Cabbage is a fairly unpretentious vegetable, and many gardeners enjoy growing its various types. But sometimes the juicy green cabbage leaves begin to curl, and over time the bush takes on an unhealthy appearance. This problem can confuse an inexperienced vegetable grower. In order to solve it and get a good harvest, you need to know all the reasons why cabbage leaves can curl.
There are several reasons why cabbage leaves begin to curl:
- violations of the irrigation regime;
- pest damage;
- insufficient or excessive application of fertilizers.
To improve the health of cabbage plantings, the gardener needs to correct agrotechnical mistakes and try to prevent them in the future.
Insufficient or uneven watering
Lack of moisture is the most common cause of leaf curling. A critical decrease in water in plant cells leads to a decrease in turgor, as a result of which the leaves lose their elasticity and curl. In this case, to solve the problem, you need to adjust the irrigation regime.
In dry, hot weather, cabbage beds are watered every day. It is advisable to do this in the evening so that moisture from the soil surface evaporates as slowly as possible. This culture is one of the few that are not afraid cold water, so the watering process is easy to automate by installing sprinklers. Such watering well moisturizes the top layer of soil without eroding it, and washes away various pests from the leaves - caterpillars, butterflies, aphids, cruciferous flea beetles.
When cabbage varieties begin to curl, it is necessary to monitor the schedule and watering rates, avoiding either drying out or waterlogging of the soil. Insufficient water supply to the plants will slow down the formation of heads, and the first sign will be the appearance of curled leaves. Overmoistening leads to cracking of the heads of cabbage. Such cabbage can no longer be stored.
Pest infestation
Juicy, crunchy cabbage leaves are a favorite treat not only for cows and goats, but also for small garden pests - aphids and whiteflies. These insects reproduce very quickly and, having settled on the cabbage, begin to feed on its juices. As a result, the cabbage does not receive enough moisture, but also nutrients, and the leaves begin to curl.
Aphids on cabbage
Aphid colonies can be found on the undersides of leaves. These are small greenish-gray insects. If cabbage leaves are intended for food (leaf or Peking cabbage), it is better to get rid of aphids using completely safe methods for health.
One of these methods is spraying plants with an infusion of tobacco dust. One glass is diluted in 3 liters of water, brought to a boil, kept on low heat for half an hour and turned off. Then infuse for 2 hours, during which time the infusion will cool down. The cooled infusion is filtered and brought to 10 liters of water. In order for the tobacco infusion to hold better, add a little finely grated laundry, liquid or green soap to it. Affected bushes are sprayed every evening until the aphids disappear. Tobacco dust is perfectly replaced by the same amount of wood ash.
If you completely defeat harmful insects with traditional methods If it didn’t work, you can spray the plantings with Fitoverm. It is made on a natural basis and is practically harmless to humans.
Products sprayed with Fitoverm can be consumed after 2-3 days, after washing well.
There are also more aggressive drugs that can quickly destroy harmful insects. These include the drugs “Actellik”, “Fufanon”, “Inta-vir”. Before use, you must read the instructions and follow them strictly.
Whitefly
A small white butterfly similar to a moth, the whitefly, also loves cabbage. First, larvae appear on the underside of the foliage and actively feed on the sap. As a result, the leaves begin to curl and the plant may die over time.
Infection by this pest is often combined with fungal diseases, in which a black coating appears on the leaves, since insects are carriers of fungal spores. The fight against whiteflies is difficult because its larvae are covered with a waxy coating, which protects them from the effects of drugs. Adults are destroyed with the same compounds used to combat aphids.
The peculiarity of the whitefly is that it is attracted to the color yellow. To do this, sticky fly tape is hung next to the cabbage beds, and the whitefly itself flies to it, attracted by the color.
To systematically control pests, it is necessary to destroy plant debris on which their eggs overwinter. Also, to distract attention, plants that attract aphids are planted near the cabbage plantings - nasturtium, cruciferous green manure, viburnum.
Standing radishes will serve as a good bait for aphids. Give it to insects to eat, then they will forget about the juicy cabbage leaves.
Lack or excess of minerals
A lack or excess of certain nutrients in the soil can cause leaves to curl.
