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Strawberry problems

Nsrjones24Nsrjones24 Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Hi all, wondering if you can help. I've got a full bed of outdoor strawberries, that at a glance look like they're doing well but upon further inspection look a bit like a strawberry graveyard. There's loads of unripe strawberries fallen off and going a shade of brown (see the third picture). When I've looked at the unripe strawberries on the plants some look to be going what I can only describe as rusty. I can't see any obvious signs of rot or pests or mildew, so I'm at a loss as to what is wrong with them. Please see the pictures. 

A bit of background, the strawberry plants have been in the bed for a few years and produced a bounty of crop for the last few years, its fairly open and gets plenty of sun. I've fed the strawberries with potash in spring as per normal. They get watered maybe once or twice a week in warm weather, and less when its cool. 

I'm really hoping this years crop is salvageable, thanking you in advance! 

Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Welcome to the forum:)
    I'm wondering if it might be this
    https://blogs.cornell.edu/berrytool/strawberries/strawberries-fruit-show-sunken-black-spots-after-warm-wet-weather/

    With luck there will be some strawberry growers who can confirm.
  • EustaceEustace Posts: 2,290
    Yes, I too have a few with the brown patches and they rot before they ripen. I think these are the ones which remained wet during last week's rain and probably were touching the ground.
    Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
    And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth :)

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think you need to thin those out too - they're very crowded. That just leads to problems with airflow and general health.
    If you remove runners and grow those on, those will replace the older plants. Ideally, you do that each year so that you're always making new stock. Once plants get to around 3 yrs old, they become less productive, so it's good practice to have a 'rotation' of the crop to keep it healthy.
    Strawberries need decent soil, and plenty of food and water, so it would be worth clearing the bed anyway and adding some organic matter - do you add anything like that each year?
    Can't comment on the rusty looking fruit though - never had that type of browning. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Nsrjones24Nsrjones24 Posts: 2
    Hi all, thanks for the quick replies. 
    I was wondering if it was some kind of fungus due to the recent wet weather we had. 
    And yes I'm planning to collect the runners this year, clear the bed and start afresh with those, more spaced out. It was spacious and airy when I first planted but those runners got away from me last year. I did thin it out a little yesterday, took out some of the denser plants that had lost all the fruit. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Wet on it's own isn't a problem. If it was, I wouldn't have any strawberries. It's poor airflow that causes most fungal problems.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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