The leaves of a strawberry plant can change color because of problems with watering, food, pests, or disease that can be fixed.
Q. I have strawberry plants in my backyard, and I’ve seen that many of their leaves are turning brown or yellow. What could be causing this and what can I do to help my strawberry plants?.
A: If the color of a plant’s leaves changes, it means that something is wrong with the plant. Strawberry plants may lose their leaves or turn brown or yellow for a number of reasons, including not getting enough water, food, disease, or pests.
When growing strawberries, everyone wants healthy plants and bumper crops of delicious fruit. There are, however, many reasons why plants might not do well, and we look at the main ones that could turn the leaves on your strawberry plant yellow.
As a strawberry gardener, few things are more concerning than noticing those crisp, green leaves taking on brown hues While some foliar damage is normal as plants age, excessive or rapid leaf browning indicates underlying problems needing attention. Determining the cause is key to restoring your strawberry plants to vigorous growth and berry production
Common Causes of Strawberry Leaf Browning
A variety of environmental, cultural, and pest factors can lead to browning strawberry foliage:
Under or Overwatering – Inconsistent moisture often scorches leaf margins and tips first. Underwatered plants appear dried out and shriveled. Overwatered plants may develop fungal leaf spots.
Sunscald – Intense afternoon sun combined with inadequate water burns leaves. Upper leaves or leaf surfaces exposed to sun show damage first
Frost Damage – Leaves blackened and shriveled by freezing temperatures, starting with lowest leaves against the ground.
Herbicide Injury – Misapplied herbicides create leaf spotting and margins browning in recognizable spray patterns.
Root and Crown Diseases – Foliar pathogens like anthracnose cause leaf spots, blights, and rapid tissue death. Plants decline and collapse.
Salt Burn – High soluble salt levels in soil from excess fertilizer damage leaf tips and margins. Older leaves affected first.
Nutrient Deficiencies – Lack of nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium lead to characteristic interveinal chlorosis and necrotic spots.
Pests – Chewing insects, mites, and disease-transmitting aphids cause stippling, curling, spotting, and tissue death.
Accurately identifying the trigger for your strawberry leaf browning is essential to remedy the problem. Examine plants closely and note any patterns or associated symptoms before taking action.
Correcting Common Issues Causing Leaf Browning
Once you determine the likely cause, prompt measures can stop damage progression and restore plant health.
Moisture Stress – Maintain even soil moisture. Water when top few inches become dry. Improve drainage in overly wet areas. Add mulch to conserve water.
Sun Exposure – Increase shade with covers during hot afternoons or plant where plants receive morning sun only. Mist foliage to cool.
Frost Damage – Cover plants when freezing weather is forecast. Select less tender varieties that resist cold damage.
Herbicide Injury – Immediately wash off any herbicide landing on plants. Avoid spray drift onto foliage.
Diseases – Improve airflow and avoid wet foliage. Remove and destroy infected leaves/plants. Apply fungicides if infection is severe.
Salt Burn – Leach soil by watering thoroughly to wash away excess salts. Avoid overfertilizing.
Nutrient Deficiency – Have soil tested and amend accordingly. Foliar feed plants showing deficiency symptoms.
Pests – Remove by hand or apply appropriate organic pest control products. attract beneficial insects.
Preventing Future Leaf Browning on Strawberries
Once you’ve tackled the immediate cause of leaf browning, focus on prevention to create optimal growing conditions:
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Choose disease-resistant varieties suitable for your climate.
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Start with healthy, certified disease-free plants from reputable nurseries.
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Select sites with full sun in morning and good drainage or raised beds.
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Enrich soil with compost and maintain a near neutral pH of 6.5.
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Space plants properly and thin dense foliage to encourage air circulation.
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Consistently water at soil level when top few inches become dry. Avoid wetting foliage.
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Use fabric row covers to protect from cold injury.
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Control weeds competing for water and nutrients. Use mulch to conserve moisture.
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Have soil tested every 2-3 years and amend as needed to maintain fertility.
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Scout regularly for pests and treat promptly before they spread.