Potassium deficiency affects cabbage as follows:
- small dry spots form along the edges of the leaves;
- the plant acquires a bluish tint;
- leaf petioles are elongated;
- the leaf blade becomes wavy and curls down.
Sandy soils most often suffer from potassium deficiency. Adding lime or dolomite flour containing magnesium and calcium to them aggravates the situation. Comprehensive measures can quickly correct the situation - adding potassium fertilizers to the soil and foliar fertilizing, which help to improve the health of the affected plants.
Excess nitrogen interferes with the absorption of potassium, especially in the second half of summer. During this period, cabbage should be fed mainly with potassium fertilizers with the addition of microelements.
Chemical burns lead to curling of leaves if the proportions of herbicides or fertilizers are not observed. It will be difficult to help the cabbage in this case; you will have to tear off the burnt leaves and next time be more careful in preparing mixtures for spraying and watering.
When growing cabbage, gardeners put a lot of effort, because this crop is demanding on soil composition and temperature conditions. Even the most attentive summer resident may encounter bushes that look unhealthy and withering. There are several reasons why cabbage leaves curl. It is worth learning about them in order to take the necessary steps in time to save the harvest.
Common causes of leaf curl in cabbage
Rolling the leaf blades inward should alert the gardener, because this is nothing more than wilting. At the initial stage, cabbage leaves curl at the edges. Further, if no action is taken, the process only gets worse - the plant may die.
There are different reasons why leaves curl:
- weather conditions – extreme heat;
- lack of moisture;
- lack of minerals;
- pest attack.
High air temperature
Cabbage loves cool weather. If the thermometer reaches +28 degrees, the plant is stressed. In this mode, its above-ground part actively consumes substances and moisture, and the roots do not have time to replenish the lost volume, so the leaves curl from the edge to the middle, inward.
Improper watering
Insufficient moisture in plant cells is one of the reasons why leaf blades curl. This occurs due to loss of turgor. Cabbage most of all needs abundant watering when the heads set and grow. At this time, it is necessary to adjust the soil moisture regime correctly, preventing the substrate from drying out.
Lack or excess of nutrients
Cabbage gets all the necessary minerals from the soil. If the soil is poor, this will affect not only the development of heads of cabbage, but also the condition of the leaves. For example, from a lack of potassium they begin to turn yellow, become stained and curl at the edges.
Attention! Excess nitrogen in the soil prevents plant roots from extracting potassium.
Treatment of cabbage beds with herbicides and nutritional compositions often accompanied by chemical burns of leaf plates. As a result, they become deformed. To avoid this, it is better to spray plants in the evening, after sunset.
Pest attack
Cabbage leaves curl when the plant is infested with aphids, cruciferous flea beetles or bugs. These insects feed on the juice of garden crops.
Pests can be found on the underside of leaf blades. Large colonies quickly deprive the plant of its vitality, which certainly affects its appearance. One of the signs of cabbage being damaged by insects is the appearance of yellow spots on the leaves.
What to do if the leaves on the cabbage are curled?
If you discover a problem, you need to act immediately. A gardener can take specific steps to save cabbage plantings.
Organizing the correct watering regime
Cabbage is a moisture-loving plant. In dry and hot weather, the bushes are watered once every 2-3 days. When it is cool, it is enough to moisten the soil in the garden bed once a week. The need for water increases during the period of ovary formation, but it is important to avoid waterlogging, otherwise the heads of cabbage will crack.
Gardeners advise watering cabbage beds in the evening, when the heat subsides. Otherwise, the moisture will quickly evaporate from the surface of the soil, and the plant will not receive even half of the vital fluid. Many summer residents use a sprinkling system, in which water gradually flows in small doses to the roots, maintaining an optimal level of humidity.
Top dressing
Harmful to plants as a deficiency nutrients, as well as their excess. By following a fertilizing schedule, you can avoid wilting problems. Cabbage is fed 3–4 times, depending on the ripening time of the variety:
- 2 weeks after transplanting the seedlings into the garden. At this time, more nitrogen is required for growth. Gardeners add urea or a solution of chicken manure, as well as any complex mineral fertilizer - Kemira, Mortar, Kristalon.
- The second feeding is carried out after 2–3 weeks. At this stage, an infusion of bird droppings is used in a concentration of 1:15.
