Contents
Pepper is a thermophilic crop. But gardeners have long and successfully grown this plant on their personal plots, not only in the southern regions, but also in the middle lane and even in Siberia. Pepper is very useful for the body, it is a vitamin bomb that also affects the taste buds. The taste of ordinary dishes changes, piquancy and sharpness appear. Sweet pepper slices decorate main courses and salads, and are an integral part of many winter preparations.
It is not surprising that every self-respecting gardener seeks to grow peppers. The process will go easier if you arm yourself with knowledge and put it into practice. It often happens that young plants are attacked by pests. The main thing is to recognize the enemy in time and take urgent measures to save pepper seedlings and not be left without a crop. In total, about 20 pests are known that infect peppers. Let’s take a look at the most common ones here.
Tli
Aphids gather in colonies and settle on almost all indoor and garden plants. Aphids parasitize, suck juices from young plants and transfer viruses to pepper seedlings.
Description
Aphids can look different, approximately 3500 species of aphids are known. It usually has an elongated body, ranging in size from 0,3 to 0,8 mm, which does not have a chitinous layer, it is soft and transparent. The aphid pierces the top layer of the plant with its proboscis and sucks out the juices.
Insects prefer to parasitize on the underside of pepper seedling leaves. Rough foliage of adult aphid plants is “too tough”. If control measures are not taken, then aphids will lead not only to the weakening of pepper seedlings, but also to their death.
Methods of struggle
There are a lot of methods for dealing with aphids. One treatment of pepper seedlings is not enough, it is necessary 2-3 times.
- For prevention purposes, fragrant plants can be planted next to young pepper seedlings. Aphids are scared away: marigolds, garlic, parsley, lavender, onion, mint, basil, mustard;
- The simplest method of struggle is to wash the aphids with water from pepper seedlings;
- Apply a soapy solution: Dissolve a bar of soap in a bucket of water. Use laundry, tar soap or any liquid. Spray pepper seedlings;
- Chop 1 medium onion, add 1 liter of water. The solution should be infused for 6 hours. Before processing plants, add 1 tsp. grated soap;
- 100 g of crushed garlic insist in 0,5 liters of water for 1 to 5 days. Dilute the infusion with water 1 tbsp. l. for 5 liters of water, here you can add 1 tsp. liquid soap and 2 tsp. vegetable oil;
- 100 g of pharmacy chamomile insist in 1 liter of water for a day, use based on the calculation of 1 part of the infusion for 3 parts of water;
- Infuse 200 g of tobacco for 5 hours in 10 liters of water, then strain, add XNUMX liters of clean water;
- Pour 1 kg of tops or stepchildren of tomatoes with 2 liters of water, simmer for half an hour on low heat, dilute 1: 3, sprinkle pepper seedlings.
Folk methods of struggle are varied and unusual. The fantasy of our gardeners is inexhaustible, in everyone’s arsenal there is a trouble-free pest control method that protects pepper seedlings. How to deal with aphids, look at the video:
Chemical means of combating aphids are represented by such preparations: Actellik, Fury, Fufanon, Karbofos, Keltan. Follow the instructions when using these preparations for the treatment of pepper seedlings.
Wireworm
The wireworm is the larval stage of development of the click beetle.
Description
The larvae have a rigid body, this is the main feature by which they can be distinguished. In length they reach from 1 to 4 cm. The body is yellow or brown.
The larva develops very slowly, grows by 7 mm per year, in total the larval stage lasts more than 4 years. For the winter, wireworms are buried in the soil to a depth of 60 cm. By populating the soil, they harm the planting of agricultural plants. They love potatoes very much, damage the seeds of sown plants, do not disdain pepper seedlings, bite into the roots and the underground part of the stem. As a result, the plant dies.
Methods of struggle
Pest control is difficult. But if you are focused on the result, then in 2-3 seasons you can significantly reduce the number of larvae.
