Why can't my strawberry plants ever live!!?!?!?

[Rio_Lindo_AZ]

Every year, I buy some perfectly healthy strawberry plants from my local nursery, and they always die. They just dry up and die! This year I bought a small strawberry plant and it was doing perfect for about a month -it even started growing flowers. Then, all of a sudden it started drying up and the leaves lost they're beautiful, green, glossy color.
Can someone please tell me what's going on?!?!!?

Thanks,
C_B

 

[bills]

Verticillium wilt, could be the problem. If it's present in your soil, it could wipe them out every year you plant them. Usually the bigger leaves go brown first, the smaller stay green longer, but the whole plant eventually dies off.

I't a tough one to beat, although I believe there are some that are more resistant to it then others.

 

[Rio_Lindo_AZ]

My other herbs and fruits do fine with my garden soil.

Maybe ts just too hot were I live.

I took some pics of it today. I'll show you what It looks like.

 

[patandchickens]

Every year, I buy some perfectly healthy strawberry plants from my local nursery, and they always die. They just dry up and die! This year I bought a small strawberry plant and it was doing perfect for about a month -it even started growing flowers. Then, all of a sudden it started drying up and the leaves lost they're beautiful, green, glossy color.
Can someone please tell me what's going on?!?!!?

My first guess is, you live in Southern Arizona

Does anyone ELSE in your area successfully grow strawberries, and if so, is it in a comparable area (similar soil, similar daytime temperatures *around the strawberry bed in particular*)?

Pat

 

[Awww..Dirt!]

Try growing them in a bag of potting soil. Just punch a few holes at the bottom of the bag for drainage, cut the top open and plant your plants.
Remember to keep it watered really good and you should have good plants. I grew a cherry tomato plant that way last year! Got wonderful tomatoes! I have wine barrel w/potting soil to grow my strawberries this year.
Don't give up!
:aww

 

[coopy]

Try container growing. It can be done. Use top soil not potting soil.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, my first thought was, "can you grow them there?". They do great up here... but we are cold and wet... with strawberries dying back a bit when temps go over about 75 (rare). Seems they like cooler and wetter conditions that what I'd imagine down there. Container sounds like the way to go with your strawberries.

 

[Rio_Lindo_AZ]

Thanks guys!

I'll follow all your advice. :happy_flower

 

[Cassandra]

Chickenboy, are you making any progress with your strawberry plants? I'm supposed to pick up some transplants in a few days. I think I am going to try doing the growing in a bag of soil thing.

Cassandra

 

[Kwynn]

I live in Ak, and I have had no trouble with my strawberries. I'm also learning as i go, but Ican tell you what I do know, based from my expirience.

The bare root plnts at the nursery looked horrible. all dried up, and when I sold people plants out of my garden, they said their nursery bought plants never lived, they just dried up, and died away.

i saw the plants were wrapped in newspaper, and had some vermiculite in with it. when I was selling them, I wrapped the roots in a piece of rag, that was wetted with cold water. i stressed to everyone to keep them cool.

Everytime I had dug up a plant in the years past, and replanted it, it looked sad, and i had thought it would die. I kept watering them, and feeding them, and the next spring, they would come back vigorus and healthy. I learned this was because I had not kept them cool intil I planted them. I had dug up a large tray full of them, let them sit out, the dirt around the roots would get dry...last year, I took extra precautions, and all my plants did suprisingly well.

They did so well this year that i was able to sell/trade many plants for things to fund mytiny farm.

if it is vermiticulum wilt, try planting your plants somewhere else, (crop rotation) I think it was to keep them away from where tomatoes,peppers, and I think beans...but I'd have to look again.

Planting in planters did ok, but they just dry out so quickly...I guess if you use mulch too, in the planter. I just have a prob. keeping them watered, as we have very busy summers. I try to plant as much as I can i the ground, and mulch like crazy!!

Awww...dirt said try growing in a bag of soil. I've heard of growing in strawbales too. Place a layer of growing medium a few inches thick on a straw bale, plant your plants and I think mulch with a little more straw. I might have read that in Mother earth news.



now that I've talked my head off...let me know if anything else has worked for you. I love growing strawberries...The only thing is I have no idea what kind of plants mine are. They were scattered on the hill side on the property we bought, and I have been digging them up, and making berry beds for the last 6-7 years. I do know they are june bearers...they give me berries all through june.