Gardeners value radishes for their delicious and healthy roots, which they look forward to. However, in some cases, the crop can be significantly and in a short time spoiled by pests called cruciferous flea. These little bugs bring a lot of trouble. How to save seedlings and get rid of insects, we will talk in this article.
What is this pest?
The cruciferous flea mainly harms plants of the cruciferous family, which is why it got its name. The flea has hind legs on which it jumps like a flea, but it is not a blood-sucking insect. The beetle prefers to settle on weeds such as wild radish, shepherd's purse, and especially loves turnips and cabbage from garden crops. However, radish remains a favorite delicacy in the early stages of the pest.
The insect is very small in size, the length of its oblong oval body is up to 3 millimeters. At the same time, the flea can fly. There are several types of pest, among them black, blue, light-legged and others. The differences are largely determined by the color of the elytra.
Beetles live in the European part of Russia, excluding the regions of the Far North. The harm from the insect is expressed in the fact that it damages the leaves, in which it gnaws peculiar pits. The flea is especially dangerous for young greenery, since it can gnaw through delicate leaves. Thin roots of crops serve as a delicacy for the larvae. The most active pests are during the day, excluding the interval from 13 to 16 hours, when the sun is especially scorching.
In winter, an adult flea hides in the remains of plants, crevices of greenhouses, and soil. When spring comes, and the ground thaws, insects come out and begin to actively search for food for themselves, after which eggs are laid. The cruciferous flea larvae live in the soil for about 3 weeks, after this time they pupate, and new young individuals emerge on the surface. The insect can give birth for the entire summer period up to 3 generations.
Prevention measures
Any problem is easier to prevent than to deal with its consequences later. Therefore, experts and seasoned gardeners recommend several preventive measures that will help preserve radishes. Let's consider. what needs to be done to protect the plantings from the pest at the initial stage.
The proximity of coriander, dill and garlic repels the pest, since the insect does not like the smell of these plants. In the case when radishes are planted towards the end of the season, it is recommended to place the beds next to calendula or marigolds, which the flea also does not tolerate.
Control methods
In order to get rid of a cruciferous flea, you need to make sure that this particular insect is harming the crop. This is not so difficult to do, because despite the small size of the pest, it can be easily detected visually. The bugs jump over the leaves, which have gnawed holes.
The main danger of a flea is that in the absence of a fight against it, the gardener can completely lose seedlings. Since radish often appears before other sprouts, it is on it that the main blow of the bugs that become active after hibernation falls. In addition, a large number of these insects can harm adult plants, as well as even hardened radish testes, so protection measures should be started as early as possible.
You should start with prevention and deterrence, chemicals are used as a last resort.
Folk remedies
Not all gardeners accept the use of chemicals. In some cases, folk methods are quite effective, however, when using them, it must be borne in mind that in this case it is not enough to process the crops once or twice, systematic care will be required, which, accordingly, involves a large investment of time. There are several of the most common folk methods, the excellent action of which has been confirmed by a huge number of examples:
- humid environment;
- dry pollination;
- cover with nonwoven fabric;
- setting traps;
- spraying with infusions.
Let's consider the listed methods in more detail.
Humid environment
The red-colored flea feels great in hot and dry weather, but it doesn't like moisture. Therefore, when planting, it is recommended to choose the most humid part of the garden. Watering abundantly will also deter the pest. At the same time, do not forget that he is afraid of strong odors, so it will be useful to add pungent-smelling agents to the water.
Dry pollination
Planting can be pollinated by various means, since the bug chooses the cleanest leaves for food. This method is very popular among gardeners, as it does not require large financial costs and is very effective. The mixtures can be different, most often ash is used in combination with tobacco or road dust, as well as fluff lime.
The components should be taken in equal proportions and mixed thoroughly. The procedure itself is recommended to be carried out early in the morning so that the composition lies on the dew, and you also need to water the radish first. In humid conditions, the particles of the mixture adhere well to wet leaves. For the most effective and uniform result, the composition is placed in a gauze bag, and then gently shaken over the sprouts. This method is also called dusting.
The disadvantage of this method is that it does not work for a single use. Good protection can only be achieved when dusting is carried out systematically.
The ideal option would be when the gardener can spend it after each watering or rain. And also to achieve the maximum effect, crops should be processed not only from above, but also from below.
Nonwoven Shelter
If the crops are covered with a canvas, they will be protected not only from insects, but also from weeds and cold weather. The material must be chosen wisely, it must transmit light, water and air, but at the same time be an insurmountable obstacle for pests. For example, lutrasil or spunbond works well.
In addition, many recommend dusting the radish before sheltering, which will serve as additional protection. When found under such a canvas, the radish will grow, get stronger, the leaves will coarsen a little, so when the shelter is removed, it will no longer be an easily accessible and especially attractive delicacy for a flea.
Traps
The use of a sticky flag is often used to get rid of the pest. The procedure is quite simple and does not require any special skills.
To make a flag, a piece of fabric is attached to a stick and treated with some kind of adhesive. Solid oil is excellent for this purpose. After that, you need to walk along the radish beds, slightly touching the flag of its leaves. This will disturb the insects, which will try to hide from danger, and, flying away or jumping, will touch the material and stick to it.
Gardeners advise to carry out this procedure in the middle of a dry and hot day, while repeating it several times, maintaining short time intervals. Such flea fishing will help to significantly reduce the number of insects in the beds.
Another trap is made using waste machine oil in which a piece of cloth is moistened. Along the beds with radishes, boards are laid out, on which the impregnated fabric is laid. To get as many insects into the trap as possible, the material must be turned over a couple of times a day.
Spraying with infusions
Infusions can be made on the basis of various components. For example, ash and tobacco dust, which are used for dusting, are suitable. There are many popular recipes, each selects the simplest and most effective in a particular case. Here are the most common ones.
A glass of ash is poured into one liter of boiling water, mixed and left for 48 hours. After that, you should rub the laundry soap and add it to the infusion. You can also use liquid soap. Radish is sprayed with this composition.
