sortik
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Thrips in strawberries

Hello all, this is the first time I am trying to grow strawberries on a balcony . I built wooden planters for like 60 plants. Since last week all were doing great. They are blooming like crazy and they have a lot of green fruits. I noticed that a lot of plants started having brozne like dry spots on fruits. A didn't know what was going on and after a lot of googling I figured out that my plants are infested with thrips. Just to be sure 100% sure I searched them and found them under leaves and in blooms. I still have a lot of green fruits that are totally fine but I know that if I won't do anything I am probably going to lose all fruits.

My question is how to save my plants. I have mainly everbearings and dozens of june bearings. I know I will have to probably use pesticide to kill the thrips but I know that it shouldn't be used when plants have blooms and fruits?

Is there any option that I would cut all the green fruits and blooms and maybe some leaves, use pesticide and then wait for new blooms and fruits?

thanks for the help

JONA
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Location: Sussex. England

They really are a nightmare once established.
Almost certainly your fruit for this crop is going to suffer as there are no sprays you can use on fruit that’s so near to harvest.
You can clear the plants of fruit then spray to clear as much as possible and then get some predators to get a resident population established to protect in the future.
Check if you can that you have not got Western Flower Thrips ...WFT...they are more resistant to a lot of chemical controls.

sortik
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Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2019 4:13 pm

Thanks for the reply. The damage is not yet that bad so do you think that if I would use predators only .. for example Amblyseius cucumeris it would be enough? without using any spray?

JONA
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Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:11 am
Location: Sussex. England

If the damage is not too severe I would leave until after harvest.
Amblyseius will not control adults ..only the young stage of the pest. So after the fruit is clear get your plants as clean as possible then introduce the predators as the plants come back into flower.

sortik
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Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2019 4:13 pm

Thanks again. There is just one thing. on like 10% of plants some leaves look like in the images below.
20190429_112759.jpg
20190429_112728.jpg
20190429_112737.jpg
They have this black (on the top)/brown (on the bottom side) color. Also some stems are totally brown.
What could be the problem?
It looks like anthracnose to me even though I have no previous experiences.
Thanks again

JONA
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Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:11 am
Location: Sussex. England

Just possibly early signs sortik.
It seems it’s fairly common in the States.
Anthracnose is a general term for a range of fungal problems that are of a single family of pathogens.
I don't know what’s available your side of the pond as regards sprays, so you will have to check at your local GC.

sortik
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Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2019 4:13 pm

Today I could see the bug that is ruining my fruits :( but I am not sure if this is any kind of thrip. What do you think?
20190430_133441.jpg

JONA
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Posts: 812
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:11 am
Location: Sussex. England

Not that big fellow...but yes those tiny little blighters are Thrips.



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