[AlaninCarlisle]

I've had three great crops of strawberries from the same bed in my polytunnel until this year. I cleared out all the old plants and after treating the bed to a good old horsemuck and Growmore rejuvenation last autumn, I planted fresh stock early this year. They are slowly dying off. There's no evidence of fungal infection or pest infestation so I'm wondering if it could be the strawberry equivalent of "rose sickness". If it is, it must be specific to polytunnels as I've had the same outdoor strawberry beds for years without any problems

[bravemurphy]

Horsemuck, what was the bedding for the horses or was it pure?

[gavinjconway]

Is it maybe Aminopyralid problem brought in by the horse muck?? I dont know about whether it affects strawberries.

[solway cropper]

Unless you can absolutely guarantee the provenance of the horse muck I wouldn't touch the stuff. So much of it contains herbicide residues. Like Gavin I don't know how aminopyralid affects strawbs but it certainly has a devastating effect on tomatoes.

[AlaninCarlisle]

The horse-muck is from our own ponies that graze on our own field that has never, in 33 years, been treated with any form of herbicide, insecticide or fungicide. Their dry feed is the usual beet, oats and etc. The ponies themselves have had no veterinary medication in the last three years. Other crops in the tunnel seem quite healthy.

The strawberries don't seem to suddenly keel over as if they have been sprayed with glyphosate but just slowly wilt as if water-logged (which they aren't).

Puzzling in the extreme as I've been growing strawberries (admittedly not in a tunnel) for 40 years and haven't seen this before

[surbie100]

Are you absolutely sure you aren't being weeviled from below? It does really sound like it.

[AlaninCarlisle]

Just had a much more thorough dig around and you're right. It is weevil grubs. Is there a legal and effective cure?

[ptarmigan]

Nematodes? 

[surbie100]

Nematodes is the only thing I know of for edibles.  And/or shifting strawberry growing to somewhere else. Sorry mate. 

[AlaninCarlisle]

I'll just pop out to the local farming supply outlet to see what they recommend (that doesn't come in 10 gallon drums or 50 kg sacks ). Failing that it's whatever B&Q sell as nematodes

[Yorkie]

I'll just pop out to the local farming supply outlet to see what they recommend (that doesn't come in 10 gallon drums or 50 kg sacks ). Failing that it's whatever B&Q sell as nematodes

Bear in mind that they might recommend something which is only available for professional use.  If you're not sure about something, and have a smart phone with you with internet access, you can check it out on the pesticides database.

[mjpalin]

Having been affected by the damn grubs more than once, the only stuff we've found in Garden Centres / B&Q / the like has been for non edible plants. Only nematodes seem ok for edible, and i've only been able to order those on-line.

[AlaninCarlisle]

Found exactly the same problem in all the DIY and Garden-Centre outlets. Provado seems to be the main one but not for use on edible plants. Then went to a farm-supplier who told me there was no real solution other than to try nematodes but not to expect too much as they are very dependent on constant temperatures. His solution was to poison the critters with one of the known mixtures such as Provado, write off the strawberries this year and let the land lie fallow for a year if I intend to keep growing strawberries there next year.

I'll buy  something on line with nematodes in, not expect too much and give it a whirl

[Eblana]

I had the same problem in my PT last year.  I gave it a treatment with nematodes last spring before I replanted the strawberries.  I dug out all the strawberry plants last autumn and potted them up and left them outside for the winter.  I retreated the bed with nematodes in the autumn and again this spring before replanting the strawberry plants.  They look really healthy this year and are starting to flower already.  I got the Nematodes on the internet from a place here in Ireland that does a subscription service where you pay monthly and they send you the nematodes at the right time for application in the spring and autumn.  You need to keep the soil warm and damp for the nematodes to work.

[AlaninCarlisle]

Bear in mind that they might recommend something which is only available for professional use.

They usually do, and then ensure I understand how to use it. You see, with a few acres here, I'm treated as being in the small-holding business