My Strawberry Plant Leaves Are Wilting

Verticillium Wilt

• Verticillium wilt is a soil-borne pathogen, caused by the fungus Verticillium alboatrum that causes serious damage to strawberry. The disease can survive in infected soil for 25 years. Infections occur when soil temperatures are between 53 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, reports the University of Illinois Integrated Pest Management website. However, severe damage occurs in cool to temperate temperatures. Symptoms of infection consist of wilting, dry appearance, red to brown leaf discoloration on leaf margins and veins and plant death. University-based and private labs can test soil for verticillium fungi. Although there is no chemical control, planting disease resistant strawberry plants and testing soil before planting can help prevent infection.

Red Stele

• Red stele is a fungal disease of strawberry, caused by the fungus Phytophthora fragariae. The soilborne fungus favors wet and cool soil conditions between the temperatures of 55 to 60 degrees F. Symptoms of infection consist of yellow or red discoloration, rapid wilt, gray root discoloration and eventual plant death. The fungus can survive in soil for several years, causing continuous annual infection. Plant disease resistant strawberry plants and plant in well-drained soil to prevent infection. However, fungicides are an effective control.

Root-Knot Nematode

• The root-knot nematode is a microscopic, parasitic organism in the genus Meloidogyne that affects the roots of strawberry. The nematode is soil-borne and causes serious damage to plants in high populations. Symptoms of infection consists of plant wilt, reduced strawberry yield, reduced plant vigor, leaf yellowing, galls on plant roots and stunted plant growth. Damage is more severe to young or unhealthy plants. Control for high soil populations of nematodes consists of soil fumigation, which is the process of applying pesticides into the soil. However, this process is expensive and time-consuming. Crop rotation and testing plants at university-based or private labs can reduce the instances of infection.

Black Root Rot

• Black root rot of strawberry is disease caused by several fungal pathogens, including rhizoctonia, pythium and fusarium. The severity of the disease depends on the fungal pathogen, environmental factors and nematode infection. Symptoms of infection consist of reduced vigor, reduced berry production, wilt, plant death and blackened roots. The disease favors wet soil conditions for infection and reduced plant vigor. Maintain plant vigor by fertilizing plants, regular watering, and treating nematode and disease infections. The University of Connecticut Integrated Pest Management Program website recommends soil fumigation to control soil-borne fungal pathogens that can cause black root rot. However, soil fumigation can kill beneficial fungi and increase the severity of infection.