Probably, there are no gardeners who have never encountered pests on their land. And it is very unpleasant, having put so much effort in order to grow seedlings and care for it, to lose the whole crop because of insects. Fortunately, today there are many effective methods of pest control.
Tomato seedlings can be affected by various pests. All of them are divided into two groups: root and aboveground. The first insects inhabit the soil and have a detrimental effect on the root system of plants, others damage the leaves and stems. If you start to act immediately, seeing the first signs of plant damage, then there is a high chance of defeating the enemy. And vice versa, if you delay pest control, then there will be nothing to save. Consider in this article, what are the pests of tomatoes, how to protect plants, and how you can treat tomato seedlings from pests.
This pest is known to all gardeners without exception. Every year we have to save potatoes from it. But lately, the Colorado potato beetle is not squeamish about tomatoes. Perhaps the reason is that both potatoes and tomatoes belong to the family of nightshade.
This pest has a motley striped coloring, and is very well noticeable on green leaves. But the main threat - eggs, harder to find on plants. The insect lays them on the underside of the sheets. They produce a large number of larvae, which ruthlessly eat the young leaves of plants. They can very quickly destroy the seedlings of tomatoes, so you need to start the fight immediately.
The easiest and most effective way to combat these pests is to collect insects and eggs by hand. Typically, tomatoes are affected by a smaller number of beetles than potatoes, so if you start collecting immediately, as soon as the pests appear on the plants, it will not take long. It will also save tomato seedlings from exposure to chemicals that are used to fight the Colorado potato beetle. But if the volume of work is large, and the larvae multiply strongly on plants, then you will have to use special preparations. Many prefer “Aktar”, “Prestige”, “Mospilan”.
For those who prefer folk remedies for pest control, there are also several options. For example, you can arrange potato beds with tomatoes. Since the potato is a favorite delicacy of the Colorado beetles, it will crawl on it, and it will be much easier to collect insects. You can also spray tomato seedlings with a special infusion that is made from wood ash.
Tip! Many, collecting beetles from plants, shake them into a bucket directly from the bushes. This method is also very effective, however, it should be done very carefully, especially if you have tall varieties of tomatoes.
Shaking vigorously can damage or break a tomato stem.
This is a flying insect that damages the plant by sticking to the leaves of a tomato, and absorbs juice from them. The whitefly is one of the most dangerous pests of tomato. It is capable of striking many types of tomatoes (about two hundred varieties). Even the most resistant varieties can suffer from this pest.
The whitefly lays eggs on the leaves of tomatoes. The emerged larvae immediately begin to destroy the plants. Due to the loss of juice, the seedlings gradually begin to wither and dry. The cause of such detrimental effects in soot fungus, the carrier of which is the whitefly. The fungus spreads over the leaves of the plant, and covers them with a black bloom.
If you notice a black or silver bloom on the sheets of your tomatoes, then it is necessary to begin the fight against the pest. The sooner you start processing plants, the more effective it will be. Getting rid of the whitefly can be a long process, but you can still save the tomato crop.
An excellent method of dealing with whitefly is considered the drug "Confidor". Use according to the instructions on the package. From popular methods suitable spraying bushes of tomato infusions of garlic or cinnamon. Insects do not like harsh odors, and can leave your beds after processing.
This insect is a relative of the locust. Therefore, it is not surprising why it is so voracious. The Medvedka has well developed forelimbs, which are very convenient to rake the ground. The body of a bear is brown or brown. Insect grows to ten centimeters in length. Bear larvae are no less dangerous for tomato seedlings. They, like adult insects, feed on plant roots.
Medvedka digs in the ground moves to move freely around the garden. It gnaws the roots of tomatoes, and can also completely gnaw through the base of the stem, because of which tomato seedlings wither and die before the eyes.
To combat this pest use granular preparations that act directly on insects, without harming the plants. Such preparations must be buried in the soil or poured into mink minks. The following tools will do: Medvetoks, Rembek, Thunder and Grizzly. On the shelves you can find a lot of these drugs.
Important! You can not sprinkle the soil with granules, and only bury it in the ground, especially if you have pets. Since these are poisonous substances, they can poison them.
