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Purple spots on strawberry leaves

ricmricm Posts: 3
in Problem solving
I have just taken delivery of 6 Toscana super plug strawberry plants direct from a nursery. About one third of the leaves are deep red, about half have small purple spots that extend to the underside of the leaf, many with deep red leaf margins. 

The obvious conclusion is leaf spot, (Mycosphaerella fragariae) early stage.

We'll, I don't intend to plant them. But any thoughts on possible diseases?

Thanks,
Ric 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I think a photo may be needed if poss @ricm


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • ricmricm Posts: 3
    Ahah! I now see how to add photos.

    Ric
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Thanks Ric
    I've only recently started growing them so not sure what the problem is (if any).
    I know the leaves on mine start to look like that later in the year, so they may just be old leaves and once planted fresh new leaves will appear very quickly.
    It may be they've been kept in cold storage and that's what the marks relate to, and the plants may well be perfectly healthy.

    See what others think

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    They look like extremely stressed plants, probably they have been in those plugs for way longer than they should have been, They may well grow out of it but personally I would return them.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Strawberries are generally very straightforward. I'd plant those up - maybe in pots for now, keep them watered, and in a little bit of shade, and let them get on with it. 
    Keep taking the odd photo if they're not doing anything, so that you can contact the company if necessary,  but I reckon those will just want to grow - and will  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ricmricm Posts: 3
    Hi all and thanks for your various comments. About 3 years ago I noticed some strawberry plants in a raised bed keeling over. Vine weevil. Further investigation revealed spread to blackcurrants, blueberries. It took two years to eradicate by digging out, nematodes and quite a bit of effort.

    The vine weevil probably arrived in container-grown soft fruit from a garden centre.

    Since then I have been most careful not to import pests and diseases. Hence my concern over these latest arrivals.

    I have 6 other varieties of strawberry in the garden and shall be more than vexed should I infect them.

    The suggestion to quarantine and grow-on is a good one. In fact everything now gets quarantined before planting out. But first I shall have a word with the nursery and see what they have to say.

    Thanks again,
    Ric
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