The larvae of the click beetle, or, in the common people, the wireworm annoys potato lovers. Each organism lives in the soil for 4 years and during this time it manages to spoil a lot of tubers. To get rid of pests, 10 ways to combat wireworm are presented, which are best combined with each other.
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Physical ways of fighting
These methods are associated with the impact on the click beetle and its larvae using brute force. The methods are as follows:
- Traps. If you put the leaves of young potatoes in a small jar, then they will lure adult beetles that can lay eggs. Too many cans are not required - ten per hundred square meters, spaced at an equal distance from each other. Once every two to three days, the cans need to be changed, getting rid of the contents.
- Root bait. Before planting potatoes in the soil at a depth of 5-10 cm, you need to make holes in which you need to place nutritious roots in the form of beets, carrots or the same potatoes. Every 3 days, you need to pull out the bait and destroy it along with the larvae located there, and then update the material. The more action is taken, the more pests you can get rid of.
- Digging. Before the onset of frost, you need to dig up the entire site, carefully turning over the entire ground. When the inner layer of the earth is in the open air, frost will hit it, and all the larvae that do not have time to hide will be destroyed. If you dig too early, the pests will have time to hide.
- Needles of coniferous trees. If there is access to spruce or other similar trees, then you need to collect their branches and needles a couple of days before sowing. Ash is poured into the hole with potatoes, and the top is covered with needles and branches.
Chemical methods of struggle
These methods are associated with physical actions, but the effect produced on the larvae and the beetle itself is purely chemical:
- Onion husks. In calm weather, husks can be poured into each hole, which will provide plants with passive protection. If wind blows, the bedding will need to be replaced Such measures will not only scare off click beetles that seek to leave the larvae, but also increase the plant's resistance to certain diseases.
- Onion broth. Potato tubers are soaked here before planting, then dried and prepared for planting. The wireworm won't like the taste of these potatoes.
- The emergence of siderates. The benefits of symbiosis between different plant species are twofold. For potatoes, mustard, peas or phacelia are suitable. They should be planted in the area along with potatoes in equal proportions. These crops deter the wireworm, so the effort to grow them will be worthwhile.
- Mustard powder. A safe option that, due to chemical action, will provide protection for the tubers. When planting potatoes, dry mustard should be poured into each hole. It is used not only to protect potatoes, but also for turnips or radishes. As an additional factor, caustic pepper can be added to the hole.
- Lowering the level of acidity in the soil. The alkaline environment is not favorable for the development of wireworm larvae. To obtain a result, it is enough to scatter lime over the surface of the earth and into the holes during planting. Ash, eggshells and the presence of legumes will enhance the effect.
- Potassium permanganate. Before use, you need to prepare a solution of potassium permanganate - 5 g of powder per 10 liters of water. The resulting mixture must be poured into each well in 0.5 liters. The event will require a lot of water, but it will be convenient for small vegetable gardens.
It is not necessary to be content with one of the proposed methods, you can combine several - both physical and chemical. The more measures are taken against wireworm attacks, the lower the likelihood of hitting potatoes. Keeping the garden in order, combating weeds and debris will have a positive effect on the growth of crops.
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