm long. The body is partially covered with yellowish villi. The beetle breeds in the ground. In the spring, the hatched larvae come out 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. Of the chemicals used "Calypso".

Tobacco thrips

The larvae and adults gnaw out the leaves of the bushes. The appearance of thrips leads to deformation of the inflorescences and falling leaves. For destruction, they use Sharpei, Nurell-D and Karate.

From folk methods, watering with decoctions of chamomile, orange peel infusions, soap solutions and dandelion-based infusions is effective.

Spider mite

Against the spider mite, the chemicals Omite, Ortus, Flumite and Nurell-D are used. It also helps to water the beds with decoctions of tobacco, hot peppers, onion and garlic husks.

Strawberry mite

This insect is helped by treatment with Karbofos. Colloidal sulfur is also suitable. The first spraying is carried out after the bushes enter the growth phase. The second is after the harvest. From folk methods, spraying with a decoction of onion peel and yarrow is effective.

Slugs

Slugs are often found in humid and cool climates. They eat leaves, stems and fruits, causing damage to crops. Insects overwinter in the soil. From 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. Bushes are sprinkled with wood ash and sawdust.

Medvedka common

It's hard to get rid of the bear. 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 an ordinary watering can. Marigolds and calendula are planted in strawberries.

Maybeetle

The larvae gnaw out the strawberry rhizome. Worms grow for several years, and all this time they feed on roots. To combat the May beetle, nitrogen is applied to the soil and clover is planted in the beds. Of the chemicals used "Zolon", "Karate" or the drug "Shar Pei". In autumn, the soil is dug as deep as possible so that the larvae are on the surface of the earth and freeze in winter.

Raspberry Strawberry Weevil

Strawberry weevil eats leaves, receptacle. Yields are reduced, and the bushes stop growing. When an insect appears, the leaves are collected together 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 by the chemical substance Zolon. The substance "Nurell-D" is also suitable for this purpose. Also, the beds are watered with a decoction of tobacco, soapy water or tincture of hot pepper. Aphids always appear with ants, so if one species of insect has appeared, you can prepare to fight the second.

Strawberry leaf beetle

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

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

Strawberry nematode

The nematode lives in leafy sinuses and tries to sap. The strawberry nematode is a worm up to 2 mm long. Due to the pest, the leaves darken, the foliage and berries are deformed.

You can get rid of the pest with methyl bromide. The drug "Fitoverm" is also effective. From folk methods, transplanting bushes and watering the soil with boiling water is suitable. Transplantation is carried out in early spring.

Nettle leaf weevil

The nettle-leaf weevil is a beetle with green wings and long whiskers. 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 up.

Of the chemicals used "Karate", "Zolon" and "Nurell-D". Of the folk methods for the fight, infusions of plants such as henbane or yarrow are used. In addition, bush transplantation is effective.

White Midge

White midge - 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 white bloom and light spots on the leaves. In addition, pests leave behind secretions that lead to the appearance of soot fungus on strawberries. The white midge is a carrier of more than 20 diseases dangerous to agricultural crops.

From insects, watering with soapy water, infusion of garlic and yarrow helps. Manually, white midges can be washed off with water. Early in the morning they are in a daze. Then the soil is sprinkled with ashes and dug up.

Ants

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

Of the chemicals from ants, "Muracid", "Anteater", "Thunder-2" helps. You can also dig up an anthill, destroying the larvae. The dug up soil is mixed with ash, soda or lime.

Bug bug

Because of the horsefly bug, the inflorescences and fruits become deformed, and the bushes do not grow well. From the pest helps treatment with chemicals. For example, the drug "Aktara". In autumn, you should immediately remove and burn fallen leaves on the site. In the summer, weeds are regularly destroyed in the beds with strawberries. Helps loosening the row spacing and digging the soil in the fall.

Slobber Pennitsa

Frequently, foam accumulations can be seen on the leaves of plants. In them, the penny slobber lays eggs. With a large accumulation of insects on strawberries, chemicals are used to destroy them. The beds are sprayed with preparations "Aktara", "Kinmiks", "Karbofos", "Intavir". Process the berry in the morning before sunrise.

From folk remedies, a solution of laundry soap helps. A decoction of tansy, wormwood, garlic is also effective. The larvae can be destroyed by sprinkling wood ash on foam accumulations. If the insect was found at the time of fruiting, the foam is washed off with water, and adults are harvested by hand.

How to protect strawberries from birds?

Birds often peck at ripe strawberries, damaging the crop. You can protect berries from birds by doing the following:

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

The most humane way to ward off birds is to plant rowan, cherry or sea buckthorn on the site. These berries attract birds more. But it is also the most inefficient way.

Prevention measures

Folk remedies often help from pests. For example, soap solutions, decoctions of onion peel, celandine, tansy and other herbs. When a web appears on the bushes, it is immediately removed.

Prevention 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 fertilizing.
• It is not recommended to waterlog the soil.
• You can not thicken plantings.
• The distance between the bushes when planting is 30-45 cm.

You also need to constantly remove weeds from the site.

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