Getting a high yield of peppers is the dream of every summer resident. But it is important not only to follow the rules of planting and care, but also to protect the culture from various diseases and pests. For example, such as slugs. How to do it? I'll tell you now.
How to identify a pest
The slug is a shellless mollusk that is white, gray, or brown in color. In length, it reaches from 6 to 12 cm.
Optimal conditions for the appearance of a pest:
- elevated air temperature (25-30оС);
- humidity over 80%;
- dense landings.
Shows special activity at night. During the day they hide under leaves and rocks.
Slugs appear in the spring, as soon as the air temperature rises to 18 ° C, crawling out of the soil where the masonry was made in the fall.
They feed on plant debris and leaves. I note that in open ground they do not cause as much harm as in a greenhouse, where they are able to completely destroy plants and become a direct threat to the crop.
In addition, they are able to carry spores of diseases that are dangerous for peppers, such as:
- powdery mildew;
- phytosporosis;
- gray rot.
Signs of appearance
I recommend paying attention to such signs to identify the pest:
- Silvery marks on leaves, fruits and soil.
- Small holes on leaf plates and peppers.
When the first traces are found, I recommend that you immediately begin to fight slugs.
mechanical method
First of all, I collect all the pests with my hands and destroy them. Then I set up traps in the greenhouse:
- I take small banks.
- I fill 1/2 with kvass or any other sweet liquid to lure the pest.
- I remove the individuals that have fallen into the trap.
Also, cornmeal is attractive to them. I scatter it around the perimeter of the planting and around the bush. Eating it, the slugs die.
I advise you to make barriers around plants. I use the following materials:
- shell;
- chopped eggshell;
- needles;
- small pebbles;
- crushed nut shell.
Crawling through such a barrier, slugs are injured and die.
I dig a groove around the perimeter of the beds and fall asleep in it:
- quicklime;
- wood ash;
- ground pepper.
Substances are also an insurmountable barrier to slugs.
In a specialized store, I saw special plastic tapes, the ends of which are bent and are equipped with a copper plate, upon contact with which there is not a strong current charge, detrimental to pests.
In open ground, I recommend laying down plants that attract pests or sheets of plywood under which they will hide in one place. Gather uninvited guests in the morning.
In addition, I recommend planting such plants:
- calendula;
- rosemary;
- garlic;
- sage;
- thyme.
Thanks to the essential oils that they contain, they repel pests.
Chemicals
When mechanical methods have shown their ineffectiveness, I recommend purchasing chemicals in a specialized store that allow you to quickly get rid of slugs.
It is necessary to prepare such solutions strictly following the instructions so as not to harm yourself and the plants.
I used superphosphate and potassium salt, the granules of which I scattered in the aisles.
Prevention measures
You can prevent the appearance of pests by taking preventive measures in the fall and early spring:
- Dig up the area, as the slugs lay their larvae in the upper layers of the soil.
- Spray with Bordeaux liquid 3%.
So, slugs can cause significant damage to the planting of peppers, spoiling the leaves and fruits. To avoid this, it is important to detect the pest in time and get rid of it.
Have you encountered such a problem? Tell me about the methods of struggle
Read also: Eggplant Clorinda: variety description
Another related article: How to properly water peppers in a greenhouse
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