Gray mold on strawberries - remedies?

I had a terrible time with gray mold this year, thanks to the deluge of rain we had just as the berries were ripening. I have two raised strawberry beds, each 2-3' wide and 8' long.

I understand the problem is compounded by damp conditions, of which we've had plenty. I thought I had done a pretty thorough cleaning job when I renovated the beds last summer, but I didn't get straw down to keep the fruit from touching the ground this spring, which was a big no-no. I also had some older leaves I didn't remove in the spring (tsk, tsk, tsk)

To be honest, I'd like to replace these plants with a variety that has more flavor (I think I've got Allstar) so my plan is to remove one bed of the current variety, leaving the bed open this fall, and plant it early next spring with a new variety. After harvesting the last batch from second bed next spring, I'll dig those up and replace them with runners from the new variety.

1) To try to prevent future problems with the next variety, should I treat the soil in the empty bed with anything, other than a heapin' helpin' of cow manure and compost? If so, what should I use?

2) Is it effective to treat the remaining Allstar plants with Captan this year? Or just clean up the bed, add some well-rotted amendments, and replant only the healthiest plants? Is there an organic spray or drench to try to halt the disease cycle now? (I read where bees are able to spread the fungicide, but my plants are already past the flowering/fruit setting stage AND I don't have a hive of bees handy to help me out.

Oh, and can anyone suggest a really good, flavorfull berry to replace these big-but-tasteless ones I've got?

Anybody? (Surely I'm not the only person to experience this nasty disease!!!!)

I'm absolutely no help here. Sorry. When I had a small strawberry patch (1000sq ft) I guess I lucked out and didn't have to deal with that problem. I know all the Pro growers around here are getting that mold cuz of all the rain we've been having. Will keep an eye out and see what they do about it.

I'm down to growing strawberries in hanging baskets now-a-days, and one home-made barrel, just for a snack here and there.

Terry do you place straw on your strawberry bed?? I know this won't correct the problem now but for the future. Wish I could help but found this interesting reading...for me too since I am growing them at the moment.

http://www.hri.ac.uk/site2/research/eastmall/organiccentre/strawberry.htm

http://www.which.net/gardeningwhich/advice/greymould.html

http://www.rfs.slu.se/R32eng.htm

This is according to Rodale's Garden Problem Solver........

Powdery Mildew on strawberries is distinguished by upward curling of the leaf margins and the formation of a white powdery fungus on the upper surface of leaves. As soon as you discover the disease, remove and destroy the infected parts. Disinfect your hands and your pruning tool in a bleach solution (one part household bleach to four parts water) after each cut. In addition to pruning, apply a sulfur or copper-based fungicide every 7 to 10 days. Limit overhead sprinkling to early in the day, and do not work around plants when they are wet. Thin plants to let in sun and air. Keep weeds down, avoid overgrowth, and rotate or renew plants often.

Thanks, all. It's not powdery mildew, but a form of botrytis that can rapidly destroy a strawberry crop by covering the fruit with a furry gray mold, making them inedible.

Louisa, I didn't use straw (my mistake), and I should have been out there in March, clipping off the remaining foliage as the new leaves started to appear. It sounds like straw is in order for next year, although it should be removed once the fruiting is finished, as it can harbor the spores over the winter. I may also try remay or some spun fiber over the beds, especially if we have another very damp spring next year.

My thought right now is how to stop the lifecycle of the spore. I really dread the thought of using chemicals, but I'd rather use them on the plants now than the fruit next year, if it would be of benefit.

Whatever else I do, I'm going to proceed with entirely removing plants from one bed, and culling out half the plants from the other bed. I'll probably put a cover crop of buckwheat or something in the dormant bed, then plan for a different variety early next spring, then remove the remaining Allstars after they bear next year, and replacing them with offsets from the new cultivar.

here's what it says about that Terry........

Botrytis Fruit Rot is first seen as a blossom blight. Early symptoms are discolored petals and wilted fruit stems. The first symptom on the berry is a small water-soaked spot, which often appears on those berries at the base of the plant. Sulfur or fixed copper fungicides provide a good degree of control, provided the application is properly timed so that it catches the fungus early in its spring development. If control isn't achieved, remove and destroy infected plants. Good sanitation and aeration among the plants are necessary to prevent further spread. Avoid overfertilization so as to prevent excessive plant growth, and cultivate the soil frequently to keep it dry.

Not sure if that will help but that's all it said about that. I'm just trying to be helpful :)

Thanks flowox...I really tried last year to do the right thing - fertilized them on schedule, renovated the beds so the plants wouldn't be overcrowded, etc.

Unfortunately, we had several weeks of rain and cool temperatures (plus tornadoes and hail), and boy howdy, did it ever do in the strawberries. We got one decent-sized picking of fruit from both beds (enough to have strawberry shortcake once :) and that was it.

Oh well, the wild blackberries should be just about ripe, and my blueberries will (hopefully) give us a small crop this year - this is their third year in the ground, first year to let them produce fruit :) And the apple tree has lots of green apples, too...

at least you'll have "some" fruit :)
I don't have any blackberries :( Will have to get me some........lol
I do have some strawberries growing and have 3 gooseberries on my small gooseberry bush.........lol. maybe 6 raspberries on the raspberry bush :)
guess I'll have to wait till next year to have a bunch of fruit

I hope you don't have to use chemicals either!! :-) Perhaps we can find some organic method of control.