Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Strawberry leaves turning brown

SmallcopperSmallcopper Posts: 34
in Fruit & veg
Hello everyone,

I'd really appreciate any help with my strawberry plants! I've never grown strawberries before.

I got 3 Cambridge Favourite plants at the garden centre in March. I've recently noticed some of the older leaves are turning brown. The new growth seems alright so far. They're in a pot in a sunny spot. I've fed them a couple of times with dilute liquid tomato feed because they're flowering. Could it be frost-damage, or could it be under watering (or something else)?

Thank you so much!



Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I would suspect frost damage.  Nip those damaged leaves at the base and then give the tub a good drink but early on so it has time to soak in and then drain any excess before another cold night comes.   
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
    My strawberries don’t do that and we do get proper frosts. So unless you get extra hard frosts it might be something else. I’ve never grown them in a container, so I could be wrong, but might it be dehydration? We’ve had a lot of sunny weather of late, and the days are getting long. Your strawberries might be drying out fast now.  I agree with Obelixx though, water well, but early in the day. It’s better to do a substantial watering less often, rather than a little sprinkle every day because you need the water to properly get down to the roots. Of course if it’s baking weather in June you will have to water well every morning. Also, don’t over do the feeding. A plant in a container is more vulnerable to every little mistake because they can’t reach out for what they need like they could in the ground. 
    Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I have strawberries in the ground and they've been very late to come back this year because of the cold and now they are thirsty too but they're in a bed with all sorts of other soft fruits and some asparagus too so have been well watered.  A few did go brown like that after a couple of heavy frosts with added wind chill beasts.  

    They've been picked over, fed and watered and no more problems tho no frosts these last few days either.   The new plants I have kept in the polytunnel waiting for frosts to pass have lots of healthy growth and flowers too now.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I agree.  The plants you bought from the GC in March would likely have been kept somewhere warm (as evidenced by the flowers appearing so early) and because they weren't gradually hardened-off, the frost has nipped the older leaves.  I would remove the worst of the damaged leaves and all the flowers, so that plants can recover and grow new leaves.  They will likely still produce new flowers later, probably in June.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • SmallcopperSmallcopper Posts: 34
    Thank you so much for the advice @Obelixx @Emerion and @BobTheGardener. Very much appreciated! I'll do as you suggest and hopefully I can get them to bounce back!

    Do you think they're alright in that container (at least for now)?
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Yes altho they may need more space as they get bigger.  Just make sure you protect it from frosty nights which can happen till mid May or later in some parts of the UK.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • SmallcopperSmallcopper Posts: 34
    Obelixx said:
    Yes altho they may need more space as they get bigger.  Just make sure you protect it from frosty nights which can happen till mid May or later in some parts of the UK.
    I will now, thank you!
  • SmallcopperSmallcopper Posts: 34
    Just an update to say thank you for the advice! A new crop of strawberries coming along and ate my first ever home-grown one today :) Hopefully a few more to come this year and as the plants get bigger next year.

Sign In or Register to comment.