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Follow label instructions carefully when applying any chemicals, fertilizers or pesticides.
By optimizing growing conditions and practicing vigilant garden sanitation, you can prevent many issues leading to unhealthy, browned foliage. Pay close attention to moisture, sun exposure, nutrition, and pest control for thriving, resilient strawberry plants.
What to Do For Severely Damaged Strawberry Leaves
If excessive leaf browning has already occurred from disease, drought, herbicide exposure, or other causes, the prognosis may look grim. But don’t give up just yet! Here are tips to help your strawberries recover and re-leaf:
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Cut off and dispose of all severely damaged foliage to reduce disease spread.
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Water thoroughly if plants are shriveled from drought and then provide consistent moisture going forward.
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Move containers or create shade covers if leaves show sunscald.
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Apply a balanced foliar nutrient spray if deficiency symptoms are present.
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Be patient! Wait 1-2 weeks to allow for new growth before taking further action.
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Avoid fertilizing or excessive handling while plants are stressed.
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If plant health declines rapidly rather than rebounding, removal and destruction may be necessary.
While disheartening, significant leaf browning doesn’t have to spell the end of your strawberry crop. Taking quick corrective steps once the underlying problem is treated can still allow for regrowth. But severely affected plants may struggle to fully recover depending on the extent of damage.
When to Seek Help Diagnosing Strawberry Leaf Problems
If you’re unsure of the cause of browning leaves or standard treatments fail to stop the decline:
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Bring sample leaves and plants to your local nursery or extension office for diagnosis.
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Send high quality photos of damage to online gardening forums or your agricultural extension for input.
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Have your soil tested for nutritional imbalances.
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Monitor and document symptoms progression to aid in identification.
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Research browning patterns online to match visual symptoms with likely causes.
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Talk to other growers nearby to see if they’re battling similar issues.
An accurate diagnosis is key before attempting to treat browning strawberry leaves. If you’re unable to determine the cause through close inspection and research, seek help from gardening experts in your area. They can guide you in restoring the health and productivity of your strawberry patch. Don’t let mysterious leaf browning remain a mystery!
Why could strawberry leaves turn brown?
Dominique Kline, Farm Manager at The Hope Farm in Fairhope, Alabama, warns that foliage coloration is a major indicator of the vitality of a strawberry plant and when the color varies away from the ‘consistently deep green leaves’ of a healthy plant, then it is a potentially worrying sign.
“One of the first signs that a plant isn’t doing well is a breakdown in chlorophyll, which gives leaves their green color,” she says. ‘This breakdown can be expressed through a range of colors, but browning is the last stage before defoliation. Without enough healthy leaves to produce energy, plants will ultimately die. ’.
Leaves can change color for two reasons: things that gardeners do or things that happen in the environment. They can happen before you even plant the strawberries if you don’t check the soil, and any of them can change when you should pick the strawberries.
Watering (either too much or too little) and not fertilizing plants properly are the main things that make strawberry leaves turn brown or yellow. A number of common pests and fungal diseases could also cause similar-looking issues to strawberry plants.
Dominique Kline is the Farm Manager at The Hope Farm in Fairhope, Alabama. Customers can have a farm-to-table experience at The Hope Farm, and Dominique is in charge of all the crops that are grown there. The farm grows a wide range of fresh fruits, vegetables and mushrooms to be used in the restaurant.
A change in a leafs color is an indicator that something is wrong( credit: Getty/Trudie Davidson)
The most common reason strawberry leaves turn brown is inconsistent watering, which can be caused by both too much and too little water. Overwatering causes leaves to potentially wilt and discolor and can eventually lead to rot and fungal diseases.
Ben Hilton, Founder and Editor of The Yard and Garden, explains that overwatering restricts the absorption of oxygen and ‘effectively drowns the plant’. He adds: ‘This prevents the production of chlorophyll and consequently turns the leaves yellow. The classic symptom of overwatering will be yellow leaves that are soft in texture and often turn dark brown on the edges. This can develop into root rot, which can be seen around the lower portions of the plant crown or runners directly around the crown.’