- The cabbage is fertilized for the third time 10–12 days after the second feeding. Mullein (0.5 l), 30–40 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium sulfate are dissolved in 10 liters of water.
- The fourth feeding is necessary only for late-ripening cabbage varieties. Substances obtained by plants during this period will improve the keeping quality of heads of cabbage. Dissolve 500 ml of wood ash infusion in 10 liters of water and pour half a liter under each bush.
Pest treatment
Sucking insects appear in the garden in late April - mid-May. To protect cabbage from pests at the beginning of the growing season, before the heads of cabbage have yet set, you can use chemicals. These include:
- Decis;
- Spark.
After the ovaries appear, it is better to use biological insecticides. They are safe for humans. Popular preparations for aphids, bedbugs and fleas:
- Bitoxibacillin;
- Pecilomycin;
- Aktofit;
- Nemabact.
Attention! Cabbage is always processed in dry weather, when there are no gusts of wind. It is important to strictly follow the instructions and not exceed the indicated dosages.
If cabbage leaves begin to curl due to the fault of insects, but there is less than a month left before harvesting, it is not recommended to use insecticides. They will come to the rescue folk remedies:
- garlic infusion;
- onion peel decoction;
- soap-ash solution.
Having discovered curled leaves on cabbage, an experienced gardener knows what to do - first you need to find out what caused the deterioration appearance plants. It may be necessary to correct errors in the watering regime or add another portion of fertilizer. If pests are found in the garden bed, you will have to immediately treat the plantings. Ignoring the situation will lead to gradual withering of the cabbage and loss of harvest.
What usually causes cabbage seedlings to suffer from? How can you fight diseases and pests of cabbage seedlings? How to save damaged cabbage seedlings?
It is almost impossible to grow cabbage seedlings without encountering a number of problems, diseases and pests. This demanding crop brings gardeners a huge amount of trouble. But, owning complete information about the care and treatment of cabbage seedlings, you can avoid many difficulties and correct most mistakes.
What to do if there is a black leg on cabbage seedlings?
First you need to find out what this “black leg” is. A similar disease is a fungal infection that affects the rhizomes and stem of a plant. Its main symptom is blackening of the root collar of the seedlings, thinning of the stem, and then its complete drying out. In addition to black spots, pimply formations or growths can be seen on the root collar of a diseased plant.
The following conditions are attractive for blackleg, as for other fungi:
- high humidity
- warm environment (ground)
- increased acidity of the earth
- dense plantings of seedlings
- lack of air flow between plants
In other words, in order to avoid the appearance and development of blackleg, the following preventive actions must be taken:
- water as needed
- adhere to generally accepted standards for planting seedlings (distance between seeds)
- ventilate the room with seedlings
- check soil pH
- disinfect the soil before planting seedlings in it
- process and harden cabbage seeds before planting
If the black leg has already affected the seedlings, then there are several ways to combat it:
- try to save the diseased plant by separating the affected part from its healthy part (the cut should be green, not black) and rooting it in the ground
- remove the diseased seedling from the common box along with a lump of earth
- plant healthy plants in another box and throw away the affected soil
- treat healthy sprouts in a common box with a solution of manganese, Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate
- cover the top layer of soil above the beginning of the black leg with a layer of river sand, activated carbon or ash
- acidify the soil with a solution of soda (1 tsp baking soda per 1 tbsp. water)
- seedlings transplanted into open ground, and infected with blackleg, can be fertilized with manure or chicken droppings
Why do cabbage seedlings have purple leaves?
Experienced gardeners explain the appearance of purple leaves on cabbage seedlings by two conditions:
- lack of useful microelements, in particular nitrogen and phosphorus
- stress suffered by the plant (picking, planting in open ground, lack or excess of moisture, low room temperature)
In the first case, the seedlings can be helped by banal feeding with the missing substances. It is worth noting that it is necessary to fertilize the plant in moderation.
In the second situation, it is advisable to first find out what caused the stress, and only then take measures:
- If the seedlings are cold, then they need to be provided with comfortable temperature conditions.
- If there are problems with watering, they need to be solved
- If the plant suffers from a change in environment, then you can simply give it time to acclimatize
Holes and white spots appeared on cabbage seedlings: what to do?
