When strawberries have curled or wrinkled leaves, this means that the plant is not doing well with health. Such signs occur more often with increasing age of strawberry plantings. If leaf curl is detected, immediate action should be taken to ensure that the yield is not reduced.

Causes

Strawberry leaves curl, what to do?

Before taking measures for the recovery of strawberry bushes, it is necessary to find out all the reasons that can contribute to the development of deformation of the leaf plate:

  • Agricultural techniques may be violated. For example, there was an incorrect application of fertilizers, or they were not used at all. Insufficient watering and improper use of chemicals may also be the reasons;
  • The leaves, in particular, inward, can rotate due to the activity of pests such as strawberry mites and aphids;
  • Diseases of a viral nature;
  • Powdery mildew.

Strawberry leaves curl

The strawberry leaves curl up and dry out. In this case, the strawberry beds do not look attractive, and the harvest is unlikely to be abundant later.

This berry needs regularity when watering - it should not dry out, or when fertilizing - if this does not happen, the leaves dry quickly and can wrap in a boat shape. Strawberry bushes lose their natural ability to grow and develop properly.

Important information! Before planting strawberry bushes, it is necessary to inspect the seedlings with special care and process them with specially designed means. This will significantly reduce the risk of contamination of the strawberries.

Pests

The pest, which is considered the main one by summer residents, is a transparent tick. The parasite can live everywhere, it is very dangerous for plants, it is resistant to cold weather, the main thing is that it adapts to many means and drugs that are used against it. But it is quite possible on our own to reduce its population to a harmless minimum. Its presence is detected easily - it is enough to inspect the bushes.

The activity of this tick is especially noticeable if young strawberry leaves immediately grow irregularly shaped. They may be small or wrinkled early in their development. The curling of the leaves inward may be found, and they may also be all in small spots. With a tick-borne attack, not only the yield decreases, and the plant begins to grow much worse, the strawberries will be less able to tolerate temperature changes and frosts.

Mite transparent

Another parasite that causes strawberry leaves to curl is aphid. Although it is tiny in size, it is also considered a very dangerous insect for plants. Aphids reproduce rather quickly. If you do not take measures to destroy it, strawberry bushes are doomed to quick death.

Aphids are green or black and live in large colonies on stems and leaves, depriving plants of sap. Therefore, the leaves can twist, they dry out.

Additional Information. Aphids secrete a substance called honeydew. They are very fond of feasting on ants that take care of aphids for food. You should fight ants and aphids at the same time.

Diseases

When curling occurs due to powdery mildew disease, strawberry leaves may show it. They tend to curl upwards and become dark in color.Subsequently, they acquire a coating of white. The leaves that are just beginning to appear are curly and lacking in pigment. The fruits are unattractive in appearance and not very tasty.

Strawberry diseases

As a rule, the disease develops if the humidity near the crop is too high. The result of such a disease is disappointing. Either there will be no harvest, or even worse, the strawberry bushes are dying.

Additional Information. Some time ago, agricultural technicians obtained varieties of garden strawberries, which are less susceptible to infection with powdery mildew. These are Cinderella, Zenith, Pendant and a number of others.

Viral diseases can be transmitted to strawberries through poorly cleaned garden tools. Also, with such diseases, in addition to twisting the leaves, fruits that have lost their usual appearance are observed, and strawberries do not give a mustache.

Treatment methods

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What to do if strawberry leaves are curled up, you can find out from the methods below.

Strawberry mites are fought with the following methods:

  • Strawberry seedlings can be treated with hot water, the temperature of which should be at least 45 degrees. After this, the sprouts must be dipped into cold water;
  • Strawberry bushes are also watered with a watering can with even hotter water (up to 60 degrees). This is done in early spring, when the snow has completely melted;
  • There is another method that is used after the entire crop has been harvested. It consists of the following: on a warm day of planting, strawberries are covered with a polyethylene film, always transparent. You need to put a thermometer under this film, and when the column on it reaches 60 degrees, you need to remove the film. After that, you need to cut off the foliage and burn;
  • Chemicals can be used, but they are not always effective. Gardeners with experience tend to use Fitoverm and Tiovita Jet instead of the usual Karborfos or Fufanon. Spraying is carried out under the root of a strawberry bush, first in mid-spring, then when buds appear and, finally, in autumn, after harvest;
  • From folk remedies, you can use onion peels, infused at the rate of 200 g of raw materials per bucket of water, or garlic in the same proportions.

Spraying against strawberry mites

For powdery mildew, strawberries are treated with fungicides. These can be Topaz drugs, Forecast and some others. Twice a year, the bushes are treated with copper sulfate, which is taken 20 g per 10 liter bucket. Plus, about 20 g of laundry soap is added to the solution.

In the fight against aphids on strawberries, insecticides have the fastest result, which begin their effect already during treatment. Aphids die in large numbers within about three days.

Important! Insecticides tend to persist in plant tissues for up to a month. In no case should such means be used when the strawberry has bloomed or bears fruit.

More preferred gardeners call methods using biologicals. With their help, strawberries are processed 3-4 times, with a mandatory break of 2 weeks. Among biological products, Iskra bio, Inta-vir, Fitoverm and others stand out.

Important information! Biologics are not harmful to humans. However, after such processing, strawberries are still not consumed for about 5 days.

Folk remedies

Strawberry leaves curl, what if you don't want to use chemicals? Good help is provided by processing in the spring with a decoction of tomato tops. It is taken 1 kg dried and poured with a bucket of water. Leave to brew for several hours. Then this infusion must be boiled for 3 hours and filtered. The volume of the resulting funds is doubled by adding the required amount of water. Plus, they put a little laundry soap and spray the strawberry plantings.

You can also use fresh dandelion leaves. They are crushed, a bucket of water is added with a temperature of 50 degrees.It is necessary to let the solution infuse for several hours, 2 or 3 times, shaking during this time. Strain and spray.

Dandelion infusion

When the disease is observed in several areas at the same time, it is best to carry out medical operations on all at once.

Prevention

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The most important preventive action in order to prevent strawberry leaves from curling up is the correct planting and proper care of the crop. Rejuvenation of plantings must be carried out at most once every 5 years.

If the soil is too acidic, measures are taken to normalize its composition. This must be done no later than a year before the crop is planted. The acidity is regulated by a solution of lime or dolomite flour.

Plus, before planting strawberries, the necessary fertilizers are necessarily introduced into the soil. These are organic and mineral fertilizers.

Fertilizer for strawberries

When the bushes are already planted, it is necessary to leave gaps between the plants. If this rule is not followed, nutrients will not be enough for all strawberry bushes.

Dried parts of plants should be periodically removed and cleaned up. This also applies to unnecessary mustache and unnecessary weed grass.

Top dressing must be used several times during the growing season according to recommendations for strawberries. The soil near the plant should not dry out, it needs to be constantly moist.

Ways to feed strawberries

Planting strawberry bushes requires areas with full access to sunlight. Also, the berry does not feel well on too acidic soils, the leaves may wrinkle for this reason. It is recommended to mulch the beds with strawberries to prevent rapid evaporation of moisture and the formation of a large amount of weeds.

Which way to choose

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Preventive measures are called the best way to protect strawberry leaves from curling. This is available to both an experienced gardener and a beginner, as well as sparing folk methods. Chemicals are preferable to use in extreme, critical cases of infection. This is especially true for inexperienced summer residents who may overdo it with such drugs.

Strawberries are rightfully considered one of the favorite summer treats for adults and children. If she starts to hurt, then every owner worries about this. When leaves curl on strawberries, you need to find out why this is happening, carry out prevention or treatment to prevent the crop from dying.