How to treat cabbage against midges with folk remedies: recipes for compositions

Cabbage is affected by many pests, among them there are small ones, which are popularly called midges. In fact, we are not talking about one species, but about different insects that feed on the sap of plant leaves. Many gardeners do not know how to treat cabbage against midges, cruciferous flea beetles and aphids. There are several ways to combat them, but before you move on to studying them, you need to take a closer look at the small insects that attack cabbage beds.

Midge on cabbage

What kind of insect is this

The cruciferous flea beetle is a small leaf beetle (body length - from 2.0 to 3.5 millimeters), characterized by a varied body color (from black with a characteristic tint to two-colored) and having powerful hind jumping legs. It feeds exclusively on weeds and cultivated plants of the cruciferous family, causing great damage to the latter.

On a note. You can distinguish a flea beetle from other small beetles by the characteristic large jumps it makes, accompanied by characteristic clicks.

Features of use

Ammonia is a concentrated solution and is diluted with water. An excess of substances is dangerous, as is a deficiency.

For watering

To prepare the mixture, take 50 ml of the product per 5 liters of water.

The resulting solution is carefully poured under the cabbage root.
For better results, repeat treatment after a week.
A total of 4-5 procedures will be required.
Treatment of cabbage is stopped after signs of nitrogen deficiency disappear.

From insects

Another area of application of ammonia is getting rid of pests . The Cruciferous family is affected by:

slugs;
snails;
mole crickets;
mole;
whitefish and others.

Getting rid of them is not so easy, especially since many gardeners have a negative attitude towards the chemical industry. In this case, you should resort to folk remedies.

What midges parasitize cabbage?

The following types of flea beetles parasitize cabbage:

Black beetles are small beetles with black or dark blue elytra with a metallic tint.
Light-footed (white) are fairly large (up to 3.5 millimeters in length) beetles with paws (legs) colored yellow.
Wavy and notched - unlike previous species, these flea beetles have single, clearly visible longitudinal stripes of greenish or yellow color on each of the elytra.

Among these types of pests, the most common are wavy and black flea beetles.

Thrips

Another name for these insects is bladderworts. The body is dark-colored (black, gray, brown), elongated, the paws are well adapted for fast running and have suction bubble-like thickenings.

These pests are capable of gathering in groups of up to 200 individuals. Their mouthparts are of the piercing-sucking type; they use them to pierce leaves and suck out the juice from them. As a result, white or yellow spots and through holes appear on the leaves. With extensive lesions, the shoots become bent and stop growing, and areas with a silvery coating form on the leaves. If no measures are taken, the seedlings will soon die.

Signs of damage to cabbage beds

The main signs of damage to a cabbage plot by the cruciferous flea beetle are the following:

holey eating of young leaves of cabbage seedlings;
wilting and drying of leaves.

Another sign of cabbage being damaged by this pest is the presence on the leaves and soil around the plants of a large number of small insects that make large jumps.

Some rules

The use of any fertilizer or treatment product requires compliance with safety regulations.

Ammonia is a conditionally toxic substance and should therefore be used with caution.

Spraying is carried out in the morning or evening. During the daytime, the sun's rays will cause burns on the leaves.
When preparing it, be sure to follow the proportions. Excess and deficiency of the substance contributes to the development of problems.
Apply to the back of the leaves and root zone. Processing is carried out carefully and carefully. If necessary, the procedure is repeated after 2 weeks.
Ammonia is toxic to humans, so it is advisable to protect your respiratory tract with a respirator and your hands with protective gloves.
It is better to prepare the mixture outdoors, as there will be a strong smell indoors.

Why are they dangerous?

The danger of these pests lies in the following negative effects on crop plants:

in severe damage to leaf blades, leading to their withering and drying out;
reducing the leaf area involved in photosynthesis, which significantly reduces the accumulation of nutrients in heads of cabbage;
reduction in the yield and quality of cabbage heads;
complete destruction of seedlings and death of the entire plantation.

Settling on the cabbage seeds, flea beetles damage the leaves and cause a decrease in the yield and quality of the seeds.

On a note. Contrary to misconception, flea beetles do not cause serious damage to the root system - their larvae developing in the soil eat the roots, but do not cause significant damage to the plants.

How to spray

Spraying cabbage with ammonia is also common and very justified. The minerals obtained in this way are absorbed by the plant much faster, and it is also a more economical and effective method of treatment against pests.

How to spray:

In a separate container, you need to mix a measured amount of water and add ammonia and other substances.
After the solution becomes homogeneous, pour into a sprayer (mechanized or manual).
Treat plants as evenly as possible, covering the lower parts of the plants and especially the back side of the leaves, where pests like to be located.
To enhance the adhesion of the solution to the cabbage leaves, during preparation it is necessary to add grated laundry soap, baby shampoo or dishwashing liquid. The use of this ingredient to kill aphids is especially justified. Under the influence of detergent compositions, the pest's shell softens, which leads to easy access of active substances inside and death of the insect.
During work, it is necessary to use skin and breathing protection.

It may also be useful for you to learn about how to grow Chinese cabbage in open ground.

