Plant guide:🍓 Strawberries
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⚠ Minor🩺
Fungal
Leaf Scorch on Strawberry Plants
Commonly affects: Fragaria × ananassa (Strawberry)
Irregular purple-to-brown blotches merge across leaves, giving a scorched appearance without the distinct spots of typical leaf spot disease.
Potential Causes
- 1Diplocarpon earlianum fungus, spread by splashing water
- 2Warm, humid conditions with extended leaf wetness
- 3Dense, overcrowded plantings restricting airflow
Solution Steps
- 1Remove and destroy severely affected leaves, especially after harvest
- 2Water at the base rather than overhead
- 3Thin overcrowded plants and runners for better airflow
- 4Apply a fungicide if the problem is recurring each season
Prevention Tip
Post-harvest leaf removal (renovation) on strawberry beds significantly reduces leaf scorch and other foliar disease pressure the following season.
