Strawberry gardens are becoming more and more popular as a hobby, as a way to decorate, or as a way to make money. It’s very frustrating to look forward to years of bumper strawberry harvests and then see the plants go from looking healthy to wilting. Strawberry plants that are wilting can make even the most steady gardener want to rip out his own follicles out of frustration. This post is a review of what causes strawberries to wilt.
Sometimes wilting strawberries can be salvaged if the underlying cause is discovered and remedied. But if the wilt is caused by a pathogen, there isn’t always much that can be done after it starts.
For the sake of accuracy, it is good to distinguish between non-infectious wilting and blight. Both look similar and can be easily confused, but they are actually different. Blights can lead to wilting strawberry plants, but wilting is a symptom only. Wilting is evidence of a problem, not necessarily a disease (blight). [feast_advanced_jump_to].
Transplanting strawberry plants can be stressful for them, and it’s common for the plants to show signs of wilting shortly after being moved to a new location Wilting in freshly transplanted strawberries is usually caused by transplant shock, overwatering, or exposure to temperature extremes. With proper care, strawberry transplants can recover and thrive in their new home
What Causes Strawberry Plants to Wilt After Transplanting?
There are three main reasons strawberry plants may start to wilt soon after transplant
Transplant Shock
The most common cause of post-transplant wilting in strawberries is transplant shock. When you dig up a plant and move it somewhere new, the roots get damaged in the process. This interrupts the plant’s ability to take up water and nutrients, leading to wilting as the plant struggles to adapt to its new environment. Signs of transplant shock usually show up within the first week after relocating the plant.
Overwatering
While it may seem counterintuitive, too much water can also cause wilting in recently transplanted strawberries. Saturated soil prevents the roots from getting adequate oxygen. Without oxygen, the roots can’t respirate properly to move water through the plant. Paradoxically, all that excess water around the roots leads to wilt symptoms.
Temperature Extremes
Strawberry plants prefer daytime temperatures around 70°F to 80°F. If it’s significantly hotter or colder than that, particularly right after transplanting, it can cause the plants to wilt. Heat and cold stress the plants making it harder for them to cope with the trauma of being relocated.
Preventing Transplant Wilting in Strawberries
While some post-transplant wilting is probably inevitable, you can take steps to reduce the likelihood and severity:
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Avoid transplanting in very hot or very cold weather. Pick a mild day in spring or fall if possible.
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Water plants thoroughly before and after transplanting. Keep soil moist but not saturated.
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Transplant quickly and carefully to minimize root damage. Avoid leaving roots exposed to air.
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Provide shade for newly transplanted plants. Filtered sunlight reduces heat stress.
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Use willow water or Epsom salts to encourage root growth. This helps plants establish faster.
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Allow plants a few weeks to recover before fertilizing. Fertilizer can actually damage stressed plants.
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Remove any damaged leaves after transplant. This allows the plant to focus energy on roots.
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Check soil drainage before transplanting. Strawberries need well-draining soil to avoid sitting in excess moisture.
What to Do if Strawberry Transplants Start Wilting
If your strawberries start drooping and looking sickly after transplanting, don’t panic. With prompt care, they can bounce back. Here are some tips:
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Check soil moisture and water if needed. Let the soil dry slightly between waterings.
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Move plant to a shaded area out of direct sun if wilting occurs on a hot day.
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Mist plant leaves with water to increase humidity around the plant.
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Apply Epsom salts or willow water to encourage root growth and recovery.
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Remove any dead or heavily damaged leaves, but leave some healthy foliage.
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Avoid fertilizing until the plant recovers, usually 2-3 weeks.
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Monitor for pests like mites that may attack a stressed plant.
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Be patient! Transplant shock can take many weeks to fully resolve.
With attentive care and time to adjust, a wilting strawberry transplant should gradually recover and resume growing normally. Just take steps to reduce transplantation stress, fix any environmental issues like overwatering, and tend to the plant’s needs as it regains its vigor.
When to Worry About Wilting Strawberry Transplants
Mild wilting right after transplant is expected, but there are certain circumstances that warrant concern:
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Wilting lasts longer than 2-3 weeks with no improvement
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Leaves are browning, yellowing or dropping excessively
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Plant growth seems stunted
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Wilting worsens or spreads to other transplants
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No new leaf growth over time
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Presence of fungus or pests on the plant
If severe wilting persists long-term or the plant continues to decline, an underlying disease, pest infestation or environmental issue is likely at play. Strawberry plants rarely die from transplant shock alone if cared for properly. Work to diagnose and remedy any other problems affecting the plant.