In the video - spraying cabbage:

Ammonia in the garden is a cheap and very effective substitute for chemical fertilizers and insecticides.

Features of using ammonia for cabbage, dilution recipes and important nuances of spraying with ammonia are discussed in the information in our article. It will also be useful to learn about how white cabbage seedlings are grown.

Folk methods of struggle: all the pros and cons

The main advantages of folk remedies against fleas on cabbage are the following:

ease of preparation;
availability;
cheapness;
environmental friendliness.

The main disadvantage of such products is their low effectiveness when there are large numbers of pests on the affected plants.

From the bear

One of the most dangerous cabbage enemies is the mole cricket. The insect spreads with tremendous speed, attacks the crop, infects the soil and other vegetables. It is difficult to exterminate mole crickets using folk remedies, but ammonia gives very good results. Its effect is comparable to the effect of powerful chemicals. To prepare the product you will need:

tbsp ammonia;
10 liters of clean cool water.

Dissolve alcohol in water and water young plants right to the roots. The consumption rate per head of cabbage is at least 2 liters. This treatment is quite suitable as a preventive measure. If you water the soil with freshly prepared solution at the end of spring 1-2 times, then the mole cricket will not encroach on the ridge.

What do people use?

As folk remedies, decoctions and infusions of various plants, tobacco dust, wood (stove) ash, solutions of ammonia, valerian, and iodine are used.

Ammonia solution

20-25 milliliters of an alcohol solution of ammonia (40-45 drops) are diluted with 10-12 liters of rainwater, poured into a watering can and the leaves of plants affected by the pest and the soil around them are watered with the resulting solution. When working with such a folk remedy, you cannot use sprayers and atomizers - when spraying plants with them, the ammonia contained in the solution will evaporate very quickly, and the treatment will have low efficiency.

Potato broth

This product is prepared as follows:

4-4.5 kilograms of chopped green and healthy potato tops are placed in an enamel bucket.
The tops are poured with 10 liters of water, put on fire and, bringing to a boil, cook for 15-20 minutes.
The hot broth is allowed to cool for some time to room temperature, after which it is diluted in a 1:1 ratio with cold water.

Cabbage plantations affected by flea beetles are sprayed with a diluted decoction.

Tobacco dust and wood ash

Wood stove or fireplace ash is mixed with tobacco dust in a 2:1 ratio. The resulting powder should be used to dust the flea-affected leaves and also sprinkle the entire soil around the plants.

The amount of such a dry mixture is calculated taking into account that 1 head of cabbage requires, on average, 200-250 milliliters of powder.

Celandine

Celandine leaves collected in the flowering and budding phase are dried in the shade, crushed by hand or using a coffee grinder. The resulting powder is used to dust the leaves and soil around the plants. The consumption rate of crushed celandine per plant is 10-15 grams. For better adhesion of the powder, the leaves of the plant should be sprayed with a soap solution in advance.

Celery stalk decoction

4 kilograms of celery green stalks are crushed, poured with 10 liters of water, put on fire and, bringing to a boil, boil for 0.5 hours. Then the broth is given 3 hours to cool and brew, filter and dilute with clean water in a ratio of 1:5.

Before pouring the resulting decoction over the affected plants, add a small amount of liquid soap (40-45 grams).

Red pepper

One medium-sized pepper is passed through a meat grinder, poured with 1 liter of water and allowed to brew for 3-3.5 hours. Before spraying the affected plants, filter the infusion through gauze or a sieve and add 5-10 grams of liquid soap to it.

Needles

To rid the garden of a small number of fleas, 10-15 drops of essential fir oil are diluted in 10 liters of water, after which the resulting solution is sprayed on the affected plants and the soil around them.

Hot pepper infusion

100 grams of hot pepper pods are crushed using a meat grinder or blender, poured with 1 liter of warm water and allowed to brew in a warm, dark place for about 48 hours. Then the infusion is filtered and diluted with clean water in a ratio of 1:100 (100 grams of infusion is diluted in 10 liters of clean water). It is recommended to spray the leaves and soil around the plants with the resulting product in the evening and morning hours.

Chicken droppings

This effective anti-flea flea remedy and nutritious organic fertilizer are prepared as follows:

A 100-liter barrel is filled to 1/3 of its volume with chicken droppings;
the barrel is filled to the top with water;
Using a stick, the litter is mixed with water and allowed to brew for several days;
the finished concentrate is diluted with clean water in a ratio of 1:10.

The resulting fertilizer is used to water the soil around the plants - the solution not only helps eliminate the deficiency of macro- and micronutrients during critical phases of crop growth, but also repels pests with its smell.

Garlic

200 milliliters of garlic cloves and chopped fresh tomato tops are passed through a manual or electric meat grinder, the resulting pulp is poured with 10 liters of water and left for about 2 hours. The resulting infusion is sprayed not only on the leaves, but also on the soil around the plants.

Dandelion

0.5 kilograms of freshly picked dandelion leaves, stems and roots are ground in a meat grinder, poured with 10 liters of warm, settled water and allowed to brew for 2 hours. Then the infusion is filtered, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap are added to it and the affected cabbage plantation is sprayed with it.

