Why Are My Strawberry Plants Dying?

I work in a garden center and come Summer time, the one question I get asked most is “why are my strawberry plants wilting and dying?” This is a very common problem that I have fortunately had a lot of firsthand experience in dealing with and I have personally encountered all the problems I talk about in this article.

In my experience, there are many reasons why your strawberry plant may be dying, such as a nutrient deficiency in the soil, frost damage, crown rot, or drought stress caused by underwatering, which causes the leaves to shrivel and turn brown. Strawberry leaves turn yellow and die back in response to overwatering and crown rot.

In this post, I’ll talk you through how to diagnose the problem that you are having with your strawberry plant and discuss the steps you can take to save it or, at the very least, prevent it from happening again!

Before we dive into it, I think it is important to note that strawberry plants have a relatively short lifespan of around 6 years and tend to decline after two years in terms of fruit production and the health of the plant, so please keep this in mind…

Why Are My Strawberry Plants Dying After Planting? (Are the Leaves Wilting or Turning Brown)

So you have just planted up your strawberry plant and its not looking too healthy huh?! First hand I have seen several reasons why strawberry plants appear to be dying shortly after planting….

• Are you planting the strawberry plant too shallow? This increases the risk of drought.
• Are you planting strawberries too deep in the soil? This can cause crown rot. (There is a happy medium, I promise you!)
• Are you not watering strawberry plants frequently enough? They are most vulnerable to drought after planting.

So if underwatering is such a common problem, what are the symptoms of an underwater strawberry plant do you need too look out for?

The symptoms of an underwatered strawberry plant suffering drought stress are brown, wilted leaves and shriveled fruit.

In my experience, the symptoms that I see first are from underwatering are wilted leaves, followed by the leaves turning brown. If the leaves are just wilting, then typically, this is a good thing! The damage is very limited, but your strawberry plant can be saved!

But how often should we water them? Strawberry plants should be watered as frequently as necessary to keep the soil moist while the roots are established.

I also advise customers to water generously as this encourages the roots to grow, which increases the plant’s resilience to drought.

This is because watering too lightly causes the surface of the soil to be moist but the water does not infiltrate the soil to the strawberry plant’s roots where it is required, causing the leaves to wilt, shrivel, and turn brown.

Of course, when I ask people whose strawberry plants are wilting whether they are growing their strawberry plants in pots or in the ground, I find that 90% percent of the time, people say in pots, which doesn’t surprise me as drought stress affects potted plants more commonly. For the following reasons…

1. Pots have less capacity for soil and, therefore, do not hold as much moisture.
2. If the pot is in full sun (which should help your strawberries ripen), then the soil tends to dry out much quicker.

I have also personally observed that the people who have trouble with strawberry plans wilting in pots pot them up in clay or terracotta pots. The problem I have identified with this is that clay and terracotta are breathable materials, so the soil can dry out additionally through the sides of the pot.

Which Pots Are Best for Preventing Your Strawberry Plants from Wilting and Turning Brown? (An Experiment)

I decided to do a little test to determine how quickly the soil in clay and terracotta pots dried out (which are both porous) compared to plastic and ceramic pots (which are both impermeable, which means, in theory, they should retain moisture better).

My Set Up of Differing Pots…

I had all 4 strawberry plants planted in 12-inch pots in each different material and watered the soil with a really generous soak to a point at which the soil mix was evenly moist. I used the exact same compost from the same bag (it was standard store-bought compost) to ensure that every variable was controlled and they were all positioned in full sun.

I timed exactly how long it took for the first 2 inches of soil to dry out. To do this I used a soil gauge that can detect soil moisture to keep everything as empirical and impartial as I could.

The Results?

I found that on average the first 2 inches (roughly my fingers depth) dried out in 5 days for the clay and terracotta pots whereas the plastic and ceramic pots dried out in 7 days for the plastic and 8 days for the ceramic pot.

I should note that the weather was somewhat mixed over these 8 days, with some overcast days, but there were 2 days, with some high temperatures and constant direct sunlight, in which I suspect most of the drying occurred.

My Personal Takeaway from the Experiment

As we discussed, our strawberry plants need consistently moist soil and wilt (and turn brown) when the soil dries out so, if you are in a hot climate and you don’t want to have to water all the time I recommend using a plastic or ceramic pot to help retain more moisture.

I think the reason the plastic pot dried out slightly sooner was because it was thinner then the ceramic and the soil is likely to have heated up more quickly.

