Growing Strawberries - Pest and Diseases
GROWING GUIDES
SOCIETIES
PESTS AND DISEASES AFFECTING STRAWBERRY PLANTS
There
are several pests and diseases which cause problems to strawberry growers.
Aphids (greenfly) are sometimes troublesome; they can be checked by spraying with a nicotine and soft soap solution.
Slugs and snails are particularly fond of eating ripening strawberry fruits - so protect the plants aginst these
Birds, especially Blackbirds, are also likely to eat strawberries. Covering the ripening fruit with netting is vital.
Strawberry Mildew often makes an appearance, first on foliage and then on the fruit; dusting with sulphur in April and after fruiting acts as a preventive.
Strawberry Leaf-Spot is seen as greyish spots bordered with reddish-brown mark ings. Weak growth is the result.
Remove and burn leaves affected by strawberry leaf spot.
The most serious troubles to which strawberries are subject are virus diseases which affect the growth and vigour of plants to the extent that they become quite stunted and worthless.
In some cases the leaves of the strawberry plant become yellow-edged and the plant has a flattened appearance; in others the leaves are ‘crinkled’ and sometimes develop brownish-purple spots.
Aphids are direct carriers of these virus diseases and this is an additional reason for spraying against them.
Strawberry plants seen to be affected by disease should be dug up and burned at once.
Hence the need for obtaining stock certified as free of disease.
Much research work has been and is done in connection with these virus diseases.
INSECTS
Apart from greenfly, slugs and snails other insects that wil attact strawberry plants are : earwigs, leaf hoppers, leaf rollers, mites,strawberry clippers, strawberry rootworm and rotweevil, wasps, white grubs, tarnished plant bug and strawberry sap beetle
