When strawberry leaves turn red, it can happen due to a variety of reasons. The first of them is natural aging. Each strawberry leaf lives for 70-90 days, after which it turns red, dries up and falls off. If new bright green leaves replace the withered lower leaves in the center of the rosette, then there is no reason to worry. It is another matter if the redness occurs before the due date. It is necessary to determine exactly the reason why the leaves turn red in strawberries, and eliminate it.
What factors cause reddening of leaves in strawberries
The factors that cause the color of strawberry leaves to turn red can be divided into two groups. This is usually caused by an imbalance in the chemical composition of the soil and some fungal diseases.
Signs of a lack of macronutrients
Strawberries are a soil-demanding crop. For its full development, it needs an impressive complex of macro- and microelements.
Indicators of soil acidity also play an important role. If the pH of the soil is equal to 5-6 units, then everything is in order. This acidity is necessary for the successful cultivation of strawberries.
Perhaps the reason should be sought in the lack of one of the most important chemical elements:
- if strawberry leaves turn red in the middle of summer, this may indicate a lack of nitrogen;
- during fruiting, the leaves may acquire a reddish-purple color due to a lack of phosphorus;
- if redness is observed only on the edge of the leaves, and then the border turns brown and dries up, the plants lack potassium.
In the process of development and growth, strawberry bushes intensively extract nutrients from the soil. Rain can also contribute to the disappearance of minerals – water simply washes useful elements from the soil.
Symptoms of fungal infections
Associated factors play a significant role in the development of fungal infections on strawberries. The bushes do not have enough sun, the plantings are thickened, the weather is warm and rainy – all these are favorable conditions for the outbreak of diseases caused by various pathogenic fungi.
Most often, strawberries are affected by the following diseases in summer:
- Brown spotting. At first, the spots have a purple color, then they turn brown. Over time, small spots merge into one large area of damage, after which the leaves turn brown and dry. The disease almost does not affect leaf petioles and whiskers.
- Anthracnose. The disease can begin to develop in the spring or in June if the weather is suitable. Spores enter the site through seedlings, can be in the ground, transmitted using an infected tool, through shoes. Strawberry leaves first turn red, and then crack and dry. Ulcers with a light center and a dark border appear on the stems and shoots. In case of untimely treatment, the bush dies.
Anthracnose can also affect fruits. In this case, depressed dark areas will be visible on the berries.
- Brown spotting. The symptoms of the disease are similar to the signs of brown spotting. The leaves acquire a reddish color, against the background of which small brown spots of a convex shape containing fungal spores are visible. The disease can affect whiskers and petioles.
- White spotting (ramulariasis). Initially, small purple spots are formed on the leaf plates, which gradually increase to 6-8 mm in diameter, and a white dot appears in the center of each of them. With the further development of the disease, the spots merge into one affected area. The fungus also infects peduncles, peduncles, leaf petioles. In the neglected stage, holes are formed on the leaves. The bush begins to lose leaves prematurely. In the case of significant damage by ramulariasis, the plants look as if burnt.
- Verticillium wilt. The infection begins to actively develop during the period of flowering and fruiting. First of all, the disease affects old leaves – they fall to the ground, covering it with a continuous carpet, turn red and wither. Young leaves become matte and pale, become smaller. The growth of a sick bush stops, and soon the plant dies. After removing such specimens from the ground, you can see significant damage to the roots.
All the listed diseases must be treated at the first symptoms. Fungal infection passes from one plant to another very quickly. If you do not take urgent measures, you can lose strawberry planting completely.
What measures will help to solve the problem
First of all, fungal diseases should be ruled out. They pose a serious danger to strawberries and require urgent treatment.
If the signs confirm a deficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium, it is necessary to carry out fertilizing and thereby introduce the necessary element into the soil.
Application of fertilizers
If there is a lack of nitrogen, you can add ammonium nitrate, azophoska, and complex fertilizers to the soil. The dosage of each agent should be found in the instructions for the drug.
A source of nitrogen is also mullein infusion and herbal “cocktail”:
- Before using the infusion, mullein should be properly fermented. In the process of preparation, combine 1 liter of manure and 9 liters of water, leave for about a week. The mixture should be stirred periodically. 300-500 ml of such top dressing is applied under each bush.
- Herbal fertilizer is best prepared in a 100-liter barrel, which should be placed in a sunny place. Any weeds are suitable as a basis. It is very good to take nettle for these purposes. The greens are chopped and filled to about half of the volume of the container. It is not necessary to tamp the grass. The remaining space is filled with water. After that, the barrel is covered with a lid. It is necessary to wait 7-10 days for the natural fermentation process to take place. When the infusion is ready, it is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and used to water strawberries. The consumption rate is 0.5 l per plant.
The deficiency of phosphorus and potassium is well filled by wood ash. You can simply sprinkle it on the plantings, spending 1 glass of ash powder per square meter, or water the bushes under the root with an infusion of ash (a liter jar per 10 liters of water), having previously let it stand for a day.
In order not to face a shortage of substances useful for strawberries in the future, before planting them in July, you can sow siderats, such as white mustard. After the steps rise to a height of 15-20 cm, the greens are mowed and buried in the ground. Strawberries grow beautifully on such soil, do not get sick, and are less often affected by pests.
Treatment of fungal diseases
In order for strawberries not to be infected with fungus, first of all, it is necessary to observe preventive measures.
- Fallen leaves and other plant debris should be removed from the garden in autumn and spring.
- Before the leaves begin to bloom on strawberries, they are sprayed with 1 percent Bordeaux liquid or Topaz fungicide.
- If an outbreak of a fungal disease occurred in the summer, berry bushes are again treated with Bordeaux liquid or several treatments are carried out with the following fungicides: “Fitosporin”; “Fundazol”; “Benorad”; “Oxychom”; “AByK-Peak”; “Rydomil Gold”.
- During the fruiting period, you can use a solution of iodine (3 drops per 10 liters of water) or potassium permanganate (pink) for processing.
- Before spraying, infected bushes are dug up and burned.
So that strawberry leaves do not turn red, it should be planted in a well-lit area in compliance with the planting scheme and crop rotation rules. Plants are watered regularly, but moderately, and fed in a timely manner. Do not forget about preventive treatments with fungicides in spring and autumn.