You can, of course, grow your strawberry plants in any pot as long as you are prepared too water more frequently, but in my opinion cermic pots are best as they looks great and retain more moisture. The also have the added advantage of being thicker which helps to insulate the root of your strawberry plants in Winter which, in my experience, increases survival rate.

My overall recommendation is to water strawberry plants as often as is required to keep the soil moist, which might be every 3 days at the height of Summer or every 7 days in more overcast weather.

From experience, the Strawberry plants I have personally revived usually recover from drought stress and wilt once you increase your watering, but this can depend on how long the strawberry plant has been without enough water.

Choosing the Right Potting Soil Can Help Prevent Your Strawberry Plants From Wilting

So you have the right pot, and you water your strawberry plants often, but they are still wilting. Remember drought stress can hamper fruit production so its important to get this right.

If your newly planted strawberry plants are still struggling, then I have a trick up my sleeve!

To help mitigate the risk of drought as much as possible, I recommend planting your strawberries in soil that has been amended with compost, leaf mold, or well-rotted manure, as these materials help to conserve moisture.

Or, of course, you can use these soil amendments as part of a potting mix. I have done a lot of testing and some trial and error for many years growing strawberries, and I find that a mix of all three soil amendments works best.

If you are in a hot climate, I really recommend being generous with the leaf mold. But why is this? Leaf mold can hold up to 500 times its weight in moisture, so your soil does not dry out anywhere near as quickly.

This is my secret weapon to fight against wilting leaves! Well-rotted manure also contains lots of nutrients, and compost has the right sort of structure for the strawberry plant roots to grow and establish.

On the hottest days of Summer I have had to water strawberry plants daily watering to provide enough moisture for the developing fruit if it has to contend with blazing sun and high temperatures.

Note that strawberry plants should ideally be planted in Spring so that the roots can be established in the soil without the heat of summer sapping moisture from the leaves before the roots can uptake enough moisture.

If planting during the Summer, I recommend watering your strawberry plants every day for the first 2 weeks to prevent them from turning brown and dying.

I would trim back any brown leaves with a sharp pair of pruners as these leaves cannot photosynthesize and contribute energy to the plant.

Are Your Strawberry Plants Dying from Crown Rot?

One of the most common causes of a dying strawberry plant is crown rot.

This happens when the crown (the point at which the stems meet the base of the plant) is planted too deeply in the soil and, therefore, in constant contact with damp compost.

The roots require consistent moisture, but the growth above the ground prefers to be on the dryer side to avoid disease.

The risk of crown rot is increased by watering the strawberry plants overhead as the overly moist and humid micro-climate which encourages the disease.

So, what are the symptoms of crown rot?

The crown rot slows the growth of your strawberry plant (the leaves appear much smaller than they should be) and discolors the tissue of the crown, often with brown or yellow leaves, depending on the stage of infection.

Unfortunately, once the plant has crown rot, there is not much you can do, I’m afraid! Once your strawberry plant has crown rot or root rot, it dies and should be discarded.

I must caution you not to plant any strawberry plants in the same place as the responsible fungus, which can live in the soil and infect new plants.

What you have to do is use a fungicide on the soil to prevent reinfection of other plants.

With crown rot, what I’ve discovered is that prevention is key, so always water your strawberry plants at the base rather than overhead to prevent promoting the conditions for the disease.

The real secret is that strawberry plants that are planted at the right depth in well-draining soil are at a much lower risk of crown rot.

The best advice is to plant strawberries 18 inches apart to ensure good airflow to reduce the risk of a humid micro-climate which can promote crown rot.

Are Your Strawberry Leaves Turning Yellow and Drooping?

Are your strawberry leaves turning yellow and wilting? This is a sign of stress caused by too much moisture around the roots.

I know we’ve talked a lot in this article about keeping the soil moist, but Strawberry plants require the soil to be moist yet well-draining.

So I know this may initially seem like a bit of a contradiction, but think of it this way…the soil needs to hold moisture (kind of like a sponge) yet allow excess water to drain away from the roots so that they are not sat in a pool of water.

If the roots are in consistently damp soil, then this causes the leaves to turn yellow and promotes the conditions for the fungal disease root rot which can cause the strawberry plant to die back.

