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All gardeners are familiar with the Colorado potato beetle.
Not a single area where potatoes, tomatoes or eggplants are grown has been missed by this striped leaf beetle. Therefore, summer residents are constantly inventing or looking for reliable ways to deal with this malicious beetle. Among the main methods are:
- chemical;
- agrotechnical;
- biological;
- recipes of folk wisdom.
Today we will focus on the last point. After all, many potato growers avoid the use of chemical poisons, often they cannot meet all the requirements of agricultural technology. Therefore, the striped beetle and annoying. Another unpleasant ability of the Colorado beetle for summer residents is that it quickly gets used to the action of modern drugs. Therefore, they try to poison the Colorado potato beetle with different compositions.
Burning remedies for leaf beetle
Mustard powder and table vinegar are popular ingredients among summer residents. However, it should be said right away that the folk recipe repels the adult pest and its larvae, and does not destroy it.
Mustard against the Colorado potato beetle is used in its pure form and mixed with various substances. It helps to eliminate not only the aforementioned pest from the garden, but also other unwanted insects. Its ability to grow quickly, clear the ground of scab and pathogenic phytophthora saves plantings from codling moth, wireworm and slugs.
An important quality is the ecological safety of mustard. It is sown as green manure, used in cooking and to protect vegetable beds. You can poison the Colorado potato beetle with mustard using a dry powder, which is easy to purchase in the store chain.
Dry mustard against Colorado beetle
In dry form, mustard is very easy to apply, and its action allows you to cope with pests over a large area. How does mustard work against parasites? She exudes an unpleasant smell for beetles and thus scares them away from the garden. And the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle do not like the bitter taste of mustard powder. Therefore, they leave the leaves on which mustard powder is poured.
To apply dry mustard powder, a complex recipe is not required. Acquire raw materials in the right quantity, scatter them in places where pests accumulate and in row-spacings. Then sprinkle the plants well. The duration of exposure to the powder is up to 4 days. The larvae will leave the plants for this time, and the adults will bypass. To enhance the effect of the substance, use different formulations with mustard. A recipe with mustard and vinegar works well.
The combination of these components enhances the action of the product and allows you to get rid of the Colorado potato beetle faster and more reliably. The leaf beetle does not develop immunity to the mixture or to individual components, so the composition always works.
Using a mixture of components
Not only mustard has a specific aroma, but vinegar also has a characteristic pungent odor. The main thing is to observe the proportions of the components in the mixture of mustard and vinegar against the Colorado potato beetle.
To prepare a mixture to combat the Colorado parasite, you can use several recipes with the addition of additional ingredients.
The simplest one looks like this:
- For 10 liters of solution, take one packet of mustard powder (100 grams) or 4 tablespoons.
- Add 100 ml of table vinegar (9%).
- Mix the ingredients well.
- Dilute the mixture with water (10 liters) and mix again.
The second version of the composition is slightly different in the method of preparation and the proportion of components. For it, take twice as much dry mustard powder (200 g), dilute in a bucket of water (10 liters) and leave for 12 hours to infuse. Then add table vinegar (150 ml). If in the first version a mixture of mustard and vinegar was diluted with water, now we do not mix these substances at the beginning of cooking.
To enhance the effect of the remedy, many gardeners add wormwood, infusion of garlic or onion peel, turpentine to it.
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Wormwood, turpentine, mustard, vinegar from the Colorado potato beetle have a strong effect when used correctly. How to apply the prepared solution? Spraying the bushes will be the most acceptable way. Processing should begin at the beginning of the growth of the tops and at the time of an increase in the number of striped pests.
Certain conditions must be observed to achieve maximum effect:
- Start spraying in the evening. At this time, the heat subsides, the activity of the sun decreases. Plants receive less stress, and mustard will not lose its beneficial properties from direct sunlight.
- Choose a warm and calm evening. The composition will lie well on the plants and not be sprayed outside the beds. And the heat will help the components work better.
- Process regularly. Last time – 3 weeks before harvest.
- The composition must be used within 3 hours after preparation. Otherwise, it will be useless.
- If it rained after spraying, you will have to repeat the treatment. Drops of water wash off the solution from the bushes and its action stops.
The compositions are used not only for spraying potato ridges, but also for watering.
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Conclusion
When fighting the Colorado potato beetle, it must be remembered that the main harm is caused by the larvae of the pest. Therefore, you should not pull with the use of the selected means. Folk recipes are safe for both humans and the environment. Therefore, their use will not only get rid of the voracious parasite, but will not cause harm.