Radish grows well in the middle lane. Gardeners take several crops per season using several varieties. And although there are not so many pests in the plant, you should not lose your vigilance and fight against them.
The main pests of radish
The best radishes are early varieties. The seeds are planted in the soil until the spores of fungi and larvae become active, so the fruits are formed and ripen without much difficulty. It is more difficult for mid-and late-ripening vegetables, the growing season of which coincides with the intensive reproduction of harmful microorganisms and insects. They literally attack young shoots, wanting to drink all of its juices.
If signs of damage to plants are detected, it is impossible to hesitate, parasites in just a few days can destroy almost the entire crop. Serious problems can be avoided by timely sowing prevention.
Insects more often attack weak shoots, so you should not ignore the introduction of fertilizers and dressing. Sufficient nutrition strengthens the plant's immunity, which means that the chances of catching a disease or insect damage to the garden are significantly reduced.
Treatment of the plant against the cruciferous flea
The insect is the main enemy of the radish. Small black bugs jump around the garden very intensively, therefore they are easily detected. Pests gnaw out fragments of the leaf, quickly increasing the affected area. The damaged plant stops growing and dries up. Parasites are especially dangerous for young shoots. Their activation and population increase is observed in dry hot weather.
The likelihood of a flea beetle attack is reduced if timely feeding is introduced to a bed of slurry. The processing of their powder, which is made from wood ash and tobacco dust in equal proportions, is considered to be no less effective. You need to carry out procedures 1 time in 5-7 days.
How to spray against whites
A white butterfly poses a danger to radishes by laying its eggs directly on the soil. The appeared caterpillars easily move onto the leaves and eat them.
To protect the radish from whites, you need to spray with a solution of mustard (2 tbsp. L.), Ground black pepper (1 tsp. L.) And table salt (2 tbsp. L.) Per bucket of water.
Fighting the cruciferous bug
Small black bugs with bright orange stripes suck the juice out of the radish, as a result of which the young shoot dries up.
You can protect the garden from the pest if you spray it with an infusion of dope or henbane. The preparation of the working solution involves the infusion of 500 grams of leaves in a bucket of water for 12 hours. To make the composition stay on the tops longer, it is recommended to add 2-3 tablespoons of crushed laundry soap.
How to protect seedlings from rape sawfly
In the second half of May - early June, the female rape sawfly lays eggs. When choosing a place, preference is given to radishes, located on the lower side of the leaf. After 6-10 days, very voracious caterpillars appear from the eggs, which can make many holes in the tops of the plant and thereby kill it.
To protect the plant from this pest, you need to treat it with a special infusion of black henbane. For 500 grams of dry leaves, take 2 liters of water, you need to insist for at least 12 hours, after which the liquid is filtered through a sieve. The resulting infusion is diluted with 8 liters of water, grated soap is added and the beds are processed.
How to process radishes against babanukha
A leaf beetle with an excellent appetite can destroy a garden bed in a matter of days. It can be recognized by its even color with a greenish tint and brown legs. As soon as the parasites leave their wintering grounds in early June, they begin to feed on juicy greens of young shoots. Females lay eggs right in the gouged pits of the leaf.
Preventive measures, which include autumn cleaning of the site and digging up the soil, can prevent the invasion of insects.
Rapeseed beetle
A small bug (body length no more than 2.5 mm), black with a blue tint, perfectly tolerates frosts in plant residues. In the spring it becomes more active, laying eggs in unblown buds.
If a parasite is found, it is recommended that the treatment be carried out without delay using one of the following means:
- etaphos (0.2%);
- anometrine (0.04%);
- thiodane (0.2%);
- zolone (0.3%);
- cymbush (0.03%).
Cabbage fly and cabbage moth
Both parasites attack almost all cruciferous plants. Insects are terrible not only because they lay the larvae, which subsequently feed on the sap of the plant, but also because of their ability to endure various diseases.
Among the important measures to protect radish from pest damage:
- compliance with crop rotation;
- thorough autumn cleaning;
- the introduction of fertilizers into the soil;
- selection of quality seeds for planting;
- application of dressings to strengthen plant immunity;
- spraying with karbofos;
- treatment of beds with biological products (Dendrobacillin, Lepidocid, etc.).
Preventive treatment of radish from pests
Young shoots attract insects. To protect them from the invasion of uninvited guests, it is recommended to carry out preventive measures. Among the effective methods:
- dusting plants with a powder mixture of naphthalene and road dust (1: 1);
- spraying powder from wood ash, slaked lime and tobacco dust on the beds (all components are taken in equal proportions);
- morning spraying with a solution of wood ash (for 3 liters of water a liter can of ash and 2-3 tablespoons of crushed laundry soap);
- spraying seedlings with vinegar solution (1 glass of 9% vinegar per bucket of water);
- spraying plants with a decoction of green wormwood.
It is clear that one treatment is not enough, therefore experienced gardeners practice weekly procedures that are repeated for 1.5 months.
Correctly selected crops planted next to radishes can scare off the invasion of pests. These are: potatoes, caraway seeds, dill, tomatoes. The fragrant tops of these plants discourage the parasites from settling in and laying the larvae.
When choosing neighboring plants, it is worth considering the option of planting marigolds, nasturtium, fennel, mustard and other repellents.
Thorough cleaning of plant residues should be done after each season. It is in them that most of the pests winter. Closer to frost, the bed must be dug so that the larvae and adults would freeze out.
The spring diet is replenished with fresh salads, the main ingredient of which is often radish. Proper care, prevention and control will leave no chance for parasites to destroy the harvest of bright-tasting root vegetables.