Question:
Some of my strawberry leaves are a reddish maroon color while others are still green. Do I need to do anything? Also, the soil pH is too high at 7.0. How much gypsum should I add to lower the pH of a planter box that is 4'x 6'x 1' deep?Answer:
It's not unusual for strawberries to turn a maroon color during the winter months.- It's caused by cool temperatures that stop the plants from actively growing. With overcast and cloudy days, the green pigment in some plant leaves is curtailed, so another color is visible. Ivy is another example of this. The leaves will turn green again as the days get longer and warmer.
- If by April, the foliage remains a reddish color or turns a brilliant orange-red, I would suspect a nitrogen deficiency. Strawberries are not heavy feeders but they do like an application of a complete fertilizer before flowering or after fruiting. EB Stone Organics, Fruit, Berry, and Vine Food or similar fertilizer is ideal for fruit trees, berries, and fruiting vines. With Everbearing varieties, I’d make an application, three times a year after each harvest. If the plants were not fed last year then I make my first application now. With June bearing varieties, an annual application is all that’s necessary after fruiting.
- Gypsum does not affect the soil pH but it does help with improving drainage. To lower the soil pH, you need an acidifier such as Soil Sulphur, Aluminum Sulfate or pH Adjustor. The amount will vary with each product. In addition, the nursery professional at your favorite garden center can recommend one. Strawberries like a pH below 6.5.
Note:
The soil pH refers to the acidity or alkalinity of a soil. The pH scale runs from 1to14 with 7.0 being neutral. Any soil below 7.0 is acid while those above 8.0 are classified as alkaline.Question:
I planted primroses last fall and they have done wonderfully through the winter. The flower cluster uses to be just above the foliage, but now, they’re much taller and flopping over. Why does this happen?Answer:
This is a common complaint with Pacific Hybrid English Primroses.- The stretching is a genetic characteristic that occurs as the days get longer, so it can’t be prevented. You avoid the problem by planting the dwarf or ‘Acaulis’ varieties. With dwarf primroses, the flowers are not borne in a cluster on a single stem. Instead, each flowering floret is supported by an individual stem that isn’t affected by the day length, so they’ll alway stay just above the foliage.
- Dwarf primroses are subject to a gray mold called Botrytis during wet, damp periods. The disease discolors and wilts the new shoots and leaves, usually covering them with fuzzy mats of gray or brown spores as they decay and drop. You can’t prevent the disease but dry condition and good air circulation along with grooming the plants after each wet period halts the spread.