A glass of tobacco dust should be poured with a bucket of boiling water and left for 24 hours. After that, 100 grams of soap is added, and the infusion is filtered through cheesecloth.
Chop the garlic. Tomato stepchildren are added to it. The ratio should be 1: 1. The mixture is poured with warm water and infused for 5-6 hours, after which it is filtered, and a little liquid soap is added to the resulting infusion.
Radish, like other tasty vegetable crops, is often affected by various pests - cruciferous flea beetle, wireworm, etc.
It happens that she is overcome by tiny white worms, and then, having found out why the radish is wormy, the gardeners take all measures to get rid of uninvited guests. Worms do not start in radishes by themselves: this is the fault of one of the main pests of cabbage, radish, turnip and other cruciferous plants - the cabbage fly.
The cabbage fly looks like a house fly, but it is half as large. During the breeding season, she lays eggs, from which larvae hatch - those who eat radishes in the ground, making many moves in the roots and rendering them unusable.
Eggs are laid in moist soil fertilized with manure or humus.
The worms feed on radish pulp for 3-5 weeks, then pupate and after 2-3 weeks turn into new cabbage flies.
If the pupae remain in the winter, the flies are born in the spring.
How to deal with cabbage fly and its larvae
Having found out why there are wormy radishes, we will learn how to scare away cabbage flies from planting, than to process the beds. The easiest way is to use chemical insecticides, but only light ones - heavy "chemistry" accumulates in fruits in the form of nitrates and does not have time to be removed.
Cabbage fly insecticides
If 5-10 eggs or larvae are seen on the radish, we process the planting with any of the following means:
- "Karbofos"... We dilute 6 g of 50% "Karbofos" in a liter of water (enough for a hundred square meters) and spray the seedlings twice (the second time - in a week). The drug repels the fly, preventing it from laying eggs.
- "Zemlin"... An enteric soil chemical that kills larvae. We mix 5 g of the dry preparation with 50 g of sand (enough to process a square meter of the ridge) and add it to the ground before planting the radish to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. The larvae die within 24 hours.
Other chemical insecticides such as Iskra, Rovikurta, Thunder, Hexachloran or Pochina will also help against cabbage flies.
Folk remedies for cabbage fly
Folk remedies that have been tested by more than one generation of gardeners help to cope with the eggs and larvae of cabbage flies:
- Ammonia... Dissolve 5 ml of ammonia in 10 liters of water and water the soil as soon as we find withering plants.
- Ash... Noticing flies circling over the plantings, sprinkle the seedlings, having previously moistened them with water, with dry wood ash every six days. To enhance the effect, you can mix it with the same amount of red pepper or shag.
- Burdock leaves... We insist for two days a mixture of 2.5 kg of chopped burdock greens and 8 liters of warm water. Filter and water the radish.
- Makhorka... Combine it with black pepper powder or slaked dry lime - 1 to 1. Sprinkle the soil around the plants with the composition.
- Copper sulfate... Dissolve a tablespoon of the product in a bucket of water with 1 tbsp. liquid tar soap, water the ridges and repeat watering after 3 weeks.
- Naphthalene... We combine it with the same amount of sand and powder the soil 5 mm from the radish and add 6 g at the root. We repeat the procedure every 8 days: it is performed immediately after the discovery of clutches. After processing, those who eat radishes in the ground will not have time to hatch.
- Valerian... Dissolve in 3 liters of warm water 40 ml of valerian and 2 tbsp. chopped laundry soap, pour out the bucket and add water to the top. After mixing the composition, we spray the young radish with it during the summer of the cabbage fly. Now you don't have to puzzle over why radishes are wormy - there will be no worms.
- Table vinegar (70%). Dissolve 0.5 tbsp. vinegar essence in 10 liters of water and spray radish plantings.
In order not to worry about how to treat radishes from worms, you can completely do without chemical and organic methods of fighting cabbage fly. We buy a mesh transparent covering material such as lutrasil and cover the ridges with radishes during the summer of flies.
Make sure that there are no gaps left, and the fly will not be able to get inside to lay eggs. In the rain, the canvas can be removed, but on fine days we leave it in place and, if it is necessary to water the radishes, we water it directly through the lutrasil.
To prevent the appearance of egg clutches of a cabbage fly, so that there are no questions about why a wormy radish has become, you can take several preventive agrotechnical measures.
- Planting radishes in a different location every year.
- Top dressing of the earth with compost at least three years ago.
- Elimination of plant residues from the site, be it tops or weeds.
- Autumn digging of future soil for planting to a depth of 1-1.5 shovel bayonets.
You can also grow other garden and flower crops next to radishes, scaring cabbage flies and protecting radish roots from being eaten by worms.
The best neighbors of radish, preventing the appearance of cabbage fly larvae
- Marigold... Tagetes emits an unpleasant, pungent aroma that most insects do not like. We plant several plants directly on the ridge under the radish 2-3 weeks before sowing.
- Sage, mint or rosemary... We plant aromatic herbs on radish beds a few weeks before sowing the vegetable, digging them in directly into the pots, cutting off the bottoms. This is to prevent the spread of perennial plants throughout the ridge.
- Garlic... We plant garlic cloves in a ridge under a radish three weeks before sowing seeds every 15 cm with a row spacing of 55-60 cm. We sow the radish in grooves cut in the middle of these row spacings.
Fragrant neighbors will play the role of repellents, scaring away cabbage flies and other harmful insects from radish ridges, and will contribute to obtaining good harvests.
Now it is clear why the radish is wormy, what kind of white worms destroy the future harvest, and which insect is to blame for their appearance. If the worms have spoiled many plants, be sure to remove and burn them without sending them to compost and not creating excellent conditions for the pupae of the flies for wintering. It is better to take preventive measures right away than to experience the chagrin of losing the lion's share of delicious vitamin vegetables afterwards.
The main pests of radishes are:
Fleas on radishes
Important! It is advisable to use chemical agents only when more than 4 individuals settle on one plant.
You can decide the best way to spray a radish from a flea by studying the properties of these pesticides:
Note! When processing plants, be sure to wear protective equipment: glasses, gloves and a respirator.
