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Strawberries - Leaves turning black and dying...

kingkimikingkimi Posts: 4
in Problem solving

Hey,

I have a small balcony and to save space I took an old pallet, lined it and hung it on the wall to plant my strawberries - they were healthy and growing well for a few weeks, were flowering and looked like a lot of fruit was starting to grow.

Now though, a lot of the leaves have gone black and died or dropped off and the leaves right at the top of the fruits have gone black. I have herbs in the top of the planter too, which are wilting. They all get plenty of sun, the soil never seems to be too dry, and the whole thing drains well, so I don't see how it can be an over/under watering issue, but maybe?

Does anyone have any ideas? Any help with this would be brilliant! I tried to post a photo but it won't let me!

Thanks!!

Matthew

Posts

  • kingkimikingkimi Posts: 4

    See a couple of photos below. The flower petals are also strange and small...

    image

     

    image

     

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    Hi Matthew - to post a photo you need to click on the green tree icon on the toolbar above where you type your posts, and follow the instructions ... doesn't work for some phones.

    Good luck ...


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    Oh, you've done it - great!  image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    I'm wondering whether they've been frosted - we've had some very low night temperatures recently - and yet the basil looks to be ok and I'd have thought that would have suffered from frost too.

    It may well be over-watering coupled with low temperatures - not many plants like having their roots cold and wet at the same time.

    By the way, is that up against your house wall - doesn't it cause damp problems indoors? image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • kingkimikingkimi Posts: 4

    Hey! The membrane is pretty waterproof so shouldn't be a damp problem.

    I'm in Switzerland, and it's been pretty warm here, so I don't think they have been frosted, in fact on my balcony they seemed to survive the winter here really well - this has only happened in the last couple of weeks.

    I did have a lot of aphids, and used a bio spray that seems to have cleared that up - and I wouldn't expect that to be causing the problems.

    The basil is really soft and droopy (I'd think it needs more water) but I'm not so sure! And I don't want to water more if that's the problem!

    I wondered if it might be something in the wood, that they are being poisoned?

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    I wasn't thinking about damp getting through the wall - rather that lack of ventilation on the outside wall can sometimes cause damp problems indoors - it's usually recommended that nothing should be piled against a wall higher than the damp proof course. 

    Have the strawberries had any fertilizer? 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • kingkimikingkimi Posts: 4

    I have used some fertilizer, just a general all purpose liquid one I always used for them, and the same I've used for the past year and same I used on the tomatoes.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    My two best suggestions are overwatering combined with cool conditions and/or lack of nitrogen.

    Maybe someone else has an idea?


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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