Indeed, it has been proven that there is a correlation between the preceding crop and the height and quality of strawberry yields.
Some strawberry varieties are easily infected by the fungus Verticillium dahliae, the cause of a dangerous root system disease – verticillium wilt.
Therefore, strawberries should not be planted after plants that, due to their susceptibility to this pathogen, may cause its accumulation in the soil. These include blackberries, raspberries, currants, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, as well as cruciferous plants and, of course, strawberries themselves.
Good preceding crops are legumes such as lupin, peas, beans, vetch, onions, and root vegetables like carrot, parsley, celery, beet.
The perfect preceding crops are cereals, rapeseed, mustard, and notably: marigold. Mustard and marigold are especially effective due to their phytosanitary impact on the soil, helping to combat pathogenic fungi such as Verticillium, Phytophthora, Fusarium, and even dangerous soil nematodes.
