More and more people are thinking about the benefits of natural products. Increasingly, young families are interested in growing their own fruit and vegetables. But attempts to grow something on their own often fail because of insufficient preparedness or ignorance of the methods of plant care and protection. That is why it is so important to know in advance about the main problems of truck farming and methods for overcoming them. In this article we will talk about how to protect cucumbers from aphids.
Aphids on cucumbers: what to do?
If you notice that the cucumber leaves began to twist, turn yellow and fall, and the plant slowed growth, pay attention to the surface of the shoots and the back (bottom) side of the leaves. It is very likely that you will find colonies of small bugs in a translucent or dark color. This is the aphid. In open field, the mass distribution of aphids begins in June-July and lasts until August-September. Aphids can be white (almost transparent), light green, and even dark green (visually it often seems that it is black). Measures to control colonies of aphids are the same, regardless of what color bugs.
Aphids feed on the juice of the plants on which they live. As a result, cucumber shoots are weakened, depleted, grow slowly and bear fruit poorly. If the colonies of parasites are too large, the plant may even die. In addition to the damage done to the plant by the vital activity of the colony, there is also the danger of contamination of cucumbers by various viruses, the carrier of which is often aphids. That is why it is so important to find out and destroy colonies of undesirable settlers on cucumbers in time.
To avoid mass reproduction of aphids, take the following preventive measures:
- Avoid overly thickened plantings;
- regularly weed out the beds and destroy the weeds;
- 2-3 times a season process bushes of cucumbers with a light solution of lye or laundry soap;
- Regularly feed plants with complex fertilizers (especially potassium phosphate mixtures in foliar top dressing).
In nature, a beetle eating a aphid is a ladybug. Try to attract them to your site, planting attractive plants for them - dill, leafy mustard. You can also collect ladybirds in a field or a garden and bring them to the garden.
Watch out for that there are no ants in the beds - ants support and "plant" aphids, feeding on its "milk" - sweetish products of vital activity. Use special chemicals to combat the excessive spread of ants on the site.
Than to process cucumbers from aphids?
Folk remedies for aphids on cucumbers:
- infusion of celandine (200 g of dry leaves per 10 liters of water, infused for 2 days);
- infusion of garlic (0.5 kg of chopped garlic in 3 liters of water., Infuse 5 days);
- an infusion of wood ash (2 oz of ash per 10 liters of water.To this mixture it is not bad to add an adhesive - a special remedy or an ordinary household soap);
- infusion of dandelion (400g of roots and 600g of leaves pour a bucket of water, insist 3 hours).
In the same way, you can make infusions on other plants with a bitter taste - mustard, horsewood, tobacco leaves, poplar leaves (potatoes, tomatoes).
If you notice that on apricots of apricots aphids, treat it with one of these infusions two or three times at intervals of several days. In the event that the colony can not be destroyed, use chemical plant protection.
What to spray cucumbers from aphids, if folk
- "Fitoverm";
- "Pyrethrum";
- solution of green potash soap;
- «Aktara».
If you find aphids on cucumbers in a greenhouse , isolate the infected plant. Check if the room is well ventilated, adjust the temperature and humidity.
White and black aphids on cucumbers - a pest is quite dangerous and difficult to find. But with enough zeal and dedication it will get rid of it quite realistically.