Uh oh....look what I found on two of my dead strawberry plants. Can anyone identify what kind and if these are eggs? My pictures aren't the best; they are very tiny tan, round balls that are in masses but not symmetrically placed. Thank you!

Terri, I am sorry but it looks like Southern blight or fungus! I know that tomato plants can be sprayed with baking soda mixture for blight. Hopefully some fruit and vegetable gardeners will pop in and be able to better help you!

Here's an article about southern blight. I don't know if baking soda would help. Are you thinking to apply it as a soil drench, Sharon? There is some evidence that raising soil pH may help. There are some other suggestions towards the end of this article:

http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter...

@sooby Sue, except for herbs and onions, I have not grown fruits or vegetables in 35 years. So I hesitate to tell a fruit or vegetable gardener anything. But I saw the blight and wanted to start Terri on the right path, and give an option.

That being said I have lots of crazy fungus that appears here. I would spray with baking soda mixture all surrounding plants for prevention.The spores are there. Spray the soil where the plants were removed 3x in one day, then drench. So where you knew the spores were you especially do not want fungus spreading. Drenching first might spread spores. Sometimes I have directly sprinkled baking soda on a problem. After the other blight question, I did wonder about pH, soil and baking soda. I know after rain or water changes in a chlorinated pool you can add baking soda, that allows the other chemicals to work properly. That is a pH thing, so maybe the reason baking soda works in soil is a pH thing. If you think about it, lots of fungus will form after a rain which might have caused a temporary? soil change.
Baking soda works for me on fungus and southern blight and alot more. It might be my sandy soil that allows it to work so well. It also might be the large number of hot temperature days here. My soil solarizes on a regular day . Now if I could just get all the weed seeds to I would be happy. Thank you, Sue for all the hard work you do for everyone
May everyone be blessed with successful gardening endeavors!

Southern blight is a warm climate disease for the most part, it's not common where there are cold winters. The hard thing is to kill the sclerotia (the mustard seeds), this fungus does not produce asexual spores. The pH change does sound plausible although it might be better for the soil to use lime if calcium is low. I did find this article that seems relevant, haven't had time to read every word though.

http://www.apsnet.org/publicat...

Again, thank yoU! Yes, that appears to be the correct diagnosis. I have been inundated with fungus and bug issues (especially leaf footed bugs!!) this year; honestly, I am exhausted. I found this website http://hort.uwex.edu/articles/... and it was very helpful. It seems that when I find information on certain problems it gets too technical for me to follow, but this was written well and was easy to understand; i.e. it gives me hope! Fortunately, when I found it, I dug up both plants and disposed of them in the garbage. I also removed some of the soil in an attempt to collect all of the sclerotia. I will go back out there today and remove more of the soil.

I can't say thank you enough for the kindness and assistance that you have given me this summer. I have learned sooo much and look forward to being able to pay it forward someday myself.

Thank you for the links. Great information that I will have to finish reading later today. I am headed to the garden to attack this latest problem. I am hopeful and happy though, because any day in the garden is a good day!