Good enough to eat

●● STOP grey mould on strawberries

Strawberry season is almost upon us – if grey mould hasn’t invaded our crops.

This fungal disease – Botrytis cinerea – enters the tiny fruit before the flower petals fall and remains dormant as the fruit develops, but when the weather becomes damp, it will infect the strawberries, producing pale brown rotting patches and a grey, fluffy mould.

The only solution is to remove any dead or dying leaves and ruined fruit from the plant. To stop it, place strawberry mats or straw under the fruits to keep them dry and stop rain splashing from the ground.