But we should consider that too much water around the roots can be due to several factors…Strawberry leaves turn yellow because:

• Slow-draining soils. Strawberries planted in heavy soils such as clay retain too much water and are most likely to suffer from leaf yellowing and root rot. Strawberries require porous, light, friable soil that allows for good drainage. As we discussed, this is achieved by amending the soil with lots of organic matter such as compost, leaf mold, or well-rotted manure, as these materials have a tremendous capacity to hold moisture yet allow excess water to drain away from the roots, which is the perfect balance for healthy strawberries.
• Pots without drainage holes in the base. Strawberry plants should be grown in pots with drainage holes in the base so that excess water can escape. I’ve seen some decorative pots that do not have drainage holes, which causes the water to pool and the soil to become saturated, which causes the leaves to turn yellow.
• Watering the strawberries too frequently. Strawberries prefer moist soil, but if you water every day with a soaker hose, then excess water does not get a chance to drain away from the roots, which promotes root rot. In my experience, well-draining soil with lots of compost mitigates most of the risk from overwatering, as its structure encourages excess water to drain away rather than pool around the roots. Water strawberries as frequently as required to keep the soil moist but not boggy.

So once you have identified your problem, whether it be slowing draining soil, overwatering, or perhaps post without drainage, then you can scale back the watering immediately and perhaps repot your strawberry plants.

If your garden soil is draining too slowly, then I’d recommend replanting your strawberry plants in a pot, and with lots of compost as, from experience, I can tell you it is a lot easier to tailor the soil conditions to your pants liking in a pot rather then amending garden soil!

I personally water my potted strawberry plants when the top inch of the soil begins to feel as though it is drying, which can be every 3 days on hot Summer weeks or every week if there has been a lot of overcast weather and perhaps rainfall.

I personally always feel the soil to a finger’s depth to establish a good water cycle with the aim of the soil being moist with only the top inch starting to dry slightly.

If you have implemented all these steps and improved the drainage, then often I see strawberry plants recover…

However, from my experience, strawberry plants that have been in boggy soil for long periods are likely to develop root rot and such be discarded to prevent the spreading of the disease.

Why Are My Strawberry Plants Turning Yellow and Not Growing?

Are your strawberry plants yellow despite best watering practices? Then, the most likely cause is a deficit of nutrients in the soil, which, in my experience, happens when the strawberry plant has been in the same pot for several years (or perhaps the potting soil wasn’t nutrient-dense, to begin with).

I have also witnessed it happening when they are planted in sandy or stony garden soil that does not retain many nutrients.

I must emphasize that Strawberry plants are heavy feeders in the Spring and Summer when the foliage is growing, and they are developing fruit. Therefore, they require rich, fertile soil for healthy growth.

Are your leaves yellow leaves and the growth is stunted? Then this is a symptom of stress due to poor soil.

To prevent yellow leaves, it is important to plant strawberries in soil that has been amended with compost, well-rotted manure, or leaf mold, as these materials have a good balance of nutrients and create the optimal balance of moisture for strawberry plants to thrive.

As we discussed earlier, my favourite potting mix, with which I have personally had the most success, is an even mix of compost, leaf mould (which is just composted leaves), and well-rotted manure.

If I am planting in a pot, I am often a little bit more heavy-handed with the leaf mold. Its star quality is that it can retain lots of moisture yet also has a porous, well-draining structure that allows excess water to drain away from the roots, which my strawberry plants love.

If you are planting your plants in the garden, then I recommend that the soil should be amended to a depth of at least 10 inches before planting to get the most out of your plants.

If your strawberry plants are planted in garden soil and growing slowly with yellow leaves, I recommend transferring them to pots or containers as it is easier to control the soil profile for the strawberry’s requirements.

Another trick you can do (that I use from time to time) is to feed strawberry plants with a fertilizer that has a high potash content (such as tomato feed) over the Spring and Summer every two weeks to encourage good fruit production and to prevent yellowing leaves.

The reason why this works is because tomato feed is designed to have the right balance of nutrients to encourage flowering and fruiting, which works on both tomatoes and strawberries. I personally have used this with success, but I am applying it once every 2 weeks (per the manufacturer’s instructions).

When I applied this feed, the strawberry plant immediately started growing more quickly with larger leaves, and it even began to fruit in time for summer.

If you do not want to use tomato feed, the famous vegetable grower and British gardener recommend a liquid seaweed feed every 2 weeks to encourage fruiting. I have not yet tried this method, but I intend to as I like the idea of an organic feed from a natural source, so I’ll update this article with the results!