Radish pests in the greenhouse
Pest insects can harm radish plantings not only in the open field, but also in the greenhouse. Most often, in greenhouse conditions, radishes are attacked by cruciferous fleas. They gnaw the leaves of the radish, holes are formed in them. Sometimes novice gardeners do not know what to do if through holes appear on the leaves of the radish with what to process. If there are black fleas on the radish, what to do to protect the plant.
You can fight flea beetles with the help of pesticides, but it is better to use proven folk methods.
You can sprinkle tobacco dust, ground pepper or mustard between the beds. The same means of struggle are also used for preventive purposes.
Tobacco dust
Folk remedies against pests
For example, if a cruciferous midge is eating a radish, what to do in this case. As in the open field, and in the greenhouse, it can be fought with the help of pepper, tobacco and ash.
Ash particles enter the respiratory tract, and insects die. For prevention, the plants are sprinkled with a mixture of lime and ash (1: 1) every 7 days.
If there are few pests, you can just crush the radish leaves a little with ash.
Add ash
From the larvae of the garden scoop, tincture of potato tops helps well. Just before spraying, add 50 grams of laundry soap to the infusion. Processing is carried out in dry weather.
With these preventive measures, you can protect the radishes from pests.
Almost all gardeners grow radishes on their personal plots. It belongs to early maturing crops, so it rarely suffers from diseases and pests, especially with proper care. But he still does not have absolute protection. If the gardener does not pay at least minimal attention to planting, it is likely that fungal diseases or pest attacks will develop. Therefore, you need to know the characteristic symptoms, be able to identify the problem and know how to cope with it. At an early stage, as a rule, folk remedies are sufficient, in other cases it will be necessary to use "heavy artillery" in the form of chemicals.
General measures to prevent the development of diseases and attacks of radish pests
The short ripening period is one of the advantages of the radish. Many pathogenic fungi, bacteria and viruses, eggs and insect larvae simply do not have time to go through the incubation period to cause significant damage to the plantings. But this does not mean that the culture, in principle, cannot suffer from diseases and pests.
To avoid negative consequences in the form of crop loss, it is advisable to regularly pay attention to preventive measures. There is nothing complicated in them, they will take very little time. But such events, coupled with competent agricultural technology, make it possible to practically guarantee planting protection from unwanted "guests".
There is nothing difficult in growing radish, but this crop is not immune from disease and pest attacks.
A close inspection of the beds at least once every 4-5 days helps to detect the problem in time. In the early stages of infection, as a rule, in order to cope with it, there are enough folk remedies that are harmless to human health and the environment. Chemicals, especially those that do not belong to preparations of biological origin, are very undesirable to use for the treatment of radishes. The culture is early ripening, harmful substances accumulate in root crops.
Plants with good immunity get sick much less often than those in which it is weakened. Soaking the seeds before planting in a solution of any biostimulant has a positive effect on it. A similar effect is given by both drugs purchased in the store (Epin, potassium humate, Emistim-M), and folk remedies (aloe juice, honey, succinic acid). But the excess nitrogen in the soil provides the opposite result, weakening the plants. This macronutrient in large doses also has one more negative consequence - radish begins to actively form leaves to the detriment of root crops. Potassium and phosphorus strengthen the immune system. Their natural source is wood ash.
To prevent fungal diseases, seeds are etched in a solution of any fungicide of biological origin for 15–20 minutes before planting. The most common drugs are Strobi, Tiovit-Jet, Alirin-B, Bayleton.
Soaking seeds in a fungicide solution is an effective prevention of fungal diseases
A necessary condition for obtaining a bountiful harvest in a personal plot is crop rotation. Radish cannot be planted for 3-4 years where other crops from the Cruciferous family grew before (all types of cabbage, turnip, radish, rutabaga, turnip, daikon). In general, if possible, they are placed as far from each other as possible. They extract the same nutrients from the soil, suffer from similar diseases. This family also includes many weeds used by pathogens as a "transshipment base". Therefore, do not forget about regular weeding.
Cabbage, like other Crucifers, is a poor precursor and neighbor for radishes.
Radish seeds are planted as rarely as possible. With thickened plantings, diseases spread much faster. Plants are not ventilated, which is also harmful for them. Proper watering is also important. Avoid getting drops on leaves and stems.
Since autumn, the garden bed is dug up or at least deeply loosened. This helps to destroy fungal spores, eggs and pest larvae overwintering in the soil. All plant debris is collected and burned. It is strictly forbidden to use fresh manure as top dressing. It is an excellent breeding ground for them, moreover, it helps to keep the warmth necessary in cold weather.
Digging up the beds in the fall helps to destroy the eggs and larvae of many pests that were going to winter in the soil
Culture-typical diseases
Radish does not have any specific diseases. Most often it is affected by the most common fungal, bacterial or viral diseases, which do not bypass any garden crops in general or plants from the Cruciferous family.
Belle of cabbage crops (white rust)
All Cruciferous plants suffer from the disease to one degree or another, but radishes, horseradish and turnips are affected much more often than cabbage. It is most dangerous for young plants. The optimum temperature for the development of the fungus is about 15 ° C. Another risk factor is cool rainy weather or sudden temperature changes that provoke fog and / or heavy dew.
Radishes suffer from white rust more often than other cruciferous plants.
Light green spots appear on the face of the leaf. The tissues in these places thicken, gradually turn brown and die off. On the seamy side, abscess-like pustules form. The leaf swells around them. When they "break through", a whitish, oily-shiny coating becomes visible, as if flakes of peeling paint. On root crops, if they had time to ripen, growths appear, resembling those that are characteristic of keels. Radish can go into color, the stem begins to branch intensively, turning into something that looks like antlers. If you do nothing, it dries up and dies.
