Strawberries: Winter injury

Cold temperature injury causes poor growth and sparse flowering in early spring. Roots on pulled-up plants appear healthy, as the damage will be concealed inside of the crown.

Slice the crown in half lengthwise and look for brown tissue. Healthy crowns are milky white inside.

Dormant or dead strawberry plant with crown sliced in half vertically. Crown has marbled pattern of brown dead tissue and white healthy tissue.

Strawberry crown sliced in half vertically. A brown, necrotic lesion is at the base of the crown. Crown above the lesion is milky white.