Are the Leaves Curing up and Turning Brown or Black? Your Strawberries Could be Dying from Frost Damage

Have you had a late frost in Spring? (the bane of every gardener’s life!) Frost damage can cause strawberry leaves to curl up, turn brown, and even black, depending on the severity of the frost.

Strawberry plants are most often killed by late frosts in Spring as they have not had time to acclimatize to the outdoors, especially if they have been grown in a greenhouse at a nursery before being sold and planted in your garden.

At the garden center where I work, the strawberry plants are all grown outdoors nearby so that they are well adapted to the regional climate. However, I know of some garden centers that import their plants from a long way away, often in climates that are much warmer, so they tend to suffer and turn brown when in the cold.

So, my top tip is to ask the garden center workers or research where they source their plants before buying.

If there is only light frost damage to your strawberry plant with only a few affected leaves, then it is possible that the plant can be revived. What I advise you do is to cut back any affected growth with pruners and protect it from any more frost.

However, preventing damage in the first place should be prioritized, as sharp late frosts can wipe out an entire garden of strawberry plants.

But how do we do this? When growing strawberries, it is a good idea to buy horticultural fleece beforehand so you can protect them when a frost is forecast, or grow strawberries in a greenhouse or polytunnel to protect them from frost.

I personally check the forecast for the week and wrap my plants up in fleece if necessary. Of course, you can plant your strawberry plants in pots and bring them into a shed or garage overnight to prevent frost damage.

Fungal Diseases

Our strawberry plants are susceptible to fungal disease grey mold and powdery mildew on their leaves.

Grey mold appears on the decaying parts of the plant in humid conditions, such as older leaves or flowers with a grey, fuzzy appearance, causing the plant to rot and die back, which is why if you are in a humid climate, planting your strawberries in pots is the best way.

Powdery Mildew appears as the white fungus that stunts the strawberry plant’s growth and causes the leaves to shrivel and curl.

For more information on grey mold and powdery mildew read these articles by the RHS.

Are Grubs Eating the Roots?

So, I had a question from one of my readers…

“Have you heard of grubs eating strawberries? Most of my large 8’ diameter strawberry patch is dead. You can lift the dead plants up easily as there are little or no roots and there are grubs everywhere ! What can i do to save the few remaining plants?” -Jim Prado

As I explained to Jim in the comments, the grubs eating the roots are likely vine weevils. My advice in this scenario is to dig up all the remaining strawberry plants, wash the soil off under the tap, and remove any remaining grubs before replanting in pots, so you can contain the problem in case you miss any more grubs.

I would then dig the soil with a fork to expose as many grubs as possible to predators (garden birds love to eat grubs), which breaks the weevil’s life cycle.

The third step is to use nematodes, which are microscopic worms that, again, prey on the grubs. The nematodes are environmentally and pet-friendly. You can purchase them online and mix a solution with water which you then spray on the affected strawberry patch to break the life cycle and get rid of the grubs.

Has anyone else had this or a similar problem in their garden? If so, please leave a comment below, as I’m interested in seeing how common this problem is! I’ll reply with targeted advice.

Keep in Mind that Strawberry Plants only Live for 6 Years

As I warned you at the top of the article, Individual strawberry plants have a relatively short lifespan of around 6 years or so, with the best fruit in my experience in the first and second years, even in optimal conditions.

After the second year, strawberry plants decline in productivity and can eventually die back, usually because of fungus in the soil, which turns the leaves brown.

So do not be alarmed if your plants are dying after several years as this is the normal life cycle of a strawberry plant.

However, the good news is that a mature strawberry plant puts out runners (which are long stems that are above ground) that produce strawberry plantlets, which is a great way to grow more strawberry plants with minimal intervention required from yourself.

This, of course, does not happen as readily if your strawberry plants are in pots, in which case you may have to dispose of your strawberry plants after 2 or 3 years.

Do you have any more questions or insights about strawberry plants? If so, please leave a comment below, and I’ll reply! I love hearing from you!

Key Takeaways:

• Dying strawberry plants are usually caused by underwatering. If the soil is not consistently moist whilst the strawberry plant’s roots are established, the leaves lose too much moisture, which causes wilting and brown leaves, resulting in a dying strawberry plant.
• Strawberry leaves turn yellow as a result of root rot and nutrient deficiencies in the soil.
• Frost damage in the spring can turn foliage brown or black and cause the strawberry plant to die back.
• Strawberry plants live for only 6 years and can die back due to the fungal diseases of grey mold and powdery mildew.