The strawberry plant is a wonderful addition to any garden. It is easy to grow, produces lots of fruit, and is a favorite of both children and adults. However, care is required to ensure that the plant remains healthy and flourishes. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when caring for your strawberry plants.

Straw mulch

Straw mulch can be an effective method of strawberry plant care. It can protect your crop from cold temperatures, moderate soil moisture fluctuations, and suppress weed growth. However, if left on too long, it can smother plants and encourage fungal disease.

Using a thick layer of straw on your strawberries should be done well before freezing temperatures arrive. In addition, it can help prevent slugs, rodents, and other pests from wreaking havoc.

Ideally, you should apply the straw when the night temperature reaches at least 20 degrees F. If you’re worried about smothering your berries, you can cover the straw with rows of plastic.

This will prevent ice from forming on your plants’ leaves, while allowing for air circulation. You can also use wood chips to help retain moisture in the soil.

Vine weevils

Vine weevils are very destructive pests and can be found on a wide variety of plants. They can be particularly damaging to plants grown in containers or the ground. The larvae feed on the plant’s roots and can cause the plant to wilt and die.

If you have a vine weevil infestation, you’ll need to apply some kind of chemical control. Chemicals such as systemic neonicotinoid insecticides such as acetamiprid can be used to kill the adults and the larvae. However, it’s important to use the chemicals in a controlled manner. For example, you don’t want to spray the plants with a spray that contains azadirachtin, which can harm bees.

It’s also important to keep an eye out for adult weevils. You can spot these small, gray-black beetles by looking at the leaves. They have legs that allow them to move and they cannot fly. When they’re not feeding, they hide in dark areas.

Verticillium wilt

Verticillium wilt is a fungus disease that affects a number of plants including strawberries. It can lead to stunted growth and fruit decay. A good way to control the fungus is to plant disease-free cultivars and prune the infected plants.

The fungus enters the plant through its roots. This is why it’s important to ensure that the soil is well watered and properly fertilized. Also, avoid planting in fields where vegetables were recently grown. If you must, be sure to separate the strawberry field from the surrounding growing area.

After the fungus gets into the plant’s root system, it starts to attack the vascular system. This leads to leaf yellowing, stunted growth, and wilting. In severe cases, the entire plant may die.

Verticillium wilt can be prevented by preventing the fungus from entering the plant. You can also protect your plants by using resistant varieties.

Powdery mildew

If you have been experiencing problems with powdery mildew, there are several ways to control the disease. Aside from fungicides, you can also apply organic solutions such as horticultural oils and sulfur. You can also try syringing milk onto the affected leaves.

Powdery mildew is caused by a fungus that infects living tissue in strawberry plants. It causes white patches on the undersides of the leaves and fruit. Eventually, it expands to cover the entire underside of the leaf. In addition to causing damage to the current year’s growth, it also can produce fuzzy growth on seeds.

The fungus is favored by warm, dry conditions. This makes it particularly problematic for greenhouse production. However, it does not cause any serious damage in inland growing areas.

Harvesting

There are a variety of steps involved in harvesting strawberry plants. First, you need to know the best time to harvest. You can’t harvest too early or too late. Secondly, you have to decide where you’re going to place the berries once they’re harvested. This is important because strawberries have a short shelf life.

The best time to harvest strawberries is about three weeks after they begin to blossom. If you’re not a grower, you can pick up strawberries at a grocery store or farmer’s market. It’s a healthy food that’s packed with vitamins and minerals.

The most important step in harvesting is to pick out the ripe red berry. However, you’ll need to pinch off the stem to avoid any damage.

Another cool idea is to use different colored plastic mulch to change the intensity of the light. This will make the process of harvesting easier on your plantlets.