There are a number of diseases that can cause white spots and holes to appear on cabbage seedlings:
- Powdery mildew
- Peronosporosis or false powdery mildew
- Nitrogen deficiency
- Cruciferous flea beetle
Powdery mildew is not considered a very serious disease, especially if it appears on an adult plant. The best prevention of the disease is to follow the rules of crop rotation and control weeds. However, this disease can reduce the crop yield, so it is advisable to treat diseased seedlings with some kind of preparation against powdery mildew. Most often, Fitosporin is used for these purposes (used no more than once every 2-3 weeks).
Downy mildew, like powdery mildew, is dangerous only for young plants. Its occurrence can be prevented by organizing conditions that are comfortable for seedlings and disinfecting the soil and seeds before planting. It is possible to overcome such a disease with the help of industrial products, like Topaz, or a solution of liquid soap and copper sulfate (1 tbsp of these products per 10 liters of water).
The third problem can be easily solved by adding organic or mineral nitrogen fertilizers to the soil.
The cruciferous flea beetle, like no other, is capable of riddling cabbage seedlings in a matter of days. The attack of this insect can be prevented by treating the soil in autumn and spring before planting seedlings, as well as by disinfecting the cabbage seeds themselves. Many gardeners practice planting plants such as coriander, dill or nightshade around their beds. These crops emit an odor that is unpleasant to insects. If the flea has nevertheless penetrated into the cabbage planting area, then it needs to be fought with more radical methods: chemicals, infusion of ash or copper sulfate solution.
Cabbage seedlings wither: what to do
- The reasons for wilting of cabbage seedlings can be banal violations of the rules and procedures for planting seedlings. In addition, novice gardeners make a lot of mistakes when caring for the first shoots - either they are flooded with too much water, or, conversely, they are not watered enough. Another common mistake may be a violation of the temperature or humidity level in the room where the boxes with seedlings are located.
- Well, the most obvious and common cause for concern regarding wilting cabbage seedlings is an attack by pests. Each of them must be dealt with accordingly.
- It is also worth mentioning that experienced gardeners still prefer not to grow seedlings of this crop at home, but to sow them directly in a greenhouse or greenhouse.
Why do cabbage seedlings turn yellow and dry out?
- Yellowing of cabbage seedlings after transplanting them into open ground is a normal and common phenomenon. Moreover, you should not worry if only the lower, cotyledon leaves have turned yellow. This plant reaction to transplantation is considered normal.
- Cabbage seedlings can also turn yellow due to insufficient or excessive watering.
- Strongly scorching sun can turn its leaves yellow or, on the contrary, planting it in a shaded area of the garden.
- A way out of this situation can be additional feeding of seedlings with complex mineral fertilizers.
There can be many reasons for this phenomenon:
- Strong penetration of cabbage seeds into the soil during planting
- Insufficient or, conversely, increased watering
- Failure to comply with temperature conditions
- Insufficient humidity in the room with seedlings
- Lack of fresh air in the room or, on the contrary, strong drafts
- Violation of the procedure for treating seeds or soil before planting
- Pest attack
Why do cabbage seedlings' leaves curl?
There are a number of factors that provoke the process of leaf curling on cabbage seedlings:
- Lack or excess of nutrients in the soil (not fed or overfed the soil)
- Burn due to spraying seedlings with various types of chemicals as a top dressing or treatment for pests
- Insufficient or infrequent watering
- Whitefly butterfly attack
- Damage to plant leaves by cabbage aphids
Cabbage seedlings have stretched out and outgrown: what to do?
- If for some reason the cabbage seedlings have stretched out before picking, then they must be immediately transplanted into individual containers.
- In the process of such a transplant, it is advisable to pincer (pinch) the root of the seedling, deepening it right up to the cotyledon leaves.
- After picking the seedlings, it is advisable to place them in a cool place (from +10 to +13 degrees) for 7-10 days and provide them with decent twelve-hour lighting.
- If the seedlings have stretched out after picking, then you can try to cut off the top or treat them with special preparations that slow down the growth process.
How to plant overgrown cabbage seedlings? - Experienced gardeners recommend that overgrown seedlings not be watered for at least a week on the eve of planting them in open ground.
- You can moisten the soil of such seedlings only a couple of hours before transplanting.