In case of severe damage, fungicides of biological origin are used - Ridomil-Gold, Ditan-M, Folikur. Folk remedies are effective in the early stages of the development of the disease and for prevention. These are, for example, a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate, soda ash or baking soda, colloidal sulfur (10-15 g per 10 liters). To make the solution better "stick" to the treated plants, add a little liquid soap or soap shavings (3-5 ml or 10-15 g) to it. Preventive treatments are carried out every 7-10 days (or more often if it rains constantly). To combat the disease, radishes are sprayed 3-4 times with an interval of 4-5 days.
Potassium permanganate is one of the most common disinfectants
Keela
A specific disease that is very dangerous for all Cruciferous plants. A gardener can lose at least half of the entire crop. It often disappears completely. The causative agent of the fungus is distinguished by rare vitality. In those beds where the keel has shown itself, potentially infected crops are not planted for 8-10 years. You can shorten this period to 4–5 years by placing tomatoes, potatoes, beets or any other legumes there.
Keela is a disease that affects only cruciferous plants
On the aerial part of the plant, the keel does not appear in any way. During the incubation period (20-30 days), growths of different sizes in the form of a ball or fusiform are formed on the roots and root crops. Gradually they turn brown and rot. The stem turns yellow, the leaves dry and lie down, as the plant does not receive enough water and nutrients.
Factors favoring the development of keels are too frequent and / or abundant watering, unsuitable heavy soil, in which moisture stagnates for a long time, acidity of the substrate, high temperature (from 25 ° C). But it is also impossible to completely forget about watering - the keel causes the greatest damage during a prolonged drought. The disease spreads through infected seeds, soil, manure, it is carried by worms that live in the soil. It affects not only "cultured" Cruciferous plants, but also wild ones (shepherd's purse, rape).
Proper watering of the radish helps to slightly reduce the damage done to the keel crop.
Practice shows that radishes suffer much less from keels when they are planted early. Etching in Cumulus solution also helps to avoid contamination.
No remedies for the treatment of kila have been developed at the moment. The main focus should be on preventive measures. 2-3 days before planting the seeds, the soil is loosened, embedding sifted wood ash in it, or watered with so-called milk of lime (two glasses of slaked lime per 10 liters of water). You can also treat the garden with a solution of Carbation (40 g per 10 L) or Fundazol (10 g per 10 L).
A very dangerous viral disease that can affect most garden crops. Infected specimens lag behind in growth and development, the leaves are deformed and smaller. The front side of the leaf plate is covered with lettuce or yellowish-green spots located in the intervals between the veins. Depending on which particular virus has infected the plant, they can have the form of circles, strokes, angular spots. Gradually, these tissues turn black and die off. The veins also darken.
Radish mosaic is a viral disease, there are currently no remedies for its treatment
It is impossible to get rid of the mosaic virus using modern means. The only way to stop its spread is to remove all affected plants from the garden and burn them as quickly as possible.
The best prevention is competent crop care and keeping the beds clean. It is especially important to strengthen the plant's immunity, timely and in the right doses by applying the necessary fertilizers. Before planting, it is recommended to pickle radish seeds in a solution of Rovral, Horus, Topaz. The carriers of the virus are many insects, for example, weevils, aphids, and ticks. We must not forget about fighting them.
Etching in Rovral's solution is a good prevention, but not absolutely guaranteed protection against the mosaic virus
Powdery mildew
A very common disease, not a single garden crop is immune from it. Leaves and petioles are covered with a layer of powdery whitish or pale gray coating, reminiscent of scattered flour. If you do nothing, it becomes denser and changes color, turning into large brown spots with black blotches on the surface. The tissues affected by the fungus die off, holes are formed. The sheet plates are deformed. As a rule, the leaves closest to the soil are infected first.
Powdery mildew on the leaves seems to be a harmless bloom that can be easily erased, but in fact it is a dangerous disease.
Most often, radish is affected by powdery mildew in hot, humid weather. Another risk factor is sudden temperature changes. The fungus is spread by the wind, with water droplets, and through direct contact with infected and healthy plants. The yield falls by 50% or more, and the quality of root crops also decreases.
For the prevention of powdery mildew, as a rule, folk remedies are sufficient. Radish is sprayed at least once a week with a solution of colloidal sulfur, infusion of wood ash, sour milk or sour milk, diluted water, decoction of horsetail rhizomes. If time has already been lost and the fungus has spread en masse, copper-containing preparations are used - fungicides. The experience of gardeners shows that Skor, Quadris, Raek, Fundazim give the best effect in the fight against powdery mildew. From drugs of biological origin - Alirin-B, Gamair, Planriz. But some also rely on the old time-tested remedies - copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid.
Wood ash is not only a source of potassium and phosphorus, it helps to destroy the spores of pathogenic fungi
Video: how to protect plants from powdery mildew
Peronosporosis (downy mildew)
The characteristic symptoms appear primarily on the leaves. They are covered with small angular spots with a seemingly oily surface. Gradually, their color changes from salad to straw yellow and dark brown. If the weather is wet, the inside of the leaf is covered with a continuous layer of greyish-purple bloom, reminiscent of felt. The whole process takes 10-13 days.
Peronosporosis develops quickly enough, so you should not hesitate with taking measures
To prevent the development of the disease, radishes are sprayed twice with boric acid diluted in water (10–15 g per 10 l) or Pseudobacterin, Rizoplan during the growing season. From folk remedies, an infusion of onion or garlic arrows, wormwood is used. The seeds are soaked in a solution of Bud, Energen, potassium humate, Fitosporin-M. To combat the disease, the same drugs are used that are recommended for the destruction of the fungus that causes powdery mildew.
Garlic is a plant that produces phytoncides that kill disease-causing fungi
Brown spots spread on root crops, quickly tightening with a layer of “fluffy” gray-gray bloom with small black “specks”. The tissues under them soften and rot, the stem and petioles become watery, the leaves lose their tone. High humidity combined with low air temperature contributes to the development of the disease.
It is impossible to eat any fruits affected by gray rot
To prevent the development of gray rot, wood ash is periodically introduced into the soil, the plants are powdered with colloidal sulfur or crushed activated carbon. They can also be sprayed with mustard powder or iodine diluted with water (50 g or 10 drops per 10 liters, respectively). Several crystals of potassium permanganate are added to the water for irrigation every 7-10 days. It is useful to surround the garden with plants that produce natural phytoncides - marigolds, calendula, nasturtiums.
