Content
Diseases negatively affect plant development and reduce yields. If measures are not taken in a timely manner, the strawberry plant may die. Folk remedies for strawberry diseases allow you to eliminate the source of the damage and disinfect the soil and plants.
Causes of strawberry diseases
Most diseases are caused by fungal spores. Their spread occurs when warm weather and high humidity set in.
The following factors contribute to the development of strawberry diseases:
- non-compliance with crop rotation rules;
- excess moisture;
- too dense strawberry plantings;
- lack of care, timely trimming of mustaches and leaves;
- spread of diseases from strawberry pests;
- incorrect choice of planting location (plants receive little sunlight and are in the shade most of the day).
Strawberry diseases
The advantage of folk remedies is their environmental friendliness and safety for humans and plants. Available and inexpensive components are used to prepare solutions. The products are used for spraying leaves or watering at the root.Below are the main strawberry diseases and how to combat them using traditional methods.
Powdery mildew
This disease is fungal in nature and is diagnosed as a white coating on the leaves, shoots, fruits and petioles of strawberries. First, the lesion covers the leaves located near the ground, then it spreads to the entire bush.
The disease appears when the strawberry watering regime is violated, high humidity and warm weather. Temperature changes and increased nitrogen content in the soil can provoke the spread of fungus.
The following methods will help solve the problem of how to deal with powdery mildew:
- A solution of salt and soap. To prepare it, dissolve 50 g of salt and 40 g of any soap in a bucket of water. Treatment plantings are carried out every week.
- Whey (1 liter) is mixed with 10 liters of water, after which the strawberries are processed every three days. Instead of whey, you can take kefir or yogurt;
- 0.1 kg of horsetail is poured into 1 liter of water and left for 24 hours, then put on low heat. The resulting decoction is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5 and the plants are treated every five days. The number of procedures is no more than 4.
- 2 tbsp. l. mustard powder is diluted in a bucket of warm water. Treatment is carried out by watering or spraying the strawberries.
Gray rot
The gray mold fungus feeds on plant debris found in the soil. When humidity increases and temperature decreases, the pathogen is activated. In the presence of damaged covers of stems and leaves, strawberries become infected.
The disease can destroy most of the strawberry crop. Planting onions or garlic every 30 cm will help protect strawberries from diseases. These plants do not allow the spread of harmful microorganisms.
Garlic infusion is used to combat gray mold and other diseases. To prepare it, take garlic leaves or peels, which are filled with 5 liters of hot water. The product is left for 2 days, then diluted with water in equal proportions and used for watering plants. You can use mustard powder instead of garlic.
Another way to cure strawberries is a complex solution, which includes:
- wood ash – 1 cup;
- chalk - 1 glass;
- copper sulfate – 1 tsp;
- water – 10 l.
The resulting volume is enough to process 3 square meters. m planting with strawberries.
Brown spot
Another fungal disease is brown spot, which can destroy almost half the crop. The first signs of strawberry disease appear during the flowering period.
Light spots grow on the lower leaves and gradually turn yellow. On the reverse side of the leaf there is a brown coating that spreads fungal spores to neighboring plants.
When affected by this disease, strawberries develop slowly and eventually die. Brown spots first appear on old leaves, after which they are found on young shoots.
When the first symptoms are detected, diseased leaves are carefully cut out so as not to disturb the spores located on them. If the lesion has completely covered the plant, it is removed.
The following remedies help cope with strawberry diseases:
- 1 liter of whey is diluted in a bucket of water;
- add 30 drops of iodine solution and 1 liter of milk to a bucket of water;
- prepare a pink solution of potassium permanganate;
- add 0.3 kg of wood ash to a bucket of water, after which the product is infused for a day;
- 0.5 kg of chopped garlic is infused in 10 liters of water for no more than a day.
Strawberries need to be treated by spraying. Treatment is carried out in the morning or evening, when there is no direct sunlight, strong wind or rain.
White spot
The green mass of strawberries is susceptible to white spotting. This is a viral disease that often develops during the growing season. Adverse symptoms may also appear during the fruiting stage.
With white spotting, the lesions are round in shape and light in color. The spots are located along the edges of the sheet, gradually their inner part falls out, and small holes are formed. Over time, the petiole and leaf blade of the plants die.
At the first signs of spotting, reduce nitrogen fertilization of strawberries. Potassium fertilizers will help strengthen plant immunity.
An effective method of combating spotting is to spray strawberries with an iodine solution.A bucket of water requires 30 ml of iodine. The leaf part of the plants is processed. For spraying, an ash solution is used, which is pre-infused for a day.
Fusarium wilt
Fusarium develops when strawberries have weakened immunity, high air and soil humidity, lack of fertilizer or temperature fluctuations. When the fungus spreads, plant blood vessels become blocked. As a result, the strawberries wither and die.
First, the lower leaves of the strawberry wither, on which light spots appear. When the temperature drops to 15 degrees, the plant may die.
Affected plants should be removed and burned outside the garden. The disease can be prevented by following the rules of crop rotation, treating the soil and strawberry seedlings with iodine or garlic solution.
To prevent fusarium disease, the following treatment methods are used:
- For 1 liter of milk, 30 g of soap and 35 drops of iodine are required. The product is used for spraying before strawberry harvest.
- The head of garlic is crushed and poured with a liter of water. The infusion is left for a day, then squeezed out and added to a bucket of water. The plant is sprayed in the evening.
- a glass of wood ash is diluted in one liter of water. The drug is infused for 24 hours, after which it is used for leaf processing.
Verticillium wilt
With verticillium wilt, the fungus attacks the root collar, rosettes and vascular system of strawberries. On sandy soils, the plant may die within three days. On loamy soil, destructive processes proceed more slowly.
The fungus spreads through the root system.When infected, the plant settles and its leaves become lodged. The number of strawberry leaves decreases, and the bush practically does not develop. At the end of the growing season, the petioles turn red.
The causative agent of the disease can remain in the soil for several years. To prevent verticillium wilt, plantings are watered with an infusion of wood ash, which will also help protect strawberries from pests. It is necessary to fertilize plants with potassium and phosphorus.
Late blight rot
Late blight rot causes the greatest damage to the strawberry crop. As it spreads, dark spots form on the ovaries and fruits, and the pulp acquires a bitter taste. With further infection, the leaves and stems dry out.
Choosing a sunny area for planting, arranging drip irrigation and timely pruning of bushes will help avoid the spread of the disease. Additionally, strawberries are treated with an infusion of garlic or onion.
Strawberry anthracnose
Anthracnose affects all organs of strawberries. Brown ulcers appear on the top of the petioles, which gradually turn black. As a result, the strawberries dry out. Black spots also appear on flowers and berries.
To prevent the development of the disease, you need to use high-quality seedlings. Before planting, the soil and the seedlings themselves are treated. For treatment with folk remedies, iodine or garlic solution is used.
Prevention measures
The following measures will help avoid the spread of strawberry diseases:
- choose for planting places where legumes, carrots, onions, garlic, beets, rye, and oats previously grew;
- do not use beds where tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes, cabbage, or cucumbers grew for strawberries;
- treat seedlings before final planting;
- change the planting site every 3 years;
- choose healthy seedlings from reliable suppliers;
- disinfect the soil;
- apply potash and phosphorus fertilizers;
- use nitrogen-containing substances in limited quantities;
- fight pests that spread diseases;
- care for plantings, remove old leaves, stems, tendrils.
Conclusion
The cause of most strawberry diseases is a fungus that develops due to insufficient plant care. Folk remedies are aimed at destroying lesions, however, they are suitable for preventing the spread of fungus. Such methods are highly effective and do not require large costs.
