Asked on Apr 30, 2016
What are these blemishes on my strawberries?
by
Louise
+15
The strawberries I planted last summer have reappeared and this morning 3 were ripe so I picked them. These are growing in window boxes (plastic) that are sitting on the ground. One was very small and had "bumps" on most of it so I just bit off the good part. But these two, much larger than the other one, have dark spots, as you can see. And on the one on the left, up near the leaves, is a soft-ish spot that has lost some of the red color. Since I have others on their way to being ripe, I wanted to find out what these blemishes are, what caused them and how to prevent them on the other strawberries? Last summer was my first experience with growing berries and I only got to eat one because a marauder (neighbor kids, I suspect) picked them all between the day I thought I'd wait one more day and the next morning. :-(
13 answers
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What you are seeing on your strawberries is black spot from a fungus on the strawberry leaves.Generally fungus starts from improper watering.You can control this with a fungicide for fruit. Spray the soil, leaves both over and under. A repeated application may be necessary.
Janet Pizaro
on Apr 30, 2016
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Janet is right....and get an electric fence around them....for that neighbor kid...or paint some stones so they look like strawberries. That would learn them.
Swinnen Lisette
on Apr 30, 2016
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Watering in the morning, rather than the evening, can also help prevent a recurrence. The water will have time to evaporate by night fall, reducing the moisture on the leaves, etc.
Dee
on Apr 30, 2016
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As to watering, do I water from above (like rain), leaves, flowers and all? Or just the soil? I don't see anything on the leaves like these black spots. I suppose I can still eat the strawberries and cut out the black spots?
Louise
on Apr 30, 2016
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Unless this starts to affect every berry, I would simply cut off the bruised spot. I would also water in the morning and just the soil. That's what I do for my flower gardens to about mildew, etc on wet leaves.
MN Mom
on Apr 30, 2016
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Hi Louise....I grew some strawberries once and never got to taste one! The squirrels knew the minute they were ripe and were always one step ahead of me! I just never bothered again.
Diane Rich
on May 01, 2016
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SLUGS MAYBE? MINE ARE IN GROUND SO HAVE TO SURROUND THEM WITH CRUSHED EGGSHELLS TO KEEP SLUGS AND SNAILS OFF THEM.
DORLIS
on May 01, 2016
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We usually call those spots 'rain rot'...caused by improper watering or rain. The do look like a fungus but might be caused just by getting water on the berries...as others have said, just water the soil.
Bonny McDaniel
on May 01, 2016
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Just kidding....that's Belgian humour. Of course not, invite them to have strawberries with cream..yhat would learn them to wait for the cream hihihi
Swinnen Lisette
on May 01, 2016
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Your county Agriculture Extension agent can identify the exact problem and provide a solution.
Liz
on May 01, 2016
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Most strawberry plants don't produce very many the first year, and more for the next 3 years, then they need to be replaced. Not sure what the issue is on these.
Cathy
on May 01, 2016
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It looks a little like something has been resting against it - a wire, pot rim perhaps? I grow mine in old concrete twin tubs and spread pine needles around them to prevent resting on the dirt. I do that three times through the season. When they die back, I trim any browned bits off and just leave them. In the new season I separate, replant and go through the process again. I keep netting over them all the time. They can stand negligence quite well, not appearing to be as fussy as other berries.
Ranger
on May 02, 2016
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Also, get some hay or Spanish moss to put under the plants to keep the berries from resting on wet soil. (I do this with my squash and melons, too.)
Kathy Ruth
on May 02, 2016
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