Marigolds are not only a beautiful, but also a very useful plant.
If gray rot is noticed on time, the plants and soil are treated with the following solution - for 10 liters of water, take a glass of sifted wood ash and crushed chalk, add 10-12 ml of copper sulfate. In case of mass infection, Teldor, Horus, Switch, Gamair are used. But this no longer guarantees success.
Vascular bacteriosis
Most often, the disease affects adult plants, seedlings are practically not affected by it. The veins on the leaves turn black, then spots of the same color spread around them. The leaf plate turns yellow, as if "crumbling". The growth of radish slows down, the petioles are deformed.
Adult radish most often suffers from vascular bacteriosis already at the stage of root crop formation
Risk factors - high humidity, heat, mechanical damage. The disease is transmitted by insects, raindrops. The bacterium dwells in plant debris, unripe manure, remains in seeds from infected plants, maintaining its viability for 2-3 seasons. For disinfection, the planting material is immersed in hot (45-50 ° C) water for 15–20 minutes immediately before disembarking.
To prevent infection, 10–12 days after the emergence of seedlings, radish seedlings are sprayed with Planriz or Trichodermin. In the early stages of infection, radishes can be saved by treating them with Binoram or Phytolavin. If the disease has gone far in its development, the plants can no longer be helped.
Fitolavin is a popular drug that increases plant immunity
"Blackleg"
Fungal disease affecting mainly young seedlings. Mature, mature plants have sufficient resistance. The base of the stem turns black and becomes thinner, the seedlings fall on the ground under their own weight. The leaves turn yellow, the plant dries up. The disease develops quite quickly, as a rule, the affected plants can no longer be helped. But it is quite realistic to prevent the appearance of the "black leg".
"Black leg" can deprive the gardener of the radish crop already at the stage of emergence
The most important preventive measure is proper watering. The fungus also loves stale air (when growing radishes in a greenhouse, it needs to be regularly ventilated), heat and acidified substrate. Seeds are sown on time, not earlier. Low temperatures and lack of light negatively affect plant immunity.
Seeds must undergo pre-planting preparation. They are soaked in an infusion of garlic gruel, a dark raspberry solution of potassium permanganate. The soil in the garden bed 3-4 days before planting the radish is spilled with a solution of colloidal sulfur or hot water, and immediately after the procedure is sprinkled with a thin layer of fine sand. Crushed charcoal or chalk is poured to the bases of the stems of the seedlings that appear, the plants themselves are powdered with sifted wood ash. Water for irrigation is periodically replaced with a solution of Fitosporin-M or Baktofit, reducing its concentration by half compared to that recommended by the manufacturer. Folk remedies - infusion of onion peel or marigold greens.
Infusion of onion peels is an effective means of preventing "black leg"
Finding that several plants have become infected, sharply reduce watering to the required minimum, allowing the soil to dry well. The soil is loosened, adding granules of Trichodermin, Glyokladin, Barrier in the process.
Video: methods of dealing with the "black leg"
Common pests affecting radishes
There are a lot of pests that can cause significant damage to radishes. These are insects that infect exclusively Cruciferous plants, and "omnivores" that attack most other garden crops.
Small (up to 0.3 cm in diameter) black beetles, shimmering golden in the sun, turn radish leaves into a sieve in a very short time. They have very good jumping ability, due to which they cover considerable distances relatively quickly. The pest waits out the winter in the upper layers of the soil, under fallen leaves. Females of the cruciferous flea lay eggs on the leaves, the larvae hatching from them devour the roots of the plants. Insects do not like heat and high humidity; in such weather, their activity decreases sharply.
In the heat, especially if it rains frequently, the activity of the cruciferous flea beetle sharply decreases
In order to scare off the cruciferous flea from the beds, the soil where radish shoots have appeared is sprinkled with a mixture of sifted ash with crushed dried tobacco leaves, ground pepper, mustard powder. You can simply prevent the pest from entering the garden bed if you tighten it with any air-permeable white covering material. During the growing season, radishes are treated with infusion of dandelion leaves, tomato tops or potatoes, diluted in water with vinegar (25–30 ml of essence per 10 l) every 5–7 days. Along the perimeter, the beds are surrounded by a naphthalene barrier.
The cruciferous flea does not tolerate the smell of vinegar
In the event of a mass invasion, chemicals are used. Decis, Sherpa, Aktara, Lightning show themselves in the best way. An alternative is a flea shampoo for pets (40-50 ml per 10 liters). You can also catch bugs by hand by building something like a flag. A piece of cloth is attached in a stick, smeared with something sticky and passed over the tops of the radish.
Caterpillars of a butterfly belyanka
Females lay eggs on leaves, the first generation of larvae hatch at the end of June, the second in September. Striped greenish-yellow caterpillars are able to eat a plant in a few days, leaving only petioles from the leaves of the radish.
There is hardly a gardener who has never seen the whitewash butterfly, also known as the cabbage
When the first butterflies appear in the garden, in order not to allow them to lay eggs, the soil and the plants themselves are sprayed with infusions of any herbs with a sharp characteristic odor (wormwood, tomato tops, rosemary, basil, sage). Of the chemicals, Entobacterin, Bitoxibacillin, Lepidocid are used for the same purpose. You can also tighten the garden bed with a fine mesh, add a few drops of lavender or any citrus essential oil to the water for irrigation. Traps are hung next to it - cut-off plastic bottles filled with sugar syrup, honey or jam diluted with water. A similar effect is obtained with fly sticky tape.
Whitefish caterpillars are able to eat a plant in a matter of days
Experienced gardeners advise to "deceive" butterflies by scattering pieces of eggshells around the garden. Their insects are mistaken for "congeners" and fly further, being sure that "the place is already taken."
Caterpillars are destroyed with the help of Kinmix, Sumi-Alpha, Aktellik. You can make them leave the garden by dusting the soil with wood ash mixed with any spice or spice - mustard, cinnamon, saffron, ginger.