If you don’t water enough, the leaf tips can turn yellow or brown. The key is to keep the soil from drying out too much or too little. Strawberry plants need about an inch of water every week, but that can change when it’s really hot outside.
Always check the soil an inch or two below the surface to get a better idea of how wet it is, whether you are watering plants in the ground or in pots. The XLUX Soil Moisture Meter, which you can buy on Amazon, is a great tool for checking the level of moisture in the soil. It can tell you right away how wet the soil is below the surface.
Ben Hilton is a seasoned Master Gardener and author of the book Propagating Houseplants Made Easy. He has contributed to numerous publications, including Better Homes & Gardens, Garden Design Magazine, and The English Garden. He also started and is the editor-in-chief of two well-known gardening websites, The Yard and Garden and The Gardening Fix. These sites offer helpful information, tips, and tricks on a wide range of topics, from taking care of plants to designing gardens.
Browning on the edges of leaves can be a sign of over-watering( credit: Getty/annick vanderschelden photography)
Lack of nutrients
Strawberry plants could have yellowing leaves if they don’t get enough of the essential nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium.
Dominique Kline says that a lack of nitrogen is “one of the most common reasons for yellowing” because it helps the plant make food. If there isn’t enough potassium, the edges of the leaves may turn yellow or brown. If there isn’t enough phosphorus, the leaves usually turn a reddish-purple color.
The presence of any of these signs of foliage discoloration can be combated by using targeted fertilizers. Before planting crops, you should check the pH of the soil and see if there are any nutrient deficiencies. You can buy soil test kits that you can use at home, like the Luster Leaf Professional Soil Kit on Amazon. These kits can help you find out your ground’s pH level and nutrients.
Any plant food will have the NPK numbers written on the package as fertilizer numbers, and it needs to be used at the right rate. When planting strawberries, use a balanced fertilizer on the ground. Then, every year in the spring, use a balanced feed to fertilize the strawberries. A mulch of homemade compost annually can also give plants a well-rounded feed of all the important nutrients.
Plants in pots can quickly show signs of nutrient deficiencies, such as yellowing leaves( credit: Alamy/Linda Jones)
There are many common strawberry pests that can cause leaves to turn brown or yellow on a strawberry plant. Aphids, spider mites, thrips, lacewings, and ladybugs are some of the most common pests that tend to attack strawberries. All of these can suck sap out of the foliage and cause leaves to turn yellow.
There are many ways to organically manage such pests. This can be done by attracting predatory insects like lacewings or ladybugs or by using insecticidal soap to get rid of pests, like Captain Jack’s Insecticidal Super Soap, which you can get at Walmart. Pests can be kept away from strawberries by planting them with plants like marigolds, borage, or lupins. Onions, garlic, thyme, chives, and mint are also good plants to grow with strawberries.
Aphids are a common pest and congregate on stems and leaves( credit: Getty/Tomasz Klejdysz)
Finally, disease can also discolor the leaves of strawberry plants, turning the leaves brown or yellow. Verticillium wilt can cause leaves to turn yellow or brown. Botrytis blight and anthracnose, on the other hand, can cause brown spots that can spread and turn the whole leaf brown. Another common strawberry disease is gray mold. When a plant has this disease, its leaves get brown spots and then a fluffy gray mold covers them.
Julia Omelchenko, resident botany expert for the NatureID app, recommends that you react quickly to potential disease and remove leaves in a timely manner. She adds: ‘To prevent fungal diseases, you should treat strawberry beds with broad-spectrum fungicides every fall and early spring.
“If you see any signs, you’ll need to get rid of any bush or plant parts that are infected and treat the bed with fungicides.” ’.
The Garden Safe Fungicide from Walmart is an example of a broad-spectrum fungicide that you can use to get rid of common strawberry pests and diseases.
Julia Omelchenko is a professional botany expert who works for the NatureID app, which helps people identify plants and plant diseases and gives them care tips. She has been having three years of consulting on botany-related topics for NatureID. Her specialization is phytopathology, plant physiology, and plant biochemistry.
Diseases such as black spot and anthracnose can cause brown spots on leaves( credit: Getty/Алексей Филатов)