Strawberry plant issue

[Merrolee]

Hello

Up until about 3 weeks ago, my strawberry plants (purchased from Bunnings in about September) have been very healthy - producing new leaves, new runners, and strawberries.  

Then I noticed that the leaves were starting to get lime-green marks, and the leaves are now dying off. The baby runners are also starting to be affected.

We are in Perth, the strawberries are in long trays (3 mature plants) in one tray. We planted into an appropriate potting mix for berries.  They are watered daily. The plants have morning sun but are in the shade from about 10ish onwards.  They have been fed reguarly with Seasol (approximately every 2 weeks)

I hope that 

[JacobZ]

Hi @Merrolee,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

This sounds like a combination of heat stress, nutrient imbalance, and watering-related root stress.

The lime green mottling followed by leaf dieback usually points to nutrient deficiency, most often nitrogen or iron, but in this case, it is likely being triggered by overwatering and reliance on Seasol alone. Seasol is excellent as a soil conditioner and stress tonic, but it is not a fertiliser and does not supply enough nutrients to sustain fruiting plants long term. Daily watering, especially in trays, can also keep roots too wet, reducing oxygen and limiting nutrient uptake, which then shows up as pale, blotchy leaves and failing runners.

To correct this, reduce watering to when the top few centimetres of potting mix feel dry, which you can test by poking your finger in the top 5-10cm of soil. In warm Perth conditions, this may still be most days, you should check beforehand to avoid keeping the mix constantly saturated. Ensure the trays drain freely and are not sitting in water. 

You'll also want to introduce a proper strawberry or fruiting plant fertiliser that contains nitrogen, potassium, and trace elements, such as this Richgro Black Marvel Fruit And Citrus Food Concentrate Liquid Fertiliser, following the directions on the label closely. You can continue applying Seasol, but you're going to want to pair it with a real fertiliser.

Morning sun with protection from harsh midday heat is ideal, so the light levels sound good. Remove badly affected leaves to reduce stress and improve airflow and focus on watching new growth rather than old leaves. If new leaves come through greener and stronger within a couple of weeks, the plants should recover and continue producing.

To summarise, check the soil before watering as you are likely watering too frequently, apply a fertiliser as well as Seasol and remove affected growth.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob