Can someone please help me figure what's happening to my strawberry plants?

[gwen]

For context: I have 3 different strawberry pots, it's their 1st winter. They were very healthy, produced some strawberries until end of october, then they started getting some yellow spots on the leaves that turn fully yellow, that then dye out, so I remove them. One pot is particularly bad. I believed it was fungi potentially, so I spay a mixture of water and vinegar once a week, but it doesn't seem to be helping. I don't see any small insects or webbing, even when zooming in.

We have a lot of wind, and some pretty cold and dark days, but they are in a spot where they're fully exposed to the sun.

Can I save them? Thank you!! And Very happy holidays!

 

[Meadowlark]

Howdy.

My guess the answer to your question lies in the soil.

Strawberries need a rich, loamy, well-drained soil with a pH between 5.3 and 6.5.

What nutrients are available to the strawberries? Any fertilizers applied?

Vinegar is not a significant source of nutrients for plants. It primarily contains acetic acid, which can be harmful to plants if applied in high concentrations. Its ph is generally in the 2-3 range and weekly applications may be providing an acidic soil.

 

[gwen]

Howdy.

My guess the answer to your question lies in the soil.

Strawberries need a rich, loamy, well-drained soil with a pH between 5.3 and 6.5.

What nutrients are available to the strawberries? Any fertilizers applied?

Vinegar is not a significant source of nutrients for plants. It primarily contains acetic acid, which can be harmful to plants if applied in high concentrations. Its ph is generally in the 2-3 range and weekly applications may be providing an acidic soil.

Thank you! I don't use too much vinegar in the solution. I don't think it would be significant enough to make the soil that acidic.
I have a soil with compost at a ph of about 6. I have been using a fertiliser that's meant specifically for strawberry plants but I stopped using it once it got too cold, in the packaging it says to stop in november.
The pots are well drained with holes at the bottom and some clay balls. I water them once a week, since it's cold, but usually three times a week.

Should I keep using fertilizer? Lower the water rate? Or any other advice?

Thank you so much

 

[oldigrow]

I'm from Missouri the best strawberries i'v ever seen were grown on a flint rock shale hilltop. the person that grew them was a high school friend . he said just lift a rock and and cover the roots .

 

[Meadowlark]

Why apply vinegar weekly?

 

[gwen]

Why apply vinegar weekly?

It was mostly an anti-fungi thing, which I suspected at first, and found that water + a little vinegar would help with that. I did that 3 times only, and very little quantity.

 

[Meadowlark]

I'm going to flag @YumYum for ideas on your strawberries.

How about it @YumYum ?

@gwen ...vinegar is widely used as an organic herbicide

 

[Anniekay]

If it's coming into winter where you are, strawberry leaves turn color as the plant goes dormant for the winter, so nothing is wrong. Remove the bad leaves and mulch them heavily and they should be fine come spring.
Don't use vinegar as insecticide, use safer soap to get rid of bugs.
.

 

[gwen]

If it's coming into winter where you are, strawberry leaves turn color as the plant goes dormant for the winter, so nothing is wrong. Remove the bad leaves and mulch them heavily and they should be fine come spring.
Don't use vinegar as insecticide, use safer soap to get rid of bugs.
.

It's winter indeed, temps are pretty low between 8-0°C.
That's reassuring thank you.
Noted for the vinegar!

 

[gwen]

I'm going to flag @YumYum for ideas on your strawberries.

How about it @YumYum ?

@gwen ...vinegar is widely used as an organic herbicide

Noted! Thank you! That actually makes sense now that I think about it...