Spring cabbage fly
It can cause very serious harm to radish plantings. The peak of its activity falls on the second half of May and early June (you can focus on the beginning of flowering of lilac and bird cherry). Just at this time, gardeners are actively planting culture. Females lay eggs in the upper layers of the soil, the larvae penetrate the roots and eat them out from the inside, severely damaging the emerging roots, then turn into petioles. The plant withers, the leaves acquire an unnatural bluish tint.
Adults of the cabbage fly do not harm plants, but this does not mean that they do not need to be dealt with.
To scare off the cabbage fly, the garden bed is sprinkled with a mixture of tobacco dust with camphor and dry bay leaf crushed to a powdery state 3–5 days after the emergence of shoots. It is recommended to plant marigolds, parsley, celery, coriander around the perimeter and in the aisles. Materials with a rather coarse texture are used as mulch - wood chips, sawdust. Also, all measures are applicable to scare off white butterflies.
Cabbage fly larvae penetrate plant tissues through the roots
In the event of a mass invasion of caterpillars, chemicals are used. Karate, Antio, Iskra-Bio, Rovikurt have recommended themselves in the best way. They also do not tolerate ammonia and vinegar. For 10 liters of water, 5 ml is enough.
It is very difficult not to notice the pest on the radish. Its red-black striped and mottled color contrasts very effectively with the bright green leaves. Females lay eggs on leaves, hatched from them individuals overwinter in fallen leaves and other plant debris. They come out of hibernation in the second half of April or early May, the period of their activity continues until August. Radish gets maximum damage in hot dry weather. Bed bugs feed on plant sap. Where mechanical damage was inflicted by them, "wounds" remain, gradually turning into areas of dead tissue with a yellowish border.
It is very difficult not to notice a cruciferous bug on a plant.
The experience of gardeners proves that the pest does not tolerate the smell of tansy. It is useful to plant this plant around the perimeter of a garden bed with radishes or periodically spray it with infusion of herbs. Not a bad effect of dates are tampons moistened with kerosene or turpentine and spread out in the aisles.
Tansy planted nearby will effectively protect the radish garden from cruciferous ticks
Having found the first pests on the plant, you can simply collect them by hand. To make them go away, radishes and soil in the garden are sprayed with extracts of chamomile, onion husks. The most effective chemicals are Phosbecid, Belofos, Aktara.
An inconspicuous grayish-brown butterfly does no harm to plants. What can not be said about its larvae. Yellowish caterpillars, gradually changing their color to light green, eat out longitudinal tunnels in leaf tissues. Then they come to the surface and continue to feed on them. Affected leaf plates turn pale and dry. Insects wake up from hibernation as soon as the air warms up to 10 ° C, their activity does not stop until October-November. The maximum harm to radishes is caused in the heat with a prolonged absence of precipitation.
Cabbage moth is a very nondescript butterfly
Folk remedies in the fight against a pest do not give a special effect. The maximum that they can - slightly slow down the activity of the caterpillars. Recommend, for example, an infusion of dried lavender or the peel of any citrus. Therefore, in order to destroy them, you will have to resort to chemicals - Ambush, Nurell-D, Talkord. Adult butterflies are scared away using the methods recommended for whitewash control.
Folk remedies in the fight against cabbage moth larvae are ineffective
For some reason, they also have a special love for the color yellow. This can be used by making traps from pieces of cardboard or plywood of the appropriate shade, smeared with something sticky and taking a long time to dry.
The butterfly is dirty yellow in color with vague brown spots and streaks on the wings. It is nocturnal, so it is quite difficult to notice its appearance in time. Its caterpillars, as it were, scrape off the top layer of tissue from the leaves, leaving "indentations" - the gate for all kinds of infections and other pests. The characteristic lesions are especially noticeable on the wrong side of the sheet.
It is problematic to notice the appearance of a cabbage fire - it is active mainly at night.
Adults are destroyed using traps. A light source is placed in a cut plastic bottle, smearing its walls with something sticky. You can also use Bitoxibacillin, Dendrobacillin. Against caterpillars, the best effect is given by the drugs Anometrin, Ripkord, Sumicidin, Gomelin. If you managed to notice their appearance on time, folk remedies help well, but they do not have any negative effect on the eggs of the fire. Radish and soil in the garden are recommended to be treated with infusion of sifted wood ash, tomato tops.
Caterpillars of cabbage fire can be driven out of the garden with the help of folk remedies, but the eggs will not suffer from this.
The caterpillar of the rapeseed sawfly is greenish-gray or olive green with brown longitudinal stripes and a slightly lighter belly. The adult is extremely small - the body length does not exceed 6–8 mm, the body and limbs are of a bright saffron hue, the head is black, as if varnished. The pest eats leaves almost completely, leaving only the petioles. Radish dries and dies, roots are not formed. A gardener who does nothing can lose 80–95% of the entire crop.
The rape sawfly, as the name suggests, has a special predilection for rapeseed, but does not disdain radish either.
For prophylaxis, before planting, radish seeds are soaked in Karate or Actellik solution for 10-15 minutes. Adults are scared away from planting with Bitoxibacillin. From folk remedies for treating plants and soil, you can use extracts of chamomile, pine needles, tansy, aconite (the latter is very poisonous). Caterpillars effectively destroy Mospilan, Kinmix, Arrivo, Fury. If there are still few of them, you can spray the plantings with soda ash or baking soda diluted in water, mustard powder (40-50 g per 10 l).
Many common general-purpose insecticides are used to control rape sawfly larvae.
The bug looks pretty nice - lacquered black, in the sun it casts blue-green (this is what it owes its nickname "sparkle" or "sparkle"). It waits out winter in the upper layers of the soil, as soon as the air warms up to 10–12 ° C, it wakes up and goes outside. As a rule, it causes the greatest damage to rapeseed (hence the name), eating away flower buds from the inside, but it does not disdain other Cruciferous plants (even wild ones), in particular, radishes. Crop losses range from 20 to 70%. It depends on how purposefully the gardener is fighting the pest. The peak of its activity lasts from the second half of May to the end of June.
