Strawberry plants going brown?

Loncey · Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 5:38 pm Post subject: Strawberry plants going brown?

I have several strawberry plants though I did lose around 5 due to the hard winter. The ones I have left have started to flower but after they flower the bud just rots away and looks like its gone off. The leaves on some off the plants have brown dots on them and some white too.. The others just seem to want to grow and arent..
Last year all my plants gave an abundance of fruit butt his year I think I shall have none.

Adam · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 21 Jul 2009 Posts: 19

The white patches could be whitefly?

Also how old are the plants? I believe strawberry plants produce for 3 years and then lose their ability to produce fruit Sad

michael brenock · Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 8:41 pm Post subject:

if you could put up a picture of the plants showing a close up of the leaves and the flowers it might be possible to diagnose the trouble. Some of the things come to mind are Vine weevil, aphids, red core, red spider, hardly White Fly.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

Loncey · Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 9:43 pm Post subject:

they are runners from last year and I shall try to take a photo weather permitting that is

michael brenock · Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 9:09 pm Post subject:

If the white patches appear on the leaves like spray damage then it could be a virus disease called "June Yellows" and is spread through the runners
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

Loncey · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 2:48 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the help. I think Im just going to have to accept I shall have no strawberries for my friends this year sadly!

michael brenock · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 6:13 pm Post subject:

I still would like to know what the problem is so as to prevent it in future.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

Niamh.om · Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 10:30 am Post subject:

hi i think i have this problem too! its my first year growing anything and my strawberry plants where coming along great i had loads of flowers was really looking forward to getting some fruit and then the flower buds started to go white and all the leaves started to die. i have them potted in a conservatory and water them regulary. my other plants seem to be doing fine ( cucumbers tomatoes and peppers) apart from the odd leave gone yellow on one of my cucumbers which doesnt seem to have bothered the plant itself! no strawberries for me. i had one runner planted and was doing well, i planted it outside to keep it away from the rest hopefully it might do some good. is there anything i can do to prevent this happening next year?

gardenman · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 04 Aug 2011 Posts: 33

Hi Niamh, is there nay chance you could upload a photo. There is literally dozens of reasons why those symptoms could develop, but one distinct possibility is definitely phythophthora which is associated with strawberries.
A pic would make it a bit clearer.