Often for the fight with Medvedka use a solution of table vinegar. For its preparation it is necessary to mix:
- half a liter of 9% vinegar;
- ten liters of water.
The solution must be poured into the mink. Medvedka does not tolerate such sharp smells, so this method will help to drive the insect out of your garden for a long time. You can scare Medvedka and other popular methods. For example, using onions or onion peel, spoiled meat, garlic. To others do not feel this smell, it is better to bury the product in the soil. To ensure that Medvedka just does not miss your deterrent, you can make the bait. As a trap, you can use rotted manure, and as a bait - beer or sunflower oil.
Belongs to the most dangerous pests of tomatoes. Can destroy the entire crop, if not in time to start a fight with him. Infection with spider mites occurs most often from the soil. Perhaps it is already infected with ticks, or it contains infected plant residues. It is very dangerous to plant plants or flowers brought from the field next to tomatoes.Attention! It is important that every year very carefully remove the remains of the crop and the root system of plants. Infection of tomatoes with Putin's mite most often occurs in this way.
It is very easy to detect the presence of spider mites. When inspecting the plants you can see the web, as well as white and yellow dots on the sheets. They appear because of the punctures that the mites make, feeding on the sap of the leaves. In time, the web may cover the entire plant, but it is not worth waiting for, and it is better to immediately start fighting the pest.
Well exterminates the spider mite drug "Karbofos." It is diluted with water, and used for spraying tomatoes. Fans of folk methods can use ordinary alcohol to fight spider mites. They sprayed all the leaves on the bushes of tomatoes. The procedure must be repeated after a week. This tool is very affordable and does not harm the seedlings of tomatoes. You can also use for spraying plants infusion of garlic, dandelions or onions.
This small insect affects many plants and tomatoes as well. It affects the leaves and stems of plants. There are not one thousand species of aphids. All of them feed on plant sap, and at the same time infect them with various viral diseases. Aphids breed very quickly. The greatest probability of hitting aphids occurs in the month of June, then its number becomes as large as possible.
The first alarm when aphids appear is twisting and deforming the leaves. If this happens, you need to carefully examine the tomatoes for the presence of these small insects. Usually it affects the upper parts of plants, so it is easy to notice.
To combat aphids, you can use both chemicals and folk remedies that are safer. The following insecticides will work well: “Ratibor”, “Confidor”, “Proteus”. These preparations should be thoroughly treated bushes.
Attention! Aphids are food for many birds, flies, ladybugs, wasps. So they will be your great assistants in protecting the harvest.
An effective method would be to wash off insects from a seedling of tomatoes with a hose. It is also possible to use various infusions and decoctions for treating plants. To do this, the usual grass, tobacco and ash.
To prepare herbal decoction to combat aphids, you will need:
- 1 liter of grass.
- 2 liters of boiling water.
- 40 grams of laundry soap.
Grass should be boiled over and boiled for fifteen minutes. Strain the broth and add rubbed soap, mix. Next, the broth must be diluted with water, for 1 liter of the solution will need 10 liters of water. Tomatoes should be sprayed with this mixture.
As we have seen, it is possible and necessary to fight pests of tomato seedlings. Although it is quite hard work, but it is worth it. As a result, we will save our crops, and the plants will remain as healthy and strong. The main thing in this business is not to delay, because insects multiply very quickly, and can quickly destroy the seedlings. But, having listened to the advice from this article, you will undoubtedly win in the fight against pests.
ReviewsDaria, 47 years old, Kursk. I was already just tortured by aphid, every year we fight her. I try to apply only folk methods. There are results, but after a while the aphid reappears. Probably, we have such a climate. It is good that the harvest of tomatoes has always been able to save. I process plants with ash solution, a very good tool.
Valentina, 39 years old, Volgograd region Had experience in dealing with spider mites. This insect spreads very quickly to neighboring bushes of tomatoes, so you should start processing immediately. Alcohol really helps very well in this case. Just poured a little diluted alcohol into a spray bottle and sprayed the affected bushes. The procedure is not repeated, since the insects on tomatoes, in general, did not remain after the first use.