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Old March 21, 2016   #4
TexasTycoon
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Join Date: May 2015
Location: Round Rock, TX, Zone 8b
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Starlight View Post
I am not a strawberry expert by any means, but if I would have to guess I would say too much water.

When I first started trying to grow strawberries I lost hundreds of starts. I learned the hard way that they don't like alot of water, it rots the crowns, which rots everything else.

I also learned that having some sand in the soil mix for drainage really helped. That and making sure the crowns were not buried by mounding up the plants in the center.

Mine were looking good a few days ago when we was in 80's and 90's and then we got two days of rain and now cold and frost temps and mine are all wilty looking and a few leaves have rotted from too much rain. I know when temps get back up again, they will perk up.

Generally, I try and keep bad looking leaves pulled off and if I see new plantlets that seem to be in a bad way, I use a knife and cut them out and will replant in a small separate pot with some extra sand to see if they will recover. I don't leave anything that feels mushy at crown level in the pot with the healthy feeling plants.

Hopefully some other folks with more experience will help you out.
Thank you Starlight, I appreciate the help! I know both I and my husband can get overzealous with watering and it was moist outside for the last half of last week, so I'm betting on too much water too. Last year was my first attempt at strawberries but they succumbed to spider mites within a week or two of potting, so I'm really wanting this attempt to go better. With a small container garden, each plant is monitored so closely since there's only room for one or two of each, so it's devastating when something like this happens. Hopefully the other two plants in the container will continue to thrive, there are at least 8 berries in various states of formation right now and I'd hate to lose them.
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