Additional Tips for Healthy Strawberry Transplants
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Select young, healthy plants from a reputable nursery. Avoid old or diseased transplants.
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Transplant in the cool of morning or evening to avoid midday heat stress.
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Water with willow water for a week after transplant to stimulate root growth.
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Cover transplant beds with shade cloth if experiencing heatwaves or cold snaps.
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Provide wind protection for transplants on windy sites.
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Loosen soil in transplant holes and water holes before planting.
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Keep monitoring soil moisture and drainage. Strawberries are sensitive to overwatering.
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Fertilize cautiously with organic phosphorus fertilizer once transplant begins clearly recovering.
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Remove flowers in first year to let transplants focus energy on establishing.
With attentive care tailored to strawberries’ preferences, your transplants can settle happily into their new home and reward you with bountiful berries in future seasons!
Saturated soil causes wilting strawberries…
The process of moving water throughout a plant requires some energy. This energy is generated by the process of cellular respiration. If the soil is too wet, the oxygen level can drop so low that the roots can’t breathe. However, if this happens, they won’t be able to get enough water up to the plant, even though there is plenty of it. This too much water will not only stop water from getting to the plant, which will cause it to wilt, but it will also prepare the plant for the next thing that will cause it to wilt. In other words, if drowning doesn’t kill it, a disease probably will.
Why Do Strawberry Plants Wilt?
Strawberry plants are forbs. They don’t have the woody tissue that many plants (like trees) have above ground, but they still have veins. Without the woody tissue, their stems cannot thicken and stiffen to support increasing vertical growth. Consequently, they are short and rely on turgor pressure to maintain an erect habit. At the cellular level, strawberry plants have cell walls. It is the pressure that comes from the osmotic forces pushing the inner plasma membrane against the outer cell wall. It moves from an area with few solutes into the cell’s vacuole, which has more solutes. The water comes from outside the cell. The turgor pressure is caused by the increase in water inside the cell, and plants depend on this turgidity to keep their rigidity (which is what gives them their normal shape and look). If they lose their turgidity, they lose their rigidity, and they wilt.
EVERYTHING I wish I Knew When I First Planted Strawberries
FAQ
How to revive wilted strawberry plants?
Is it normal for plants to wilt after transplanting?
How often do you water strawberry transplants?
Do strawberries Wilt?
Both look similar and can be easily confused, but they are actually different. Blights can lead to wilting strawberry plants, but wilting is a symptom only. Wilting is evidence of a problem, not necessarily a disease (blight). Why Do Strawberry Plants Wilt? 1. Drought causes wilting strawberries… 2. Low temperatures cause strawberries to wilt… 3.
Why does my strawberry plant wilt?
Here’s what I found. Strawberry plants get wilting leaves from improper watering, hot weather, transplant shock, and diseases such as root rot and Verticillium wilt. To prevent droopy leaves, only water when the top 2-4 inches of soil is dry and apply compost and mulch. Also, provide partial shade when temperatures exceed 80ºF.
Can I transplant a strawberry plant if I have transplant shock?
Transplant shock occurs when a plant is exposed to a new environment and has to establish a new root system. Avoid transplanting strawberry plants unless necessary as it can take up to 1 year for recovery. To help avoid transplant shock, I like to plant with the following steps in mind:
Will a blighted strawberry plant wilt?
Blighted strawberry plants will likely eventually wilt. When pathogenic fungi or bacteria manage to infect the tissues of a strawberry plant, wilting is often not far behind. The pathogenic organisms work their way into the structures of the plant and can clog the vascular system.
Why do strawberry plants die?
We had some ideas, but we wanted to do more research to be sure. Here’s what we found. Strawberry plants commonly die from improper watering, nutrients, climate, as well as transplant shock, pests, and diseases like aphids and mildew.
Can Strawberry Runners be transplanted?
To leave the roots of the most established strawberry plants intact (so that they will continue to produce strawberries at their highest possible level), it is usually best to transplant strawberry runners that were sent off and rooted that year. To make transplanting strawberry runners easier, see the post on Strawberry Plant Propagation.