Disappearing Strawberry Plants
 

I read that strawberries do better here if you plant them in the fall,
rather than teh spring, so I planted mine a couple of months ago.

I lost a few about a month or so ago when I let them get a little too dry,
after that I watered twice a week, wednesdays and Saturdays. I haven't
had any losses from shriveled up dried out husks since. That one
incident, we had rain one weekend and then dry air the rest of the week,
and I had this mental image that the drought was over and I didn't need to
worry about watering and after a week, it was too dry again...The ways our
minds wander down the wrong path.

Anyway, I noticed the other day that I seem to be down about fifteen or
twenty plants out of 60. In other words, there seem to be only 40 - 45
left. I was watrering regularly until the recent rain started. So I
know it isn't lack of water. I've had strawberries in this spot for the
last few years, so it should not be a location based problem. But, for
some reason, plants are dieing/vanishing. There aren't any holes such as
possums or raccoons would leave.

Do snails or slugs eat strawberry plants? Other suggested culprits?

Thank you for any helpful or humorous suggestions,

Jeff Walther

--
A friend will help you move. A real friend will help you move a body.

Disappearing Strawberry Plants
 

On Sun, 31 Dec 2006 15:06:20 -0600, Jeff Walther wrote:

I read that strawberries do better here if you plant them in the fall,
rather than teh spring, so I planted mine a couple of months ago.

I lost a few about a month or so ago when I let them get a little too dry,
after that I watered twice a week, wednesdays and Saturdays. I haven't
had any losses from shriveled up dried out husks since. That one
incident, we had rain one weekend and then dry air the rest of the week,
and I had this mental image that the drought was over and I didn't need to
worry about watering and after a week, it was too dry again...The ways our
minds wander down the wrong path.

Anyway, I noticed the other day that I seem to be down about fifteen or
twenty plants out of 60. In other words, there seem to be only 40 - 45
left. I was watrering regularly until the recent rain started. So I
know it isn't lack of water. I've had strawberries in this spot for the
last few years, so it should not be a location based problem. But, for
some reason, plants are dieing/vanishing. There aren't any holes such as
possums or raccoons would leave.

Do snails or slugs eat strawberry plants? Other suggested culprits?

Thank you for any helpful or humorous suggestions,

Jeff Walther

Jeff,

I haven't grown strawberries here, but I can report that snails and slugs
love them.

You might also consider that some sort of soil borne fungus or bacterium
has built up due to having strawberries in the same spot for the lst few
years.
--
Mike Harris
Austin TX

Disappearing Strawberry Plants
 

Hello Jeff

I'm assuming you are in/near Austin Tx?

Our soil is 'sweet' and strawberries like 'sour' soil. When I planned
my garden in Aus, I made a 6x6 bed and filled it with christmas tree
needles/lots of compost, then let it sit until Fall.
Good drainage is a must for the bed and a raised bed or the 'hill'
method of planting is best.

Except for predator birds, every other bird LOVES berries, so I made a
cage to foil the thieves. The plants need about 1" of water/week and
must be heavily multched(straw) and a slug/snail protection is needed.
Verticillium wilt and red stele infect the roots and that problem is
made worse by heavy wet soil. It may be a good plan to change location
of the bed after some time, since other veggies can 'carry' V wilt.
Gray mold rots berries. Wet/humid weather and overcrowed plants with
poor air circulation just invite it.

I had great luck and sweet berries from my little patch, but it is tough
with our soil. Berries from Poteet, Tx are so great, because of that
soil, but it's gratifying to grow your own.

Make sure you buy disease-resistant varities and even certified
virus-indexed plants.....a tad more costly, but these are more
vigorous/productive.

Hope this is of some use.....

Dave S(Texas)