The rape blossom beetle reaches its peak in late spring or early summer.
Folk remedies in this case do not give any effect at all. Therefore, having found the first individuals on the plants, any insecticides from the pyrethroid group are used. The most popular of them are Karate, Zeon, Kinmiks, Fastak. You can try to "distract" him from the radish by planting some rapeseed or rapeseed nearby.
Literally 2-3 rapeseed bushes planted in the garden can distract the rape flower beetle from more important crops for the gardener
Slugs
Grayish-beige molluscs devoid of their shells, feeding on root crops and radish greens. They can destroy young shoots completely. In adult specimens, they eat out large holes in leaf tissues, make through "tunnels" in root crops. A sticky trace remains on the surface, casting silvery in the sun. Slugs do not like heat and dry air, so they prefer to hide during the day (for example, under stones, boards, leaves), leading a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle.
Radish, damaged by slugs, sharply loses in keeping quality and presentability
It is quite difficult to remove slugs. It is much easier to prevent them from appearing in the garden. For this, several traps are built - deep containers dug into the soil, about half filled with chopped cabbage, kvass, beer, fermented compote or jam. The bases of root crops are surrounded by a "barrier" of wood ash, crushed chalk, sand, pine needles, ground nut or eggshells. Any spicy aromatic herbs and other plants with a strong aroma are planted around the beds and in the aisles. Fresh nettle or wormwood leaves can also be placed there.
Slugs do not have even minimal protection, so the needles serve as an insurmountable barrier for them.
Slugs have natural enemies - birds, frogs, hedgehogs. It is not so difficult to attract them to your own site. You can, for example, build a birdhouse or a small pond, periodically display plates of milk, and so on.
Having found several individuals, the radish and soil in the garden are sprayed with infusion of chili peppers or mustard powder diluted in water. There are, although extremely rare, cases of mass invasion of slugs. Then you can't do without chemicals. From the best side, the preparations Meta, Groza, Slizneed have proven themselves.
Video: ways to deal with slugs
Aphid
An extremely "omnivorous" pest that does not disdain the absolute majority of horticultural crops. Radish is no exception. Aphids are small greenish-yellow, pale salad or black-brown insects. It feeds on plant sap, attacking it with whole colonies. Many insects stick to the underside of leaves, especially young ones. Affected areas of tissue become discolored, in the light they look like small translucent beige dots. The leaves are deformed, turn yellow and dry.
Aphids affect the vast majority of horticultural crops
Aphids live in stable symbiosis with ants. It is impossible to remove it from the garden plot if you do not simultaneously take care of the fight against these insects too.
It is impossible to remove aphids from the garden area without first getting rid of the ants
Aphids do not like strong strong odors. Therefore, spicy herbs, onions, garlic, fennel, marigolds, calendula, lavender will be good neighbors for radishes. Many of them are good honey plants, attracting the attention of the natural enemy of aphids - the ladybug. From their greens, infusions are prepared, which are sprayed on plants and soil. Other suitable raw materials are orange peels, needles, dry tobacco leaves, mustard powder.
On the contrary, there are plants that attract aphids. These are, for example, nasturtium, petunias, viburnum, linden, bird cherry.
Having found the first individuals, the radishes are sprayed with household foam, green potash or tar soap. After about half an hour, it will need to be washed off with clean water. Then apply the same infusions that were used for prophylaxis, reducing the intervals between treatments from 8-10 days to 6-8 hours.
In the event of a mass invasion of aphids, any general action insecticide is used. The most popular drugs are Inta-Vir, Confidor-Maxi, Iskra-Bio, Admiral, Tanrek.
Video: how to deal with aphids in the garden
The beetle affects the plantings of Cruciferous plants, including radishes, in most of Russia, with the exception of the Far East and Eastern Siberia. Its color is very interesting - a bottle-green body with dark brown paws. The elytra seem to be embossed; eight dents, similar to points, are clearly visible on the head. Beetles begin to show activity in early June.
Babanukha is also known by the nickname "shitty leaf beetle"
The pest gradually eats up the leaf plate, "scraping" layers of tissue. The leaves become thinner, acquire an unnatural rusty hue, and become as if "rotten". Through holes with ragged edges gradually appear. Females lay eggs in cracks in affected tissues, larvae hibernate in soil.
For prevention, the soil in the garden is sprinkled with a mixture of ash with mustard powder and ground hot pepper. The radish itself is sprayed with vinegar diluted with water (15–20 ml of essence per 10 liters of water). Other popular folk remedies are infusion of tomato tops, chamomile, yarrow.
Cut stepchildren of tomatoes can be used to prepare an infusion that repels many pests
On plants, beetles are very conspicuous, so you can simply collect them by hand. But it takes a long time. It is much faster to shake them off on an oilcloth or newspaper spread on the garden bed. It is best to carry out the procedure early in the morning, when they are not very active. Of the insecticides, Sherpa, Angio, Fury, Aktara are the most effective.
Radish is one of the easiest crops to grow. Caring for her, in fact, is reduced to the necessary minimum. The vegetable rarely suffers from diseases and pests, but nevertheless it is not completely immune from this. To avoid losing a significant part or all of the crop, you need to regularly examine the plantings for suspicious symptoms. And if any are identified, use the recommended folk remedies or chemicals. The best thing is not to forget about preventive measures. As a rule, there are enough of them to avoid infection.
Radish belongs to the plants of the Cruciferous (Cabbage) family, therefore, its diseases and pests are the same as in all garden crops of this group.
By the way, radishes rarely get sick. Most often, the following diseases of fungal or bacterial origin are manifested on radishes:
- bacteriosis is a fungal disease that leads to the formation of putrid mucus on roots, yellowing and death of leaves;
- powdery mildew (white bloom on the stems and the upper side of the leaves) - a fungal disease that leads to blackening and death of the leaves;
- keela is also a disease of bacterial origin, manifested by growths and swellings on the surface of root crops, leading to yellowing and wilting of leaves;
- black leg - manifested by yellowing, curling of leaves and blackening of the stem at the base.