Tansy

You can effectively combat this pest using powder from dried and crushed tansy inflorescences. The consumption of such powder when dusting one plant and the soil around it is 10-15 grams.

Vinegar solution

Simple vinegar or its essence will help save plantings attacked by the pest. To do this, 200 milliliters of simple 9% vinegar or 25 grams of its 70% essence are poured into 10 liters of water, after which the plants are immediately sprayed with the resulting solution.

Chamomile infusion

1 kilogram of dry raw materials is placed in a large container, filled with 10 liters of hot water and allowed to brew for 24 hours. Then the infusion is filtered, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3 and 40-45 grams of liquid soap are added.

Naphthalene with sand or ash

Naphthalene powder is mixed with fine-grained river sand or wood ash in a ratio of 1:5. The resulting mixture is sprinkled on the soil around the plants within a radius of 5 centimeters.

Infusion of common yarrow

800 grams of yarrow herb are placed in a large container, poured with 2 liters of boiling water, and then allowed to brew for 25-30 minutes. Then the resulting concentrate is filtered, poured into a 12-liter bucket and diluted to full volume with warm water. Before spraying the affected plants, the diluted infusion is kept in a warm room for 4 days.

Milk solution with iodine

Add 8-10 drops of iodine to 0.5 liters of milk with a fat content of 1.5%, stir thoroughly and immediately spray the plants affected by the pest with the resulting mixture.

Valerian solution

50 milliliters of valerian tincture is diluted in 3 liters of water. The solution is used immediately after preparation to spray plant leaves affected by the pest.

From cruciferous flea beetle

If a cruciferous flea beetle has attacked the crop, ammonia will help exterminate the pest. The insect cannot tolerate the pungent odor and immediately leaves the captured area. The processing does not have negative consequences for the vegetable itself; the quality of the heads of cabbage is preserved along with its taste characteristics. Prepare a solution according to the following recipe:

30 ml of ammonia;
100 ml of any liquid soap;
a bucket of water.

Dilute all ingredients until the liquid becomes homogeneous, pour into a sprinkler and spray the vegetables from top to bottom. If a little solution remains after processing, then you can water the soil in the garden bed with it. This will be an additional measure of protection, since the pest can move along the ground.

Attention! Treatment with ammonia must be carried out very quickly, immediately after preparing the liquid. The main substance evaporates, and over time its concentration in the solution decreases, which makes the product insufficiently effective against insects.

Timing and technology of planting processing

There are the following methods for treating plants affected by flea beetles:

Dusting is the application of finely ground powder from plant materials to pest-infested leaves and the soil around plants.
Spraying - applying a solution of one of the folk remedies described above in the form of small drops to the leaves.
Watering is treating the soil against pests by adding a liquid insecticide to it.

Dusting is carried out at any time of the day, in the absence of wind. Watering and spraying is carried out in the evening or in the morning, with complete calm, no dew on the leaves, and an air temperature of no more than +21 C.

Chemicals

Chemicals are used very rarely in private households, as gardeners understand how harmful they are. If midges and bugs have attacked cabbage beds and continue to multiply, no matter what, you will have to save the plants in radical ways, with the help of chemistry.

Attention! Insecticides can be used freely in the first half of the growing season. It is important to have time to carry out the last processing of cabbage a month before the start of harvesting. Otherwise, the toxic substances will not have time to be neutralized and will remain in the vegetables.

The following drugs will help quickly destroy midges:

Aktara;
Storm;
Spark;
Decis pro;
Karate;
Confidor;
Aktellik;
Intavir.

Intavir

Cabbage is processed with a freshly prepared solution in calm, dry weather. Before the procedure, wear a protective suit, mask and gloves so that chemicals cannot get on the skin and mucous membranes.

Attention! The spray tip is directed so that the product penetrates the underside of the leaf blades, where the pests lay eggs. This is where aphids and whitefly larvae hide.

A single treatment of cabbage against midges is not enough. The procedure is carried out 2-3 times per season with an interval of 2-3 weeks.

General description of the pest

Black midges harm many types of crops besides cabbage. So, the following are under attack: radish, daikon, radish, horseradish. Midge eggs survive the winter cold well in the ground, and with the first rays of ultraviolet light in the spring they come out. The first thing pests eat after winter is organic matter. Grown-up insects experience even greater hunger, so they begin to eat seedlings and cabbage turns out to be their preferred choice.

First, the midge eats the upper shell of the leaf. Young plants are of primary interest to her, as they are softer and juicier. Affected heads of cabbage stop actively developing, becoming susceptible to diseases and other parasites.

Description of the pest

These pests can be easily recognized by their appearance. The small size of midges allows them to jump well. The dark color makes them stand out against the green leaves and head of the cabbage. In the warm season they are especially active.

A real delicacy for the cruciferous flea beetle is young cabbage leaves. The affected vegetable is covered with many small holes. Subsequently, the plant slows down, begins to dry out and dies.

A large number of cabbage midges can destroy the entire crop in a couple of days. Flea beetles overwinter under a layer of fallen leaves and on the top balls of soil. If the affected leaves are not destroyed during harvest, they will spoil the sprouts again in the spring.