- Overgrown seedlings also need to be buried by tearing off their two lower leaves.
- Any plant, especially when in the seedling stage, is afraid of low temperatures. Cabbage is no exception in this case.
- It is best to plant seedlings of this crop in open ground after the likelihood of night frosts has been minimized.
- If such a risk is still present, then the plant must be prepared for this in advance.
- Even when planting seeds, they need to be hardened.
- It is also advisable to harden off sprouts that have already hatched.
- Prepared seedlings can withstand frosts down to -4-5 degrees.
Cabbage seedlings are frozen: what to do?
- Frozen cabbage seedlings can be treated with special chemicals.
- This kind of remedy will help the seedlings cope with the misfortune that happened to it.
- Some gardeners recommend watering such plants with cold water (ideally melt water).
Aphids on cabbage seedlings: how to fight?
- The cabbage aphid is a small pest that reveals its presence in cabbage with a white and then brown coating on the leaves of its seedlings.
- Aphids, like any other pest, are easier to prevent than to control.
- Prevention against cabbage aphids is proper planting and care of cabbage seedlings.
- Many gardeners plant fragrant marigolds, dill, parsley, rosemary, mint, etc. next to the cabbage bed. The smell of these plants blooming repels many insects and other pests.
- Folk remedies for controlling cabbage aphids are an infusion of tomato tops, tobacco dust or wood ash, as well as a soap solution.
- Among chemical preparations, anabazine sulfate has proven itself well, the solution of which is used to treat seedlings.
How to treat cabbage seedlings against diseases and pests?
There are dozens, or even hundreds, on the shelves of specialized stores. chemicals, helping to get rid of various cabbage diseases or pests. However, many gardeners still prefer to use only natural preparations or substances that help combat these problems. Thus, you can be sure that the pesticide will not get inside the cabbage head, and the vegetable will be absolutely safe for the human body.
Here are the most popular and proven traditional methods Treatment of cabbage seedlings from diseases and pests:
- You can fight cruciferous flea beetle by spraying seedlings with a solution of vinegar, chicken droppings or celandine, pollinating sifted wood ash and tobacco dust or slaked lime.
- The following will help get rid of cabbage aphids: wiping the leaves with soapy water, spraying with a solution of iodine and milk, ash and soap, or infusion of tomato and potato tops.
- Cabbage whites are afraid of being sprayed with a solution of ash and soap, infusions of burdock, onions, garlic or weeds.
- You can fight cabbage moths by pollinating seedlings with wood ash.
- You can try to expel the cabbage fly from the garden by watering the cabbage with a saline solution and sprinkling the soil with wood ash, mothballs with sand, tobacco dust, as well as by spraying the seedlings with extract coniferous plants or infusion of celery stalks.
- Only preventative methods can fight the cabbage weevil - this insect is not afraid of any other substances.
- Mustard powder, infusions of garlic or onions, and a solution of ammonia can repel slugs and snails.
- For such large pests, you can still equip bait traps - buried containers with fermenting yeast, kvass or juice.
We hope that our article will help protect your cabbage seedlings from numerous problems. Have a good sprouting and harvest!
Diseases and pests of cabbage seedlings: Video
As you know, choosing and planting cabbage seedlings correctly is only the first step towards a good harvest. The most important thing in growing cabbage is to be able to protect the cabbage beds from diseases and pests. Quite often, gardeners do not know what to do when they notice that spots begin to appear on the leaves of such lovingly nurtured cabbage, and only watch with disappointment as the leaves turn yellow, turn white and curl. How to treat cabbage if its leaves dry out and curl, and why this happens, you can find out in our article.
Why do cabbage leaves curl?
The main reason why cabbage leaves begin to dry out, become covered with whitish spots and curl is an invasion of cabbage aphids. These small, inconspicuous grayish-white insects prefer to live in large colonies, feeding on cabbage juice. Before the onset of winter, they lay countless eggs both on cabbage stalks and on weeds growing nearby. In the spring, aphid larvae hatch from overwintered eggs, and after just 10-14 days they turn into adult females. They, in turn, give birth to new offspring. As a result, in a fairly short time, even the most extensive cabbage bed becomes completely infested with cabbage aphids. During one season, more than 16 generations of aphids grow on the site, and both larvae and adult insects use cabbage juice for nutrition. Overcome by such an invasion, cabbage rapidly loses its vitality, its leaves become stained, dry out, and over time the cabbage dies. Cabbage heads, overcome by aphids, either do not form or form excessively deformed ones. Aphids reproduce especially actively in moderately humid and warm weather, so in warm, rainy summers, gardeners need to be especially careful.