- A good method of dealing with wireworms is the autumn digging of the earth shortly before frost. The wireworm, once on the surface, dies from the cold;
- A method that gives a good result, when digging the soil, carefully choose the roots of wheatgrass, even very small ones. So, you deprive the wireworm of power;
- Make traps. To do this, in the spring, in April-May, spread moistened bunches of hay, rotten grass or straw into small holes. Cover them with boards. In search of food and warmth, the wireworm will willingly move here. After 2 days, collect the traps and burn them at the stake. Repeat the procedure several times;
- You can sow mustard near the pepper, which repels the wireworm;
- Before planting pepper seedlings, you can treat the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate: 5 g per 10 liters of water;
- In the holes, when planting seedlings of pepper, gardeners pour mustard powder and even ground hot pepper. The mixture will not cause any harm to plants, the wireworm will not approach the roots of pepper seedlings;
- The introduction of ash, lime will complicate the life of the wireworm, as he loves acidic soils.
Chemical pest control methods include drugs: Bazudin, Prestige, Provotox, Metarizin. To successfully protect pepper seedlings, the instructions must be followed exactly.
Medvedka
The insect is a pest of agricultural plants.
Description
A burrowing large insect, reaches a length of 8 cm. The elongated soft abdomen is 3 times larger than the cephaloshell. Under the shell, the bear hides its head when threatened. The structure of the body outwardly resembles cancer. The forelimbs are modified and adapted for digging the earth. The color of an adult insect is dark brown or brown.
With the onset of spring heat, the bear becomes active, begins to dig passages in the soil and feed on the underground parts of plants. Pepper seedlings are no exception. Plants wither and then die. A sign of the presence of a bear is paths and holes in the soil.
Methods of struggle
Knowing the characteristics of behavior, eating habits, you can fight with a bear.
- Digging the ground in spring and late autumn leads to the destruction of passages and egg-laying;
- Medvedka loves fresh manure very much. In late autumn, dig a hole, fill it with manure, in such places insects settle down for the winter. With the establishment of negative temperatures, scatter manure over the surface of the soil, individuals will freeze, as they are in hibernation. In the spring, you can also arrange small manure traps, in which the bear lays eggs;
- Marigolds, garlic, onions can be planted next to pepper seedlings. Or add chopped plant parts, onion husks or egg shells when planting in the wells;
- River sand with the addition of kerosene repels insects.
If simple methods of pest control do not bring results, then proceed to the use of chemical means of protection of pepper seedlings.
Preparations in the form of poisoned granules that the bear eats: Medvetoks, Medvegon, Grizzly, Bankol. Place the pellets near manure heaps and near holes in the soil, sprinkle with soil so that they are not pecked by birds or eaten by domestic animals.
There are drugs that are biological. Once in the body, the bears destroy it, the insect dies. Other insects and plants are not endangered. “Nemabakt”, “Boverin” – examples of drugs of the biological group.
whitefly
The whitefly is a very small insect, but this does not cease to be dangerous for pepper seedlings.
Description
The insect resembles a butterfly in miniature, no larger than 3 mm in size. The wings are covered with a white coating, so the Latin name of the whitefly comes from the word flour. In the people, the whitefly is called the “seedling moth”.
Insects and their larvae feed on plant juices of seedlings. But the appearance of the whitefly also carries with it the danger of infecting plants with various viruses that insects carry. In the process of feeding, the whitefly secretes sticky enzymes, which are a favorable environment for the development of the fungus. The surface of pepper seedling leaves turns first white and then black. These are signs of a fungal infection of seedlings.
Methods of struggle
The whitefly loves high humidity and warmth. Do not let the plantings thicken, follow the watering schedule for pepper seedlings, and ventilate the room where you grow plants. Simple preventive measures will protect the pepper from the appearance of a colony of whiteflies.
- For whiteflies, you can hang ready-made sticky tapes for flies near pepper seedlings or make your own traps. For this, pieces of plywood, preferably bright yellow, spread with honey, petroleum jelly or castor oil. One trap is enough for 1 window sill on which the seedlings of the plant are grown. Mechanical control methods are good at the initial stage, when the whitefly has just chosen your pepper seedlings;
- Plants can be sprayed with garlic infusion. Chop 2-3 heads of garlic, cover with water, insist under a tight lid for a week. You will get a concentrate, before spraying, take it 1 tsp, dilute with 1 liter of water. The remedy will help if there are few pests;
- Chemical methods of control: the drug “Aktara” is applied under the root of pepper seedlings in the form of a solution, the whitefly feeds on poisoned plant sap and dies. “Aktara” protects pepper seedlings for 5 weeks. You can use other means: Inta-Vir, Zeta, Iskra, Fitoverm, Aktellik, Fufanon, Zeta and others.
