Diseases and pests of strawberries: treatment with folk remedies

Diseases adversely affect the development of plants and reduce yields. If measures are not taken in a timely manner, then the strawberry may die. Folk remedies for strawberry diseases allow you to eliminate the source of damage, disinfect the soil and plants.

Causes of strawberry diseases

Most diseases are caused by fungal spores. Their distribution occurs when warm weather and high humidity are established.

The following factors contribute to the development of strawberry diseases:

• non-compliance with the rules of crop rotation;
• excess moisture;
• too dense planting of strawberries;
• lack of care, timely trimming of mustaches and leaves;
• the spread of diseases with strawberry pests;
• wrong choice of place for planting (plants receive little sunlight, are in the shade most of the day).

Strawberry diseases

The advantage of folk remedies is their environmental friendliness, safety for humans and plants. Available and inexpensive components are used to prepare solutions. Means are used for spraying leaves or watering under the root. Below are the main diseases of strawberries and the fight against them with folk methods.

Mučnistaâ rosa

This disease has a fungal nature and is diagnosed as a white coating on the leaves, shoots, fruits and petioles of strawberries. First, the lesion covers the leaves located near the ground, then it spreads to the entire bush.

The disease appears when the strawberry irrigation regime is violated, high humidity and warm weather. Provoke the spread of the fungus can temperature changes and high nitrogen content in the soil.

The following methods will help solve the problem of how to deal with powdery mildew:

• Salt and soap solution. To prepare it, dissolve 50 g of salt and 40 g of any soap in a bucket of water. Landings are processed every week.
• Milk whey (1 l) is mixed with 10 l of water, after which strawberries are processed every three days. Instead of whey, you can take kefir or yogurt;
• 0,1 kg of horsetail is poured into 1 liter of water and insisted for a day, then put on a slow fire. The resulting broth is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5 and the plants are treated every five days. The number of procedures is no more than 4.
• 2 tbsp. l. mustard powder is diluted in a bucket of warm water. Processing is done by watering or spraying strawberries.

Gray mold

The gray rot fungus feeds on plant debris that is in the soil. With an increase in humidity and a decrease in temperature, the causative agent of the disease is activated. In the presence of damaged integuments of stems and leaves, strawberry infection occurs.

The disease can destroy most of the strawberry crop. Planting onions or garlic every 30 cm will help protect strawberries from diseases. These plants do not allow the spread of a harmful microorganism.

To combat gray mold and other diseases, an infusion of garlic is used. For its preparation, garlic leaves or husks are taken, which are poured into 5 liters of hot water. The product is left for 2 days, then diluted with water in equal proportions and used for watering plants. You can use mustard powder instead of garlic.

Another remedy to cure strawberries is a complex solution, which includes:

• wood ash – 1 glass;
• chalk – 1 glass;
• copper sulfate – 1 tsp;
• water – 10 l.

The resulting volume is enough to process 3 square meters. m plantings with strawberries.

brown spot

Another fungal disease is brown spot, which can destroy almost half of the crop. The first signs of strawberry disease appear during the flowering period.

Light spots grow on the lower leaves, which gradually turn yellow. On the reverse side of the leaf there is a brown coating that spreads spores of the fungus to neighboring plants.

When affected by this disease, strawberries develop slowly and eventually die. Brown spots first appear on old leaves, after which they are found on young shoots.

When the first symptoms are detected, diseased leaves are carefully cut out so as not to disturb the spores located on them. If the lesion has completely covered the plant, then it is removed.

The following remedies help to cope with strawberry diseases:

• milk whey is diluted in a bucket of water in an amount of 1 liter;
• 30 drops of iodine solution and 1 liter of milk are added to a bucket of water;
• prepare a pink solution of potassium permanganate;
• 0,3 kg of wood ash is added to a bucket of water, after which the product is infused for a day;
• 0,5 kg of chopped garlic insist in 10 liters of water for no more than a day.

