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Strawberries wilting and dying #831867

Asked May 24, 2023, 3:13 PM EDT

Hi - I have something going on in my strawberry patch. It is similar to what I saw last year but looks like the area is growing. There is a patch and line through the main patch that is getting wilted leaves and dying. I attached pictures of the area and leaves. The whole patch was vigorous and looked great, flowered, and is fruiting, but now this area is dying. What do you think the cause is? I dug up a plant and didn't find white grubs. It doesn't look like verticillium wilt or leaf blight. Is there a treatment I can use while it's fruiting or should I just dig out the dead plants before it spreads further? Thanks

Linn County Iowa

Expert Response


These symptoms can be caused by a number of potential issues. From what I can
see in the photos, it is not clear what maybe causing the problem. It
looks similar to Phomopsis leaf blight, but the timing is not well
aligned with what we would expect. Typically the symptoms show up later
in the growing season after harvest. They also don’t align exactly
with what I would expect for this particular disease.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to confirm a disease from photos alone. If
interested, you can send a sample to the Iowa State University Plant
and Insect Diagnostic Clinic to confirm what disease you are trying to
manage. It
would be best to start with an email and some photos so the clinic
staff can advise on the best time and method for collecting and
submitting a sample based on the most likely issue. More information on how to collect and submit a sample can be found here: https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/pidc/plant

The other thing to investigate are the environmental conditions. Is this
area more compacted (because it was a walking path, for example)? Could
there be an inconsistent application of water leaving this area drier?
Strawberries are relatively shallow rooted and susceptible to drying
out easily. Overly compacted soils may inhibit root growth (making it
more difficult to take up water) or dry conditions could also cause
wilting like this. It would be beneficial to investigate the site and
see if this area is different in some way the surrounding area causing
the wilting.

--Aaron

Aaron Steil
Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist
Department of Horticulture | Iowa State University


https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/






Answer Line answer@iastate.edu Iowa 800-262-3804 and Minnesota 800-854-1678 Replied May 24, 2023, 3:40 PM EDT
Thanks for the quick response. We have a heavy clay soil, so compaction is an issue, but this isn't an area we've walked through in two years. I have been keeping good moisture on them since they are putting on fruit. The roots I dug up had plenty of moisture in the soil but it wasn't overly wet/muddy. Would it help to take a broadfork in the bed and try to loosen the soil? I may contact them to send a sample in and appreciate the info. 
On Wed, May 24, 2023 at 2:40 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied May 24, 2023, 3:49 PM EDT

If the soil is heavy, it would be beneficial to incorporate organic matter
into the top 6 to 10 inches of soil the next time you replant the area.
Reaching out to the Plant and Insect Diagnostic clinic would be beneficial.

--Aaron




--


Aaron Steil


Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist


Department of Horticulture | Iowa State University


he / him / his


https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/



Answer Line answer@iastate.edu Iowa 800-262-3804 and Minnesota 800-854-1678 Replied May 24, 2023, 4:23 PM EDT

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