However, the greatest harm to crops is caused by harmful insects. Let's talk about the most dangerous pests further.
The cruciferous flea is the main enemy of the radish. These are small black bugs jumping in the garden and damaging plants. They bite holes in the leaves, and when the damage reaches a critical size, the plant stops growing and begins to die. Insects are especially active in hot, dry weather, and their main target is extremely young radishes. Fleas are not as scary to adult plants as to young seedlings.
Whitefish is a white butterfly that lays its eggs in the soil. It is not she who is dangerous for the radish, but its caterpillars, which eat the leaves, making holes in them.
Medvedka is the most serious enemy of root crops. It is more common in greenhouses because it loves warm soil. The pest eats root crops, forming holes and holes in them.
Cabbage flies - These insects are not averse to feasting on any cruciferous crops. They lay eggs in the ground, from which larvae appear in a matter of days, eating radishes. If you do not start fighting them in time, then the entire crop will be destroyed.
Moth is a gray-brown nocturnal butterfly that feeds on the leaves of cruciferous crops. Like all butterflies, it lays eggs from which caterpillars emerge. These caterpillars very actively devour young leaves, which leads to the complete destruction of plants.
The rape bug is black bugs with yellow stripes on the back that appear on the radish as soon as it gets warmer. They eat the leaves, forming holes in them, which leads to yellowing and then wilting of plants.
Wireworms are the larvae of click beetles. They eat any root vegetables, including radishes.
Since radish loves moist soil, slugs can often be found in its garden. During the day they hide in the ground between the plants, and at night they crawl out to feast on the pulp of root vegetables. Slugs appear in the middle or second half of summer, therefore, they are dangerous only for late varieties.
Ways to fight
The surest way to control pests of garden crops is insecticides, but for radishes, their use is not always justified and advisable. The fact is that these drugs lead to the accumulation of harmful substances such as nitrates in vegetables. If the use of insecticides is stopped a month before the harvest, then the nitrates will have time to leave the plant and will not harm the consumer. Radish very quickly accumulates nitrates in itself, and since the growing season of the culture is short (20–40 days), it does not have time to get rid of them. To prevent nitrates in early vegetables from causing harm to health, radishes are treated with light insecticides, antiseptics, or folk remedies.
Diseases of bacterial origin (powdery mildew, rot, bacteriosis) can be fought with Bordeaux liquid. It is a lightweight complex insecticide with high antiseptic properties. Radish does not accumulate nitrates from it, since the solution is used only for spraying the tops and does not get into the soil. The drug is effective not only against fungal diseases, but also against many pests, therefore it is used for almost all cultivated plants as a preventive and therapeutic agent.
To combat keel, an aqueous solution of slaked lime, popularly called lime milk, is recommended. To do this, 2 glasses of the product must be diluted in 10 liters of water and used to water the plants. Lime is safe for humans, it does not form nitrates in radishes. In addition, slaked lime is used in horticulture as a fertilizer for the soil, so you don't have to worry about the quality of root crops.
A solution of copper sulfate (1 tablespoon / 10 l of water) with the addition of laundry soap (40 g) is effective from a black leg on radishes. Vitriol is an insecticide, but since it is used only for spraying, it does not interact with root crops, and, therefore, nitrates are not formed from it. You can also fight the disease with folk remedies - a decoction of onion husks (20 g / 1 liter), it must be infused for a day and the tops of the plants must be treated.
It should be remembered that nitrates are formed from a large amount of organic matter in root crops, so the amount of fertilizer should be minimal.
You can get rid of cruciferous fleas and other insects with the help of exclusively natural remedies, from which nitrates are not formed in radishes: ash, tobacco dust, laundry soap, wormwood.
Video "Wood ash against pests"
Experienced gardeners use wood ash as a natural fertilizer, but it is equally successfully used against pests and diseases. Details in the video.
Processing technology
Whichever method of treatment is used: spraying, watering or spraying a dry mixture, it will be effective only if the agent lingers for some time in the soil or on the radish itself. The first surface watering or rain will immediately wash away the product and will not give the desired result. Therefore, if the radish was sprayed with a medicinal solution or sprinkled with a mixture, then it must be transferred to drip irrigation (directly under the roots).
If radishes grow in the vicinity of cruciferous weeds, then they should be watered abundantly with insecticides, otherwise they will become a breeding ground for insects.
It is better to process radishes in dry and calm weather. Usually such work is carried out in the evening. However, to eliminate fleas on radishes, you should choose the daytime, since insects are especially active in the heat. A flea can be fought not only with the help of solutions and mixtures, but also by mechanical methods: by covering the beds, as well as by hanging sticky tapes to which the insects stick. These harmless measures help to wait until the radish grows up and the fleas are less dangerous for it.
How to prevent pests
The most reliable way to prevent diseases and pests on radishes is to disinfect seeds and soil when sowing a crop. Compliance with crop rotation also effectively solves this problem.
It is important not only to change the location of the garden bed every year, but also to avoid re-seeding during the season.
Radish is a precocious vegetable, and many gardeners try to grow several crops per season in one garden bed. This is the reason for outbreaks of fungal diseases, which with each subsequent sowing become more active.
Good precursors for radish are: potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, legumes, garlic, onions. Since early radish ripens quite quickly, it can be sown in the area intended for planting seedlings of peppers, tomatoes, eggplants - this is an example of the rational use of the planting area.
In addition, many pests such as the cruciferous flea do not like the smell of nightshade crops. She also does not like moisture, and if the radishes are watered abundantly, then it is quite possible that insects will leave the garden.
Proper care plays an important role in growing a crop. Remove weeds from the garden in a timely manner, since it is from them that the pests move to the beds with cultivated plants. Some gardeners plant plants and flowers next to radishes that emit a special smell that repels pests. Such plants are: tansy, calendula, celandine, marigolds, coriander, dill.
When planning to plant radishes, choose early varieties that are resistant to diseases and pests. Sowing early is the surest way to prevent many diseases and get a quality, undamaged crop.