Most problems we face with strawberry plants are from warmer and humid regions. I love curing plants and last month I saw my strawberry leaves turning brown. Hopefully, I managed to find the reason and cure it. In this article, you will learn the causes of why your strawberry leaves are turning brown and how to cure it.
The straightforward answer for those who don't have enough time to read the full article: It's a watering issue in most cases (Mostly watering in a wrong time or less watering). But if you notice a slight purple or red color at the edges of the leaves, it's Leaf Blight (Use fungicides approved for strawberries to cure this).
Strawberry plants are very delicate and you need to take intense care. Brown leaves indicate that your plant growth rate, and fruit quality will also be affected.
At first, I will tell you the reason for the brown leaves on my strawberry plant then I will move on to the other major possible reasons.
Causes and solution of brown leaves on strawberry plant
It's years of experience that will help you to determine the reason behind any leaf browning. You will see different types of brown leaves (sometimes brown edges around yellow) and you will be able to say "Oh! it seems it needs this or that or I need to change the watering schedule"
Note: A lot of times, we get brown and dry leaves once the leaves get old. It's completely normal and fine. I am assuming you are here because you have noticed unusual brown leaves that should be fresh and green.
Sudden stress
This was the reason for my strawberry plant leaves to go brown. My plant was in a pot and I moved it to somewhere else. Everything changed all of a sudden, like temperature, humidity, light exposure, etc. It will take some time but it will recover soon from the stress.
Overfeeding
Remember less is more for strawberry plants. Do not overfeed your strawberry plant. So how can you tell if the browning leaves are due to overfertilization? Take a closer look at the leaves. If you notice leaves are curling upwards or shrinking abnormally, that might be due to over-fertilization.
To recover your plant from this you need to place your plant in a shady place for a week and water properly. ( Make sure the soil has a well water drainage system)
If you notice any new leaves turning yellow after watering read this: Strawberry leaves turning yellow - Cure
Fungal infection
You can easily detect if the brown spots on the leaves are from fungal infection or not. It always starts with a small red or purple dot on the strawberry leaf. As they expand, it turns brown and at the end, you will get a completely dry brown leaf.
Treatment: It's always better to remove the infected leaves from the plant before they spread. Then apply a fungicide made for strawberry plants ( you can ask the local nurseries or garden pesticide shops).
Watering issue
Never water when the soil is hot (It will give the plant sudden stress and may show brown leaves). Evening time is the best for watering your strawberry plant.
Do not leave the soil dry for longer than 3 days. It will also make the green fresh leaves turn brown.
I don't want to make you confused giving more reasons. But there are some tricks to identify nutrient deficiency I learned during gardening.
If the leaf tip is brown it's due to lack of calcium and if the edges of the leaf are turning brown, it's potassium deficiency. You can apply calcium-based organic fertilizer or bone dust for calcium deficiency. Consider applying potassium-based fertilizer for potassium deficiency.
Note: If the growing leaves are spreading rapidly and none of the treatments are working, consult a local agricultural extension service.
