Diseases and pests of carrots: methods of control and prevention

A root vegetable like carrots grows in almost any garden bed. There is an opinion that this culture is very resistant to all kinds of diseases and pests, but this is not so. Without proper care, carrots become susceptible to all kinds of infections. How to correctly detect and cure this or that ailment, we will consider below.

If a gardener regularly takes care of carrots, then they rarely get sick. However, in conditions of high humidity and heat, the culture can pick up the fungus. It carries a particular danger, affecting the root crop itself. In rare cases, carrots can become infected with viral or bacterial ailments. As a rule, infection occurs through untreated garden tools, as well as in cases where diseased seeds were initially taken.

A disease such as rot is presented for severaldifferent types.

• White... This disease is also called sclerotinia. It is dangerous because at first it does not manifest itself in any way. In most cases, they notice it too late, already at the time of laying vegetables for storage. When you touch an infected carrot, you can feel a soft spot that looks just like the rest of the vegetable. Then a white fluff appears in this area, which releases moisture. There is no way to eat such a carrot. The first method of dealing with the disease should be the fumigation of the warehouse with a sulfur stick. As for the site, the crops themselves during growth are sprayed with preparations with copper, and also spilled with water with potassium (one and a half tablespoons of potassium sulfate in a ten-liter bucket).
• Gray... Also called botrytosis. Such rot also affects already harvested carrots, it is especially active if the fruits are overheated or have been frostbitten. The disease is characterized by the appearance of soft areas of brown color on the vegetable. Subsequently, they are covered with a gray fluff. To prevent the disease, carrots should be stored at a temperature of about +2 degrees. In addition, the dacha culture must be sprayed with Bordeaux liquid and ensure that it has enough nitrogen.
• Black (alternaria). This type of rot manifests itself even during the growth of the root crop. You can notice the ailment by the blackening of the stem. If you dig up such a carrot, you will immediately see dark spots on it.

Cladosporia usually occurs in humid conditions. Newly planted carrots almost always die, and dark streaks appear on the underside of already rooted specimens. The foliage also suffers, becoming covered with brown spots. Subsequently, it begins to roll up. Rotten spots are clearly visible on the underground part of the vegetable. Measures to combat brown spot are simple: potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are used for prevention, and local fungicides are used for treatment.

This disease is one of the most popular not only in carrots, but in general in all other crops. It progresses especially strongly in conditions of dryness and extreme heat. On the carrot tops, a white bloom appears, similar to flour. A little later, it turns gray, covered with dark dots.The resulting crop will be small, not too tasty. To avoid this, plantings should be treated with "Fitosporin-M", ash solution will also help.

Another fungal disease. Loves coolness and humidity. The leaves are the first to suffer: spots of a brown tint with a white dot in the middle are immediately noticeable on them. Later, the spots will increase in volume, brighten. The foliage will begin to curl into a tube. Mold will appear on the entire surface of the plant, which will cause the death of the culture. Carrots should be treated with fungicides.

This is a bacterial disease, and it manifests itself pretty quickly. It is characterized by a lesion of the lower part of the tops, on which spots of a yellow tint are clearly visible. A little later, these spots will grow and become dark. The stems will also be affected: dots and stripes will be visible on them. As for root crops, soft areas appear on them. There is no cure for bacteriosis: if crops are sick, they are destroyed immediately. As a preventive measure, carrots are sprayed with Hom (40 grams per bucket of water). This is done 20 days after the plant has emerged.

Carrot tops have a characteristic strong aroma that is extremely attractive to insects. Coming to the site, the pest is happy to feast on the underground part of the root crop and are sometimes completely invisible to the gardener. In the fight against them, summer residents use both folk methods and chemical insecticides. Let's see which pests attack carrots most often.

• Carrot fly. This is the most common parasite, it begins to wreak havoc in May. Fly larvae devour foliage, making holes in it. It's easy to see signs of a fly: carrot tops turn purple or dark yellow. The harvested crop is very bitter.
• Beetle leaf... It is a small flea that can jump quickly. The larvae of the leaf beetle inflict a lot of damage on the leaves, gnawing through them. This causes the carrots to dry out.
• Umbrella moth. A small butterfly that comes from cruciferous crops. It begins its activity at the beginning of July. In the first year of life, caterpillars are harmless, but they pupate, causing the tops to dry out.
• Slugs... These pests reproduce at a high rate. They love moisture and darkness, so you may not see them during the day. They crawl all over the site, eating the tops and roots.
• Wireworms... They are small worms. They parasitize in June and July, feed on the underground part of carrots. They are able to quickly spoil plantings.

