Carrot is one of the most delicious root crops, delighting gourmets not only with its aroma and taste, but also with its bright color. However, garden pests also love to profit from a sweet, juicy and vitamin-rich vegetable. With improper care for the orange root crop, you can lose the entire crop or part of it. Therefore, pest control of carrots should be timely, effective and, if possible, environmentally friendly. By the way, the unfortunate activity of insects and rodents in the beds is also a favorable sign, because this indicates that the carrots are he althy and not poisoned with harmful substances. The main thing is to have time to cope with a new misfortune, choosing the appropriate means of protection.
Fight against carrot fly
This insect begins its harmful activity in late spring as pupae appear from overwintered larvae. Fortunately, it is not difficult to detect signs of carrot fly activity - the bronze color of the tops will testify to it. If proper measures are not taken, then the foliage will wither, and the root crop itself will die. The situation is aggravated by the fact that even minor damage to the vegetablemake it unsuitable for consumption due to its bitter taste. However, subject to the correct use of pesticides, carrot pests and their control will not cause any special problems. To do this, you can use chemicals, folk remedies and some of the methods of cultivating the soil. Among the chemicals for killing the fly, it is worth highlighting such drugs as Arrivo, Ziper, Sharpei, etc. They also cope with the carrot fly by adding a mixture of tobacco dust, ash and slaked lime along the rows. In addition to everything, do not forget about the initial deep plowing and regular row weeding.
Fight against carrot leafworm
This insect is a bit like a fly, but belongs to the category of fleas. The pest has jumping legs and reaches no more than 2 mm in length. The psyllid appears in March, and at the same time it begins to lay eggs. In the future, the formed larvae develop directly on the beds, after which they suck the juices from the leaves of the carrot tops, which leads to the shrinkage and drying of the latter.
Destroying a small psyllid is more difficult than preventing its reproduction in the garden, therefore, immediately after the formation of the first fruits, it is recommended to cover the tops with a non-woven fabric. With small lesions, pest control of carrots with folk remedies will be appropriate - for example, you can water seedlings with tinctures from tobacco dust, citrus fruit peels or coniferous branches. But a greater result will be achieved by spraying with tobacco decoction diluted with laundry soap. To prepare the composition, you need to take 1kg of tobacco waste, fill it with 10 liters of warm water and add 30 g of soap. Then the solution is boiled for 2 hours, filtered and applied as directed.
Fight against carrot moths
Moth in the garden bed covers a wide range of plants, including all representatives of celery, as well as amaryllis. Therefore, in this case, pest control of carrots, onions, celery, parsley and dill will be carried out according to one scenario. A decoction of tomato tops has a deterrent effect on the moth, which is recommended to spray the vegetation during the flowering period. It will not be difficult to prepare this remedy. Approximately 3.5 kg of pre-cut tops must be poured into 10 liters of hot boiled water. The resulting solution is aged for two days, after which it should be filtered. At the final stage, 50 grams of laundry soap is added to it and spraying can begin.
Fight against root-knot nematode
One of the most unpleasant and elusive pests that affects not only carrots, but also other cultivated plants. The nematode is a worm-like insect, the length of which reaches 1.5 mm. To understand the danger such carrot pests cause and how to deal with them, it should be borne in mind that the parasite penetrates the root crop, after which swelling and growths form on it. But the harmful effect is not only the defeat of a particular vegetable. Worm larvae can remain in the soil, multiplying and endangering all new plants.
Specific and100% effective ways to destroy the nematode still do not exist. Therefore, mainly gardeners use preventive measures. In particular, it is recommended to use only disinfected tools scalded with boiling water when cultivating the soil and handling seeds. The soil itself can be treated with carbon disulfide, formalin or chloropicrin. These measures will reduce the likelihood of development of the nematode, and will also contribute to the death of its larvae.
Fighting Medvedka
Compared to the parasite described above, the bear is easier to detect and remove from the site. On the other hand, it is capable of destroying a very large amount of crop in a short time, gnawing through the stems and roots of the plant. Accordingly, these are very dangerous pests of carrots, and the fight against them, the photo of which is presented below, must be carried out quickly and efficiently.
