After removing old leaves and narrowing the rows, plants require fertilization to produce a flush of new growth. Continue watering at the rate of 1 inch per week. Watering should be continued after harvest because flower buds for the next year are formed during this stage. Instead, they should be replanted with new plants after 3 years. Two common strawberry diseases are red stele and Verticillium wilt.
Red stele is a root disease common in Ohio.
It is most destructive in heavy clay soils that become saturated with water during cool weather. Plants in low or poorly drained sections of the garden are more susceptible. Verticillium wilt is a fungus that attacks strawberries, as well as 300 other different host plants. This makes it difficult to avoid. Weeding and preventing wounding of roots help control this fungus.