Strawberries: Nutrient deficiencies

Nutrient Deficiencies

Nutrient deficiencies, such as calcium, magnesium, or potassium tend to follow soil type or drainage patterns.

Calcium Deficiency

Interveinal necrosis and yellowing of leaf tips on strawberry plant.
Calcium deficiency symptoms in established plant.

 

Strawberry runner with browning of new leaves. Stem attached to runner has pinched, blackened appearance. Runner rootlets are black and underdeveloped.
Calcium deficiency in strawberry runner.

Potassium Deficiency

Potassium deficiency causes marginal burning and a dark discoloration of the leaves.

Deep purple discoloration on strawberry leaf. Discoloration begins at center of plant and travels outwards towards margins. Leaf edges have small, tan, necrotic lesions.
Potassium deficiency in strawberry.

Magnesium Deficiency

Three strawberry leaves side by side, indicating progression of Mg deficiency symptoms, increasing from left to right. Leaf on left is healthy and green. Leaf in center has some tan, dry lesions along leaf edges and along veins. Leaf on left has roughly half of its surface covered in tan necrotic lesions along interveinal margins and along outer leaf edges.
Magnesium deficiency in strawberry.

Boron Deficiency

Boron is the most commonly deficient micronutrient in strawberry plantings as it is very prone to leaching. Boron deficiency causes many symptoms, but among the most obvious are deformed berries

Ripe strawberry fruit with "belt-squeezed" appearance.

asymmetrical leaves

Strawberry leaves with reduced size and crinkles along leaf veins.

Small strawberry leaves with extreme inward cupping.

and stubby roots.

Strawberry roots with small, stubby branching off of long main roots.

Suspected boron deficiencies can be verified with a  foliar analysis done through Agro-One.

Use these resources if you need additional help with diagnosis and to find solutions to your problem.

Confirm nutrient deficiencides with soil and/or foliar analysis through Agro-One.