Is it possible to save cabbage if its leaves curl and dry out?
Although fighting aphids is not a simple task, it is quite possible to achieve success with regular protective measures. Firstly, after harvesting, it is necessary to carefully destroy all infected cabbage stumps and weeds on which aphid eggs can overwinter. The land in the area where cabbage was grown must be plowed, thus leaving no chance for aphid eggs to safely survive the frost.
Secondly, to reduce the number of aphids, you can use their natural enemies - ladybugs, lacewings and hoverflies.
Thirdly, when the first signs of cabbage being infested by aphids are detected, it is necessary to begin treating the area with insecticides. How to treat cabbage if its leaves curl and dry out? For the first treatment, a mixture of 5 grams of potassium chloride and 10 grams of extract is usually used, 
dissolving them in 10 liters of water. Repeated treatment with this infusion can be carried out, if necessary, 10-15 days after the first. Among the folk remedies in the fight against aphids, infusions of potato tops, tobacco dust, onion peels, etc. are used. Treatment with such infusions can be carried out at intervals of one to one and a half weeks, two to three times per season. If folk remedies are powerless against pests, the drugs “Decis” and “Fozalon” come to the aid of the gardener. Any of these products must be dissolved in water in a proportion of 10-15 ml per 10 liters of water and treated cabbage beds with the resulting solution. The drug “Iskra” also gives good results, one tablet of which must also be dissolved in one bucket of water.
Of all the cruciferous vegetables, diseases and pests practically do not affect only kale. Worst Enemies cabbage - spring cabbage fly, white butterfly caterpillars, mealy aphids, whiteflies, cruciferous clubroot, flea beetles and birds. However, insects or fungal diseases should not be blamed for all troubles.
Most often, gardeners themselves, who do not compact the soil when preparing the bed and when planting seedlings, are to blame for the fact that Brussels sprouts have loose heads, cabbage does not set heads, and cauliflower grows small.
The reason for failure may be acidification of the soil or growing cabbage in the same area where it failed last year.
The seedling bed is arranged in a sunny place protected from the wind. The soil must be fertile - if manure was not applied to the previous crop, compost is added to the soil when digging in the fall. Before sowing, the soil surface is loosened with a rake (not a pitchfork) and complex fertilizer is applied. If you have been bothered by spring cabbage fly in the past, you can resort to biological methods and introduce a nematode culture into the soil. The soil is trampled down so that there are no voids left, its surface is lightly loosened with a rake and the seeds are sown according to the instructions on the bag.
Downy Mildew
The leaves turn yellow on top, and a coating of white mold appears on their lower surface. Usually affects young plants. The spread of the disease is facilitated by dense plantings and high air humidity. Affected plants grow poorly.
Ways to fight: At the first signs of disease, plants are sprayed with mancozeb.
Precautions: Seeds are sown in sterile compost. Do not grow seedlings in an area where this disease was previously observed.
SPRING CABBAGE FLY
The leaves take on a bluish tint and wither in the sun; Newly planted seedlings are more likely to suffer from flies. Young plants die, the rest are stunted. Headed cabbage does not set heads; cauliflower heads turn out small.
Ways to fight: Immediately after planting the seedlings, a nematode culture is introduced or the soil under the plants is covered with roofing felt. You can cover young plants with a fine mesh
Gall Weevil
Clubroot clubroot is much less dangerous and less common. Surface roots swell. Plant growth may slow down somewhat, but this has almost no effect on the yield.
Ways to fight: Fighting is pointless. The spread of pests can be stopped by watering the soil around the plants with permethrin.
Precautions: To a certain extent, remedies for other, more dangerous soil pests help.
KULA CRUCIFERAS
The leaves turn pale and the sun withers. A dangerous disease that can lead to crop destruction in wet summers.
Ways to fight: None. Affected plants are removed and burned. In case of mass disease, do not grow cabbage on the affected area for several years.
