No, probably, in the world of a gardener, who would have managed to grow potatoes without having become acquainted with the Colorado beetle. Thanks to the lack of natural enemies and excellent adaptability, this North American guest quickly found his second home in our vastness. To combat the Colorado beetle in the garden, many methods have been invented, both with the help of chemical insecticides , and folk remedies. The most sparing for nature and health of the people's ways of fighting this striped enemy, we'll talk today.
Methods of combating the Colorado potato beetle without chemistry
To potato harvest was completely free from chemicals, but at the same time fell victim to gluttonous "colorado", we propose to fight with them in the following ways:
- Manual collection . For small potato plantations, one of the best ways to fight was and still is the mechanical harvesting of adults, larvae and oviposition of the Colorado beetle. Collect insects in a container filled with strong saline solution.
- Powdering . Early in the morning, when the leaves of the potato are still in the dew or just after the rain, the ground part of the plants should be powdered with wood ash, cement, gypsum or corn flour. The maximum effect can be achieved by repeating the treatment every 2-3 weeks, alternating these substances with each other.
- Spraying with plant infusions . For anticolor spraying, you can use leaves and fruits of walnut, tansy, celandine, bitter pepper, tobacco, garlic, bitter wormwood, elecampane, dandelion with the addition of soap (liquid or household) for better adhesion. In contrast to dusting, spraying should be carried out in clear dry weather and in the evening, because the day's heat significantly reduces the insecticidal properties of infusions.