Strawberry leaves curl: causes and measures to eliminate the problem

In our country, garden strawberries grow on the site of almost every summer resident or gardener. But they treat it differently. Some allow it to grow and develop on its own.Others carefully care for her throughout the season, wanting to get the most out of it.

In any case, to completely avoid the problems will not succeed. Strawberries have many enemies, including fungal diseases and various insects. Symptoms of their negative impact may be different.

In this article we will talk about the threats that entail the twisting of the leaves. And also we will explain what needs to be done to cope with similar misfortunes.

The most terrible enemy of strawberries are harmful fungi that hibernate in the soil or dry foliage. They affect crops differently, but the result is always the same - the death of the affected bushes. Of course, there are varieties of strawberries, characterized by resistance and increased immunity. But strawberries, resistant to some diseases, may be weaker than others. For example, such a popular variety in Russia as “Victoria” has low resistance to powdery mildew.

Mealy dew is a dangerous fungal disease. It begins to appear in early spring, when its spores "wake up" after wintering. They can spread across the site in various ways:

• by air;
• with rain or melt water;
• on foreign objects like work gloves or tools.

Infected bushes are covered with white bloom. At the first stages it is difficult to identify, as it is located on the underside of the leaves. Then the plaque spreads to all other parts of the bush, because of it, photosynthesis is significantly slowed down. As a result, the leaves curl and dry.

It is almost impossible to cope with the disease, therefore, the infected bushes must be removed immediately before the spores get to healthy ones.

Viruses are dangerous infections that are not treatable. From the affected bushes need to completely get rid of. Agronomists distinguish the two most dangerous strawberry viruses.

• Mottling - A disease that is not always easy to recognize. As a result of its impact, strawberry leaves turn yellow and curl. However, these external signs do not always appear. Understand that something is wrong with the crop, you can only by a noticeable reduction in yield and small size of berries. The effects of mottling are most susceptible to bushes older than three years.
• Rugosity - more obvious virus. First, the leaves of affected strawberries are stained. Then they begin to wrinkle and turn yellow. As a result, the leaves curl and dry. Productivity is markedly reduced.

Aphids - "pets" ants. They feed on the sweetstorm of small insects. Therefore, to cope with this threat, you must first deal with the defenders of aphids. Themselves pests arrange colonies on the stems and leaves of strawberries, feeding on their juice. Because of this, the leaves begin to curl, and the bush to wither.

If you already got rid of ants, plant dill or parsley nearby with strawberries. They will attract ladybirds that destroy aphids. Or the bushes can be treated with the preparations "Inta-vir", "Fitoverm" or "Aktara".

Ticks are small insects that cannot be seen with the naked eye. The most dangerous are strawberry and spider mites. The latter got its name for entangling the bushes with transparent thin threads. Ticks feed on plant sap, which is why the stems begin to dry out and the leaves turn yellow and curl. Spraying with Maroleks, Fufanon, Karbofos or colloidal sulfur can help get rid of them. Processed berries can be eaten. only a month after the procedure.

Pests and diseases do not always cause strawberry leaves to curl. This can happen through your fault, due to violations of agricultural technology. It is worth considering the most common mistakes.

• Lack of moisture. Occurs in dry weather and rare watering.
• Excess moisture. Many gardeners sin this in hot weather.
• Growing strawberries in the same place for several years.
• Excessive feeding.
• Frequent treatments with chemicals.

In more detail about how to protect strawberries from diseases and pests, you will learn from the following video.