Slugs
They do not have a shell and look, at first glance, defenseless. However, they can cause irreparable harm to plantings of cultivated plants.
Appearance
Naked slugs are cephalopods, the closest relatives of which are well-known snails. Slugs have a soft body covered with mucus. Lacking methods of protection, they hide during the day and crawl out at night. Actively eat berries and young foliage of seedlings, including pepper. The most favorable conditions for the life and reproduction of slugs are heat and moisture.
Methods of struggle
You can fight slugs by using folk methods that are quite effective and do not harm pepper seedlings.
- Preventive methods are weeding and loosening, soil mulching. Straw, ash, sawdust, needles, broken bricks are not at all suitable for moving slugs. Pepper seedlings can be protected by mulching the soil;
- Use various traps, both self-made and ready-made. Slugs are attracted to containers of beer, which must be buried in the ground so that the edges are at ground level. Look at the video:How to get rid of slugs? Fighting slugs with beer in the garden, folk remedies.
- Plant plants next to pepper seedlings that will scare away slugs: basil, onion, garlic, mustard, watercress, geranium;
- Sprinkle baking soda or soda ash on shellfish. You can prepare a solution of soda and water: 100 g per 10 liters and spray the plants, add laundry soap to the solution;
- A solution of vinegar, mustard powder, ammonia will also help to cope with slugs.
All of these methods are good if there are few slugs in your area. But if the problem has become widespread, then proceed to serious means of pest control. “Ulicid”, “Thunderstorm”, “Meta”, “Metaldehyde” are produced in various forms. Carefully read the instructions for using the drugs.
spider mite
The spider mite is ubiquitous. Despite its small size, it can lead to the death of the plant. Both houseplants and garden plants suffer from it. These are serious pests of pepper seedlings.
Description
The spider mite has a small body, no more than 0,5 mm in size. Its color is from light green to brown, depending on the stage of development of the individual. Under favorable conditions, ticks live for about a month. Under unfavorable conditions, the development of eggs freezes, they can remain in the soil for up to 5 years.
It appears in the event that there are a lot of individuals. Looking closely, you can see pinpoint punctures, which later merge and form dried islands on the plant. Pepper leaves curl and fall off.
If measures are not taken to protect pepper seedlings from pests, they will soon die, as mites damage plant cells, the process of photosynthesis stops or is significantly reduced, young plants do not receive proper nutrition. In addition, ticks are carriers of viruses and fungi.
Methods of struggle
To fight, use home remedies.
- Make a solution of laundry soap: a bar of soap on a bucket of water, spray pepper seedlings. Spraying with a solution of tar or sulfur soap effectively helps;
- An infusion of garlic helps fight ticks. You can not insist, grate about 200 g of garlic, stir in a bucket of water and immediately spray the plants;
- Infusion of onion skins: 200 g insist day in 10 liters of water;
- A decoction of yarrow or wormwood: pour 100 g of grass into 2 liters of water, simmer over low heat, strain, add to a bucket of water.
Switch to chemicals if gentle pest control methods have not helped you. Effective drugs: Apollo, Antiklesh, Neoron, Fufanon.
TRIPS
Small, inconspicuous insects, but as pests can cause significant damage to seedlings and are considered one of the very dangerous pests not only of pepper, but also of indoor and garden plants.
Description
The elongated body of thrips has a size of 0,5 to 2 mm. The color is varied: from gray to brown. Thrips suck out the vital juices of plants, carry viruses and fungal diseases, and pollute plants with their waste products.
External manifestations on plants at the initial stage of settlement are reduced to the fact that yellow or discolored spots appear on the leaves of pepper seedlings, then they die off. On the underside of the plants, thrips larvae or adults can be seen.
Methods of struggle
Thrips reproduce very quickly. At room temperature in a week they become 2 times more.
Immediately proceed to chemical methods of struggle. Such drugs as Intavir, Karate, Confidor, Agravertin, Actellik will help you.
Conclusion
The main trouble for those who grow pepper seedlings on their own, both in an apartment and in a greenhouse, is the attack of pests on young plants.
If you are for environmentally friendly products, then use folk methods of struggle, they are gentle and will not harm plants and the environment. For the mass destruction of pests, chemical and biological preparations are suitable, which are available in various forms for ease of use. Be sure to read the instructions for use, some products cannot be used in an apartment due to high toxicity.