The described pests affect carrots most often. But it often turns out that the following insects come to the site:

• aphid;
• ants;
• bear;
• rootworm nematodes;
• winter scoops.

It is necessary to fight the invasion of parasites immediately after detection. It is worth familiarizing yourself with the different techniques in more detail.

Folk techniques are very good at the very beginning of infection. They are safe for people and plants. Here are some proven recipes.

• Wood ash. This natural product provides good protection against almost all types of pests. You need to take ash and combine it with tobacco dust in a 1: 1 ratio, and then sprinkle the beds.
• Tobacco infusion. This remedy is especially effective against aphids, carrot flies and flies. 400 grams of dust are dissolved in a bucket of water, then they are insisted for two days. Before use, 40 grams of grated laundry soap is stirred in the solution. The resulting composition must be sprayed on the plantings. Important: tobacco processing is stopped 30 days before harvest.
• Infusion of garlic. Insects are very afraid of pungent odors, and garlic has just that. You need to cut several large heads, and then fill them with 2 liters of warm water. The solution costs a day, and before use it is diluted with 8 liters of water.
• Soap solution. Soap is great for all types of mites and aphids. Rub 40-50 grams, pour over heated water. Plants are sprayed with a spray bottle.
• Onion husk infusion... It will destroy pests, and will also prevent many diseases. You need 20 grams of husk per liter of water. Withstand a day, then process the plants.
• Wormwood infusion. This infusion is good at destroying caterpillars and butterflies. The bucket is filled with fresh grass and then filled with water. Bring to a boil and wait about 10 minutes. The concentrate is diluted with pure liquid in a ratio of 1: 10. Treatments are carried out every 10 days.
• Ammonia... This caustic composition quickly drives away all pests. 2 tablespoons are dissolved in 10 liters, and then spilled with the resulting mixture of the beds. Do not spray on the tops. Also, before such treatment, the seedlings are watered with plain water.

In addition, pests can be dealt with using the following means:

• decoction of potato or tomato tops;
• decoctions of weeds;
• mustard solution;
• brine;
• traps;
• mechanical collection;
• attraction of beneficial insects and birds.

When growing carrots in the open field, chemical agents can also be used. They are not always safe, but they act very quickly. In addition, only they are able to destroy overgrown pest colonies. Here are some proven foods.

• "Thunder". Allows you to protect seedlings from pests that live in the ground. It is no less effective against butterflies and caterpillars. Analog - "Zemlin".
• Aktara. Helps fight leaf beetles, aphids and whiteflies. It is a contact action insecticide.
• Karbofos. Allows you to save carrots at any stage of their growth. Not too harmful, therefore it is very popular among gardeners. Works especially well on aphids and caterpillars.
• Fitoverm... A biological insecticide that can be used both outdoors and in a greenhouse. Processing is best done in warm weather.

The following popular tools are also used:

• Actellik;
• "Lepidocide";
• "Nematorin" (only against nematodes);
• "Etonem";
• Iskra-M;
• "Decis".

When using insecticides, it is important not to forget about some rules:

• observe the dosage indicated on the package;
• stop all treatments one month before harvest;
• protect hands and face while working;
• use separate dishes;
• after processing, wash your hands, take a shower, wash clothes and thoroughly disinfect the equipment used.

When growing carrots, a gardener must follow a number of rules. Only then can you get a tasty and healthy harvest. Here are some guidelines to follow during the growing period of root crops and even before planting them.

• In the fall, the soil is carefully dug up. This is done because most pests lay eggs there, which winter safely in the ground. It will not be superfluous to water the soil with disinfecting solutions, for example, copper sulfate (30 grams of vitriol per bucket of water).
• Preparation for planting begins with disinfecting the seeds. First, put them in hot water for 10 minutes, and when this time is up, in cold water for 5 minutes.
• Do not plant carrots in the same spot where they grew last year. Also, you can not plant seedlings where umbrella crops previously grew.
• Care must be correct... This is especially true for watering. It is important to water the plants with a lukewarm liquid. The second condition for healthy growth is weed control.
• If you see that too many insects have bred on the culture, then the damaged part must be cut off and burned. This will prevent the parasites from spreading. The same goes for disease.
• To prevent the appearance of pests, can be planted next to carrots plants with a strong smell... It can be calendula, garlic, onion, mint.
• The correct solution would be to select varieties resistant to diseases and pests.