Pineberry and Purple Strawberry Plants - Brown Leaves soon after planting.

[phkc070408]

My Strawberries have a disease that I can't identify. I'm hoping someone can help me figure it out and advise me on what to do. It started with the Pineberries but is apparently spreading.

I tried to be patient, thinking they were in shock from being planted or something, but apparently that was the wrong thing to do, since it's spreading.

 

[YumYum]

Did you put that Black Cow stuff down or heavily fertilize with nitrogen?

 

[phkc070408]

I did not, however the soil is brand new last fall and this is the first planting I've done in it. It's 2/3 compost and 1/3 topsoil. I also threw in a thing of Coffee grounds.

The PH goes from between 6.5 and 7.5 depending on where I test it. I also did an NPK test and got N3, P2, K1.

Edit: I also added a few bags of the Coast of Maine Lobster and Crab compost.

 

[YumYum]

I watered some Vinca flowers one time with a dilution of coffee water and it turned them a whiteish color. I think the caffeine done that. You could try flushing the soil out with plain water. Earlier this year I tried transplanting strawberries while they were dormant and I still lost half of them for some reason. I'm not sure why but they looked the same way yours does over a time period.

What kind of nutrient test did you use?

 

[phkc070408]

Just a simple home test - with the capsules and the color chart. I thought strawberry plants liked coffee because of the acidic functions.

I put maybe 2 gallons of coffee grounds in a garden that is 60 square feet and mixed in maybe 1 to 1.5 feet deep.

I'm willing to get new plants and take some of soil off of the top and lay new top-soil if necessary. I really don't want to loose an entire year.

 

[YumYum]

Which test? I've used those before and nitrogen is always low. Sounds like there is too much nitrogen in there. I would definitely flush the soil.

 

[phkc070408]

OK. I can flush it. How long should I let the water run? It's a 10 x 6 garden. Also, do you think I should get all new plants after flushing? Obviously those 2 wineberries are done.

When you say "I've used those before and nitrogen is always low." I assume you mean it reads lower than it should.

 

[YumYum]

Oh I thought you had a raised bed. It would take a lot of water to flush that out. Maybe you could flush out the troublesome spots only and let the rain wash out the rest.

The ones I've used (Moser Lee I think and something else) only has high, med, low. So I'm assuming high=3, med=2, low=1. Or is it the other way around? high=1, med=2, low=3. Look at the directions and make sure first.

 

[phkc070408]

It is a raised bed. 10' x 6' x 1.5' tall


And a Rapidtest. N4 is Surplus, N0 is Depleted

 

[YumYum]

Have you got a model number on the Rapidtest? I don't see one that gives 1-2-3 results.

 

[phkc070408]

https://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-1601-Rapitest-Phosphorous/dp/B0000DI845/ref=asc_df_B0000DI845/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=216532910363&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14882911686126964315&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007481&hvtargid=pla-338189048826&psc=1

 

[YumYum]

You should be good on the nitrogen then. I woudn't flush it then unless there is a buildup of salts. I see some sprouted brassicas in there. It might just be transplant shock. You can add about 2 lbs of wood ashes to the bed to up the K but it will raise the ph level just a bit.

 

[phkc070408]

So you think I'm OK? The one plant has completely brown leaves. The other one, with both green and brown leaves, I do see some new growth coming up on the bottom on the right side. This is why I'm so unsure of what to do.

 

[YumYum]

I'd say your NPK is fine. Not sure of anything else. Sometimes that potassium test just doesn't seem right to me compared to a real soil test so I'd say your K is ok.

@Chuck recommends a product called Superthrive to help with transplant shock. I've never used it. Like I say I lost half of my strawberries too by transplanting this year. It didn't happen to me last year, they all survived last year. If you plant the crown too deep, they don't like that at all either.

 

[phkc070408]

Do you think I'm underwatering? They are in rowed mounds, the mounds are about 2" above the base of the trough. I'm only watering in the trough, not on the mound itself. Do you think that since the root system is still small, water isn't making it into the middle of the mound?

I thought the idea was not to get the leaves too wet, but maybe I'm wrong.