Natural Sprays for Strawberries

Liquid Manure

• Fill a wooden rain barrel or large bucket three quarters full of a mixture of fish emulsion, seaweed or kelp, herbs such as stinging nettle or comfrey and wood ashes. Top off the barrel with tepid water and let soak for three to ten days. Strain the solution and dilute with water in a ratio of 1 to 10 to apply with a spray bottle directly on strawberries. To use as a soil soak, dilute the solution with water in a ratio of 1 to 5. This liquid manure contains nitrogen and other nutrients as well as vitamins, minerals and electrolytes.

Weed Control

• To control weeds around your strawberry plants, mix two parts of full strength vinegar to one part of water in a spray bottle. Add 1 to 2 tbsp. of lemon juice concentrate and a squirt of pure dishwashing soap, such as Ivory liquid. Drench the weed thoroughly for best results, being careful to avoid any direct contact with the strawberry plants.

Pest Control

• To keep aphids, mites and other small, soft-bodied pests from eating your strawberry plants, make an insecticidal soap using a mix of 2 tbsp. of mild dishwashing liquid per gallon of pure water. Be sure that the dishwashing liquid is fragrance-free and not labeled "degreaser."

  Another option is to steep several cloves of garlic in a bucket of hot water for twelve hours before pouring tea into a spray bottle. Thoroughly soak plants with these solutions to deter insects. Re-apply often before fruit develops since the bugs do not like the taste or stickiness of the soap.

Fungicide

• According to a report from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, horticultural columnist J. Howard Garrett recommends a baking soda spray of 4 tsp. per gallon of water for control of powdery mildew, blackspot, brown patch and other fungal diseases. He also suggests that a light application of baking soda solution to the soil can suppress fungus gnat infestations.