Precautions: Add a sufficient amount of lime to the soil, provide good drainage. Before planting, the roots of the seedlings are dipped in thiophanate-methyl.
BELLE (White Rust)
White spots appear on the leaves. In warm, damp weather, the entire leaf may become covered with white fluff. Growth stops and plants may die. A fungal disease that most often affects Brussels sprouts.
Ways to fight: Diseased leaves are cut off and burned. Plants are thinned out.
Precautions:
RING SPOT
Brown rings up to 2-3 cm in diameter appear on adult leaves. Severely affected leaves turn yellow and fall off. Damp weather contributes to the disease.
Ways to fight: Diseased leaves are cut off and burned. Plants are sprayed with mancozeb. Preventive measures: Do not plant cabbage in the infected area next year.
FAN
The leaves are thin, belt-shaped. Cauliflower heads are small or absent. The reason is a lack of molybdenum, which plants experience in acidic soil, with
Ways to fight: Plants are regularly sprayed with a solution of microelements.
Precautions: Before sowing or planting seedlings, add lime to the soil.
ROOT CALL ROT
The base of the stem turns black and wrinkles. Many young plants die, and those that survive grow very slowly and break easily at the base.
Ways to fight: None.
Precautions: Do not plant cabbage in wet, cold soil or compost, or thicken the plantings. Sometimes treating plants with dithane helps.
BLACK ROT
A dangerous disease that is sometimes encountered during warm, humid summers. The seedlings die, adult plants are greatly retarded in growth, the leaves turn yellow, and the veins on them turn black. The lower leaves fall off. A dark brown ring is visible on the cut of the stem.
Methods of control: None. Sick plants are dug up and burned.
Precautions: None. Maintain crop rotation.
BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS
Butterfly caterpillars gnaw holes in the leaves and heads of cabbage. They can infect plants throughout the entire growth period; there are especially many caterpillars in dry, hot summers.
Ways to fight: At the first signs of damage, plants are sprayed with permethrin or fenitrothion. If necessary, repeat the treatment.
Precautions: When white butterflies appear, they inspect the leaves and destroy the egg clutches.
Loose heads of cabbage
Heads of cabbage are not tied various reasons- most often due to a lack of humus in the soil or insufficiently compacted soil. This defect can also be caused by drought and severe shading. Proper feeding of plants, especially complex mineral or water-soluble potassium, but not nitrogen fertilizer, promotes the formation of dense heads of cabbage.
Can severely damage leaves and stems in wet weather. During the day, pests usually hide, but their presence is revealed by mucus tracks. Young plants are especially affected and may even die.
Ways to fight: At the first signs of damage, methiocarb or anti-slug granules are scattered on the garden bed.
Precautions: The area around the plantings is kept clean.
BIRDS
In many areas, birds, especially pigeons, cause serious damage by eating leaves down to the veins.
Ways to fight: None.
Precautions: Scarecrows are ineffective. You can cover the plants with nylon mesh.
CRACKING CAPS
Cabbage heads can crack for a variety of reasons. In summer, this usually occurs due to rain after a long drought. Spraying the plants with fertilizer at the first sign of cracking can help, but it is best to prevent the problem by watering the plants regularly during dry weather. In autumn, sudden cold snaps are dangerous; If the forecast promises severe frost, it is better to harvest the crop and store it.
Loose BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Sometimes the sprouts on Brussels sprouts are not dense and round, but loose, and they need to be removed immediately. The reason is the same why cabbage heads do not set - a lack of humus in the soil and insufficient compaction of the soil around the roots. During drought, plants should be watered regularly and seedlings should not be planted too closely. It is best to grow F1 hybrids.
Gall midge rutabaga
Rarely encountered, but extremely dangerous. The tip of the shoot and the base of the petiole of the upper leaves become swollen and deformed; new leaves are not formed. Look for small white larvae of these midges on the petioles.
Ways to fight: Severely affected plants are dug up and burned. Spraying or pollinating with lindane at the first sign of damage can prevent the spread of pests.
Precautions: Effective means There are no prophylactics.
FROST DAMAGE
In spring, cabbage may suffer from severe frosts. The roots may freeze and the plant will die. The leaves of heat-loving cabbages are afraid of even slight frost. Whitened areas of leaves are easily affected by fungi and bacteria, which leads to their rotting.