Medvedka hides in the bowels of the soil, so frequent and deep weeding with loosening in the aisles will give a certain preventive effect. When an insect is found, more radical methods of struggle should be used, one of which is the cultivation of the land with kerosene. Medvedka does not tolerate the specific smell of this fuel, as well as solutions of washing powders, mustard and pepper tinctures.
Fight against wireworm
Much in the eradication process depends on how easy carrot pests are to identify and control them. The wireworm, like the bear, is detected visually by eye, but not only. It is also given out by characteristic sounds, sinceThis parasite comes from click beetles. The wireworm lives and moves in the bowels of the soil, looking for root crops acceptable for its diet. Even small lesions on carrots quickly become covered with wet rot, which leads to the death of the entire fruit.
It is recommended to fight the wireworm with any fertilizer from the ammonia-containing group. For example, it can be ammonium chloride, s altpeter and ammonium sulfates. If on the site there are lesions of a large area that are left by pests of carrots, and the fight against them does not bring results, then it is necessary to apply liming of the soil. But in this case, it is important not to overdo it, as a strong chemical effect will not be limited to just one wireworm and will go to the entire crop in the treatment area.
Fighting Naked Slugs
The optimal habitat for slugs is moist soil, as well as turf with stones and fallen leaves. Parasites can lay their eggs directly into the loose soil near the root system of plants, and after a few weeks, young individuals appear from them. In Russia, ordinary field varieties are especially common, but there are also representatives of naked slugs. These are the most dangerous pests of carrots, and control measures should be selected especially carefully. First of all, the garden must be cleared of weeds. Old tops, leaves, stones, rotten boards and other objects where slugs can find their shelter should be removed. After that, the area should be treated with limesolution with ash. A good result can also be obtained by superphosphate treatment with spraying from an aqueous solution with common s alt.
Fight against the winter scoop
This is a type of caterpillar whose favorite delicacy is vegetable crops, and in particular carrots. The parasite can gnaw on tops, as well as directly infect root crops, contributing to the death of plants. These are not the most destructive pests of carrots, and the fight against them, the photo with an example of which is located below, is quite realized by ordinary spraying.
You can scare away the caterpillars with a tincture of yarrow and chamomile, as well as with the help of decoctions based on burdock. If this does not help, and the second or third generation of the winter cutworm is observed on the site, then it is advisable to prepare a more serious means of control. For example, you can use biological products, including concentrated lepidocide, as well as pyrethroid preparations.
Rodent control measures
Carrot pests include not only insects, but also rodents. Field mice and rats can cause no less harm to the crop, so it is necessary to provide for the protection of root crops in this direction as well. If there is free space on the site, it is advisable to plant a black elderberry. This poisonous plant will also scare away midges and mosquitoes that spoil the tops. Do not forget that mice are odor-sensitive pests of carrots, and their control may involve the introduction of aromatic components. For example, the smell of anise and mint near the carrot bedswill preserve the harvest and at the same time will not harm the gastronomic properties of the root crop.
Prevention of carrots from diseases
Among the most common diseases of carrots, it is worth highlighting phomosis and white rot. In the first case, fungal lesions are observed on the leaves, which later pass to the root crops themselves. It is possible to provide protection against phomosis with the help of potash fertilizers, which should be applied during the autumn digging of the earth. It is important to consider that various parasites can contribute to the development of this disease. These are doubly dangerous pests of carrots, and they must be controlled in ways that are safe for the plant itself. To prevent the appearance of white rot, potash fertilizers and pesticides are also used. Mineral additions are not recommended, as they form a favorable environment for the emergence of diseases.
Conclusion
By and large, the issues of protecting root crops from various pests and diseases are solved by means that are quite affordable for an ordinary summer resident. Usually, when new threats are discovered on the site, amateur gardeners look for the most advanced and modern ways to save carrots. Diseases and pests, their control and preventive measures can be quite traditional. It is important not to forget that in many cases, elementary care for the beds can be de alt with. Soil cultivation, timely weeding and watering can lay a good foundationto save the harvest. In addition, much depends on the variety of carrots. For example, there are seeds that are resistant to fungal diseases, while other varieties are unattractive to rodents.
