Removing overwintering leaves on plasticulture strawberries in the early spring is a time-consuming and labor-intensive job. I was asked whether the effort is worthwhile. I want to share my observation that confirms it is worth the effort.
We conducted a comparative study on second-year plasticulture strawberries at Southwest Purdue Ag Center in Vincennes, IN. In one row, we removed overwintering leaves and runners in February; in the other, we did not. Now at the time of harvest, we have observed noticeably higher botrytis pressure in the rows where the old leaves were not removed (Fig 1 and 2). Additionally, we noted significantly more sap beetle damage in the rows where berries were in contact with dead plant material (Fig 3). About 30-50% of the berries in these rows had cavities caused by the beetles, while the rows from which we had removed old leaves showed minimal damage. These observations emphasize the importance of cultural practices in controlling pests. For more information about sap beetles in strawberries, refer to this article.
Fig 1. The rows old leaves and runners were not removed in the early spring.
Fig. 2 Botrytis fruit rot on strawberries
Fig 3. Sap Beetle damage on strawberries