Ways to fight: Frozen leaves are cut off and burned.
Precautions: When planting, thoroughly compact the soil. Unripe tissues are more affected by frost, so when preparing the soil you need to apply a balanced mineral fertilizer.
EARTH FEAKS
Jumping bugs eat away the tissue on the upper side of the leaf, and small holes form in the gnawed areas as the leaf continues to grow. Plant growth slows down and seedlings may die.
Ways to fight: At the first signs of damage, plants are sprayed with derris. During drought, damaged plants are watered.
Precautions: Seeds are treated with an insecticide before planting.
SMALL CAULIFLOWER
Many gardeners fail to grow cauliflower. Often a very small head is formed early in the season, which quickly flowers and produces fruit. The reasons may be different, for example, damage to young plants by flea beetles, a lack of boron or molybdenum in the soil, or violations of crop conditions, for example, poor or loose soil, improper planting, insufficient watering or planting of unhardened seedlings.
Mealy aphids
Starting in June, during drought, colonies of grayish, waxy aphids may appear on the undersides of leaves and tops of plants. Affected leaves curl and turn yellow. If the infection is severe, mold may form; in this case, the plants are unsuitable for use.
Ways to fight: The fight is difficult. Plants are thoroughly sprayed with permethrin or heptenophos.
Precautions: Old stumps are dug up and burned.
CABBAGE WHITEFLY
IN recent years occurs much more often. Small white insects and their larvae hide under the leaves. Damaged plants weaken and become moldy. Adult insects rise into the air in clouds when disturbed.
Ways to fight: The fight is difficult. Once every 3 days, spray the plants with permethrin in the morning or evening until the insects disappear.
Precautions: There are no effective preventive measures
MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY
The tissue of adult leaves between the veins first turns yellow and then turns orange, white, red or purple. Magnesium deficiency occurs much more often than manganese deficiency.
Ways to fight:
Precautions: When digging in autumn, compost is added to the soil. Use fertilizers containing magnesium.
MANGANESE DEFICIENCY
It is not always easy to tell from one leaf whether you are dealing with magnesium or manganese deficiency. Manganese deficiency usually appears on both mature and young leaves, and leaf margins often curl inward and dry out.
Ways to fight: The soil around the plants is sprayed with a solution of microelements. Repeated feeding with microelements through the leaves is also effective.
KHRUSCH (Chafer beetle)
Leaves wither and plants die. The roots of the dug up plants have been chewed off, and in the ground there are slow, thick, curved larvae of this beetle, active all year round. They are especially common in virgin lands being developed.
Ways to fight: None.
Precautions: When digging in autumn, the larvae are collected and destroyed or used biological methods control by introducing a nematode culture into the soil.
GORNOSTAYEVA CABBAGE MOTH
In some areas, the green caterpillars of these butterflies can be a nuisance in the summer. They eat away the leaf tissue from the bottom and, unlike the white butterfly caterpillars, usually leave the upper skin. Disturbed caterpillars hang on cobwebs. In case of a massive invasion, only veins remain from the leaves.
Ways to fight: At the first signs of damage, plants are sprayed with permethrin.
Mary warnings: None.
Owlworm
Large gray or brown caterpillars lurk in the soil near the surface. At night, they gnaw the stems of young plants at the base. They can gnaw leaves and roots. Most active in June-July.
Ways to fight: In mid-summer, the soil around the plants is regularly loosened. The caterpillars are collected and destroyed.
Precautions: They use biological control methods by introducing a nematode culture into the soil.
BORON DEFICIENCY
Cauliflower is very sensitive to boron deficiency. Young leaves are deformed, the heads are small and bitter. Main sign- the appearance of brown spots on the heads.
Ways to fight: Repeated feeding with microelements through the leaves.
Precautions: When digging in autumn, compost is added to the soil. Borax is added to boron-poor soil at the rate of 2 g per 1 square meter. m, avoiding overdose.
RAPE FLEET
Affected plants succumb and die. Small cream larvae of these beetles are visible on the cut of the stem. Active from August to October.
Ways to fight: Affected plants are dug up and burned.
Precautions: On next year Do not plant cabbage in an infected area.