ColoradoNewbie
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What’s going wrong with my strawberries? Leaves turning brown

Hello everyone I’m a recent grad and decided to try gardening this year. I got these strawberry plants from a local garden center. The soil seemed to be too moist as there are fungus gnats and the perlite has green algae on it. Other than that just one plant had some brown tips on a few leaves. I originally wasn’t worried but it seems to be progressing and spreading to my other plants as well! I don’t know enough to be sure if they are deficient in some area, or this is caused by blight/disease. If anyone knows what’s going on please let me know I will attach pictures of the plants to this post. Additionally I took them outside in the sun for about an hour or two to start gardening them off and they went quite floppy, the floppiest being the plant pack with the most browning leaves. I had been waiting for the soil to dry out first and then watering with a hydrogen peroxide/water mix (1:4) to try and kill the fungus gnats. Thank you for the advice it’s much appreciated!
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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I tend to buy bare-root strawberry plants which are planted a couple of weeks after the ground thaws — around the same time as carrots and peas, etc. so I know plants that size normally have 8-12” long roots.

I would think that in order to plant and sell in those little pots, the roots would have had to be trimmed or else they are pot bound in there. So they are extra-vulnerable to drying out.

When you water, fill the trays half-way, and then remove (pour out, siphon with tubing or suck out with turkey baster) after about 20 to 30 minutes. If all of the water had been taken up by then, add about 1/4 full more and give it another 10 minutes. But be sure to drain thoroughly — strawberries do NOT like to sit in water too long (unless they are hydroponically grown with water roots).

After thorough watering, heft the tray (lift and sort of bounce your forearms) and feel How heavy it is. THIS is how much water they want. When the tray feels lighter or TOO light, it’s time to water again — this may mean once a day, twice a day, or once every two days.

Give them 1/4 strength tomato fertilizer at every other watering... or scratch in about 1/2 to 1 tsp organic granular tomato fertilizer in each pot along the sides of the pot... (or use slow release like osmocote according to package instructions)

They should be planted in their permanent locations as soon as you can get the bed or planter ready. They need to be planted 12 inches apart or one per minimum 10” pot or hanging pot. Make sure to use acidified garden soil or potting mix (if containers) and fortify with tomato fertilizer. Strawberries need tiny bit of boron as micronutrient. You can very judiciously use borax (like salting a plate of food) around the plant and scratch in (but be aware borax/boron is a cumulative toxin— keep away from little children and pets).

ColoradoNewbie
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Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2021 9:04 pm

Thank you apple star! I took your advice and they seem to be doing well. They are in my raised bed now!



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