Chemical Sprays for Strawberries

Insecticides

• Tarnished plant bugs, or Lygus bugs, are small insects that have a brassy appearance. They feed on strawberry flowers or developing seeds, preventing fruiting or causing malformed fruits. Sprays containing carbaryl, diazinon, malathion or permethrin are effective against these insects. Strawberry root weevils are black, beetle-like insects that carve notches in strawberry leaves while larvae feed on the roots. They are controlled using sprays containing malathion. Insecticides come under a number of brand names and formulations; always read label directions. Apply before bloom to avoid damage to bees.

Herbicides

• Normally, weeds in a strawberry patch are pulled out by hand. However, when plants are dormant, plants may be treated with products containing an anime form of the spray 2,4-D, a broadleaf herbicide. Strawberries go into dormancy in early winter through early spring and again during a brief period in summer shortly after the harvest. Spray products containing sethoxydim are used for grasses in strawberry beds. These products are sold under varying brand names and formulations. To avoid killing the strawberry plants with these herbicide sprays, follow label directions exactly.

Fungicides

• A number of fungal problems can plague strawberries. Gray mold, or botrytis fruit rot, for example, causes gray mold to form on the fruits, while anthracnose fruit rot causes brownish-purple dry lesions. Both tend to develop during times of high humidity. Once signs of the disease have developed, apply spray fungicides containing captan. Captan comes in a number of forms, including liquid, and can be found under a large number of brand names.

Fertilizers

• Both chemical and natural fertilizers can be applied using hose-end sprayers. While popular, it's difficult to obtain consistent coverage using these sprayers. However, since several brand name fertilizers offer it as an easy way to fertilize grass, landscape plants and gardens, they remain popular. Fertilizers contain an analysis, found in 3 numbers on the label (i.e., 7-5-10). Fertilize strawberries with either a balanced formula such as 10-10-10 or a formula higher in potassium and phosphorus, such as 6-10-10, both essential components in fruit development.