Strawberries need to be treated by spraying. Processing is carried out in the morning or in the evening, when there is no direct sunlight, strong wind and rain.

White spot

The green mass of strawberries is prone to white spotting. This is a viral disease that often develops during the growing season. Unfavorable symptoms may also appear at the fruiting stage.

With white spotting, the lesions are rounded and light in color. The spots are located along the edges of the sheet, gradually their inner part falls out, and small holes form. Over time, the petiole and leaf plate of plants die off.

At the first signs of spotting, strawberry fertilizing with nitrogen is reduced. Potassium fertilizers will help strengthen the immunity of plants.

An effective method of controlling spotting is spraying strawberries with an iodine solution. A bucket of water requires 30 ml of iodine. The leafy part of the plants is processed. For spraying, an ash solution is used, which is preliminarily infused for a day.

Fusarium wilt

Fusarium develops with weakened strawberry immunity, high humidity of air and soil, lack of fertilizers or temperature fluctuations. With the spread of the fungus, blockage of the vessels of plants occurs. As a result, strawberries wither and die.

First, the lower leaves of strawberries wither, on which light spots appear. When the temperature drops to 15 degrees, the plant may die.

Affected plants must be removed and burned outside the garden. You can prevent the disease by observing the rules of crop rotation, processing the soil and strawberry seedlings with iodine or garlic solution.

For the prevention of Fusarium disease, the following treatment methods are used:

• For 1 liter of milk, 30 g of soap and 35 drops of iodine are required. The product is used for spraying before harvesting strawberries.
• chop the head of garlic and pour a liter of water. The infusion is left for a day, then squeezed out and added to a bucket of water. The plant is sprayed in the evening.
• a glass of wood ash is diluted in one liter of water. The drug is infused for a day, after which it is used for sheet processing.

Verticillary wilting

With verticillium wilt, the fungus affects the root neck, rosettes and the vascular system of strawberries. On sandy soils, the plant may die after three days. On loamy soil, destructive processes proceed more slowly.

The fungus spreads through the root system. When infected, the plant settles, and its leaves lie down. The number of strawberry leaves decreases, and the bush practically does not develop. At the end of the growing season, the petioles turn red.

The causative agent of the disease can remain in the soil for several years. To prevent verticillium wilt, plantings are watered with an infusion of wood ash, which will also help protect strawberries from pests. Be sure to fertilize plants with potassium and phosphorus.

Phytophthora rot

Late blight rot causes the greatest damage to the strawberry crop. When it spreads on the ovaries and fruits, dark spots form, the flesh acquires a bitter taste. With further infection, the leaves and stems dry out.

Choosing a sunny site for planting, arranging drip irrigation and timely pruning of bushes will help to avoid the spread of the disease. Additionally, strawberries are treated with an infusion of garlic or onions.

Anthracnose strawberry

Anthracnose affects all organs of strawberries. Brown ulcers appear on the upper part of the petioles, which gradually turn black. As a result, strawberries dry out. Black spots also occur on flowers and berries.

To prevent the development of the disease, you need to use high-quality seedlings. Before planting, the soil and the seedlings themselves are processed. For the treatment of folk remedies, an iodine or garlic solution is used.

Preventive measures

The following measures will help to avoid the spread of strawberry diseases:

• choose for planting places where legumes, carrots, onions, garlic, beets, rye, oats previously grew;
• do not use beds for strawberries where tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers grew;
• process seedlings before final planting;
• every 3 years change the landing site;
• choose healthy seedlings from reliable suppliers;
• disinfect the soil;
• apply potash and phosphate fertilizers;
• use nitrogen-containing substances in a limited amount;
• fight pests that spread diseases;
• care for plantings, remove old leaves, stems, mustaches.

Conclusion

The cause of most strawberry diseases is a fungus that develops with insufficient plant care. Folk remedies are aimed at destroying lesions, however, they are suitable for preventing the spread of the fungus. Such methods are highly efficient and do not require high costs.