Mouldy Strawberries

[lindylupin]

Hi. Can anyone tell me why my strawberries are going mouldy where they join the plant? I have tons of green strawberries on the plants and they get nearly ripe but just before the whole berry is red they start to go mouldy.
Should I remove them before they are ripe? How would I ripen them off the plants? Sorry if these are thicky questions--just started my 1st ever veg/fruit raised beds this year so new to it all!!
Think this site is great---has answered many of my questions already!

[shirlthegirl43]

Hi and welcome to the vine lindylupin.

I am having similar problems with my strawbs and assume it is due to the weather we are having. I am sure the experts will be along to put us right soon enough.

[lindylupin]

Hi Shirley- sorry you've got the same problem but glad it's not just me. It's really annoying that yesterday I saw lovely, nearly ripe strawbs and was looking forward to munching them today and they were only fit for the compost bin this morning --- I only got the compost bin yesterday so at least it's got something in it now!!

[debjay]

hi
just found this, could it be botrytis?

http://topveg.com/2007/07/01/grey-mo...-strawberries/

debs


www.johndebs.piczo.com/

[mellonmellow]

hi
just found this, could it be botrytis?

http://topveg.com/2007/07/01/grey-mo...-strawberries/

debs


www.johndebs.piczo.com/

Excellent. I think that you are right. It must be botrytis. Get back to us on this, Lindy.

[Alice]

Hello Lindylupin. What a shame about your strawberries. It does indeed sound like botrytis. Some varieties are much more susceptible to it than others. It's all the wet weather to blame. Once you've got it it spreads to the other strawberries so you need to remove all the diseased fruits. Is there anything you can do to improve the circulation around them - lift the fruit clusters clear of the leaves and up off the ground. I do hope you can save some and you might want to think about a different variety for next year.

[lindylupin]

FANTASTIC. Thank you all for your replys. I've checked out the info and the pictures are the same as my strawbs---definately think it is botrytis.
Thanks Debjay, Mellonmellow and Alice for your help.
I think I have planted the plants too close together. They are in window boxes and I originally put 5 plants in each box. I realised as they grew that there wasn't enough space and took 2 out of each box-leaving 3 in each. I think a max of 2 would be better. I didn't realize, this being my 1st attempt at growing fruit n veg, how big they got. Still I know know and will spread them out better next time. Thanks again--it's great to know you are all out there for help when I need it!!

[Alice]

Hello Lindylupin, glad you are able to be philosophical about your strawberries for this year. It's all a learning curve. The best I can say to you is spend the winter researching what is a botrytis resistant variety in your area. I think the variety does make a difference.

[wellie]

Hi Lindylupin,

Some of my Strawberry fruits have also suffered in the same way, and it is definitely to do with the very wet humid weather conditions, but as has been wisely suggested, if you can create a little more space/air circulation, there's hope for improvement. The 'second flush' of fruits forming on mine now are beginning to dangle over the edges of the big raised box I have them growing in, and because they are growing freely over the edges, with bags more space, the fruits are completely disease free now.

I wish you lots of luck with yours.

[eskymo]

Birds have been pecking at my ripe straberries, so I've been picking them just before they are fully ripe and putting them into a tuperware box with a ripe banana - works a treat and they ripen really quickly and STILL taste better than the watery nonsense sold in supermarkets

[lindylupin]

Thanks for that eskymo. I'll definately give that a go as I've got loads of green strawbs on the plants so once they are about half ripe I'll take them off--before the mould strikes--and use your trick. Yumm can't wait!

[lindylupin]

Thanks again Alice. I'll definately do more research for next year. I'm really enjoying 'getting into' my new hobby and am already making plans for the next lot of crops. Thanks again.

[lindylupin]

Thanks a lot Wellie. I've learnt such a lot from this site over the last few days and really looking forward to 'getting it right' with the next crop.

[beaneater]

my strawberries rotted before I got them picked due to the weather and them that looked good had been got at before me by the slugs.
now can anyone help me with raspberry beetle I am looking for the insecticide with pyrethrum in it as per the advice in the grow it mag