Each gardener growing cucumbers, quite often found with such a pest as aphids, the most comfortable feeling in a confined space, that is, in a greenhouse.
Aphid: what is dangerous and what does it look like?
The appearance of this insect is quite easy to determine: the leaves on the plant become sluggish and saggy, on the reverse side, as well as on the flowers, ovaries and shoots, whole colonies of unsolicited pests are easily visible.
Aphid, which is a small insect of green, black or yellowish color, is dangerous in the period when it begins to fly. This happens because of its strong concentration on one plant, which causes a shortage of food. Accordingly, there is the birth of winged forms of the pest, which begin to fly to neighboring plants. As a result, aphids on cucumbers in a greenhouse. How to deal with such a pest? What methods to apply? How effective are they?
Failure to take measures to combat this pest can negate the thorough work of gardeners, destroying most of the garden culture and, accordingly, the hope of a high yield.
Advance Fight
Timely adoption of preventive work will lead to the conservation of plants from aphids. Methods of controlling aphids on cucumbers in a greenhouse can be folk and using chemistry. But it is better to get ahead of the enemy with preventive measures, one of which is fumigation of greenhouses with sulfur-smoke bombs. 50 grams of the drug is used per square meter. It is recommended to carry out this operation in well-sealed greenhouses with wooden frames, because sulfur dioxide acts destructively on the metal.
It is also effective to treat the interior of the greenhouse, including inventory, with bleach at the rate of 400 grams of the drug per 10 liters of water. The solution should be infused for a while. The plants need to be sprayed with the obtained liquid, and the shelves and other greenhouse structures can be coated with sediment.
One of the methods of struggle is the proper cultivation agricultural technique.
Simultaneously with the adoption of measures for the internal processing of the greenhouse, it is recommended to increase the ability of the fruit to resist pests. To do this, observe the temperature regime. At night, the thermometer should not fall below 18 degrees. In the afternoon, the temperature is allowed no higher than 28 degrees. It is recommended to whiten the south side of the greenhouse with chalk.
Mandatory is the correctness of agrotechnical measures for the cultivation of cucumbers: compliance with planting dates, airing the premises, timely application of fertilizing.
We use phosphorus and potash fertilizers
And yet, if aphid is found on cucumbers in a greenhouse, how to deal with it? Weekly foliar top dressings with phosphorus-potassium preparations will help. It is recommended to carry them out until the pest disappears completely. To prepare the solution, 10 grams of potassium chloride and 20 grams of superphosphate must be diluted in 10 liters of water.
The appearance of ants in a greenhouse is a harbinger of more global trouble: aphids, the milk of which ants feed. Therefore, when they enter the greenhouse, it is recommended to use special anti-ant crayons.
How to deal with aphids on cucumbers in a greenhouse? Effective in the fight against aphids is planting around the perimeter of a bed of plants that are especially unpleasant to the pest. One of them is basil.
If nevertheless preventive measures were ineffective and aphids are present on cucumbers in the greenhouse, how to fight? The photos show the whole danger of this small numerous enemy.
In case of mild infection, pest plants can be removed manually, carefully inspecting the bushes and picking leaves with aphids. Then the green mass must be taken out of the greenhouse and burned, and the cucumber bushes should be poured out of the hose under high pressure.
Chemicals against greenhouse aphids
If aphid develops on cucumbers in a greenhouse, how to fight? Reviews of gardeners are inclined in this case towards the use of chemicals, such as Inta-Vir, Arrivo, Decis, Kinmiks, Karbofos. Stop processing is required no later than a month before harvesting.
Biological drugs are effective that do not kill aphids, but affect it with diseases. As a result, the insect dies after a maximum of one and a half weeks. These drugs are absolutely safe and do not destroy beneficial insects living in greenhouses . These are “Entobacterin”, “Fitoverm”, “Arrow”, “Akarin”, “Peretrum”. After their application, aphids on cucumbers in the greenhouse will disappear.
How to fight? Folk remedies
Not every gardener is ready to use chemistry on their beds, preferring harmless folk methods. Preparations made on the basis of natural components are harmless, do not have side effects, quickly decompose, they are no less than chemical ones, they are afraid of aphids on cucumbers in a greenhouse. How to deal with such a small, but very dangerous pest with their help?
Quite effective and tested over the years, the infusion of garlic. To prepare it, you need to grind about half a kilogram of this product, place in a 3-liter container, add water and insist 5 days. After this time, in 10 liters of water you need to dilute 60 grams of the finished infusion and process the cucumbers with a spray bottle.
The second way: garlic should be ground, put in a bottle, add the same amount of water, soak for about 10 days in a tightly closed container. When spraying in 10 liters of water, you need to dilute 25 ml of the resulting product.
Garlic husk can also be used. To do this, 150 grams need to be poured with 10 liters of water, kept for a day and immediately sprinkle the plants.
Effective in the fight against celandine aphids. It is required to take 300 grams of its dried leaves, insist in 10 liters of water, stand for two days, and then apply.
You can use a dandelion. Grind 400 grams of fresh roots and 600 grams of leaves, pour 10 liters of water, insist 3 hours and use as directed.
A soap and wood solution is effective against aphids. To prepare it, add 2 large tablespoons of wood ash to a bucket of water, grate household soap, mix until the components are completely dissolved.
Effective against aphids are infusions of wormwood, onion husks, hot pepper, sorrel leaves, tomato and potato tops. An important condition is their frequent spraying, because a single treatment will not be enough: the aphids will not disappear completely, it will begin to multiply further and destroy the plants.
Natural Enemy - Ladybug
Ladybugs are the natural natural enemy of aphids. To attract them to the problem area along the perimeter of the latter, you can plant leaf mustard and dill, most loved by these winged insects.
You can also just pick up the ladybugs and run into the greenhouse, and there they will already deal with the small and ruthless destroyer of cucumbers.
Tips for killing aphids
What should be remembered in order not to get hold of acquaintance with such a dangerous pest as aphid on cucumbers in a greenhouse? How to deal with an uninvited enemy? And how to prevent its appearance on its site?
- Treat cucumber planting in a timely manner, with a small amount of pest.
- Prepared solutions should be used fresh, because their toxicity is short-term.
- Processing cucumbers in the greenhouse must be carried out in the evening; during the day, drugs under the influence of ultraviolet radiation become ineffective.
- Do not use the remedies during the flowering period, otherwise pollinating insects can be killed with aphids.