Why do holes appear on cabbage
The succulent cabbage leaves are attractive to a variety of insects. Pests leave holes in the cabbage, interfere with its normal development. It is important to notice the signs of pests in time and deal with them.
Causes of the appearance of holes in cabbage
Reasons for the appearance of holes on the leaves
Holes in cabbage leaves lead to fruit spoilage, loss of valuable nutritional qualities. If you do not identify the cause in time and do not get rid of it, you can lose the entire crop.
Most often, leaf damage is caused by:
- Cruciferous fleas. Small dark bugs appear during the flowering period. Insects damage seedlings in greenhouses and outdoors. The plant develops poorly or dies altogether.
- The larvae (caterpillars) of the cabbage whites. Greenish-yellow caterpillars, after emerging from eggs, need abundant nutrition - they eat the edges of the leaves
- Caterpillars of a cabbage scoop. Young gray-brown caterpillars leave small holes in the outer leaves of the cabbage. Older larvae are capable of gnawing a hole in a head of cabbage that is tied up.
- Snails and slugs. These gastropods harm seedlings and fruiting cabbage. They leave large holes in the leaves and also contribute to the development of fungal and viral infections.
There are many ways to combat pests. At the same time, it is imperative to observe preventive agrotechnical measures, apply chemical and biological insecticides, and folk methods of struggle.
Agrotechnical control measures
Correct soil treatment, care of plants in the beds prevent the appearance of pests. To prevent holes on the cabbage from appearing, you must follow the recommendations:
- observe crop rotation: plant cabbage in the same area with an interval of 3-4 years;
- weed weeds in the beds and in the aisles, especially flowering ones: butterflies flock to them;
- apply top dressing on time;
- maintain optimal moderate soil moisture;
- complete harvesting by destroying plant residues, stumps;
- dig up the site in the fall, destroy the discovered pupae.
Early planting of seedlings helps prevent pest damage to cabbage. The head of cabbage is tied before the caterpillars hatch and favorable conditions for the slugs are created.
Mechanical methods of pest control
You need to get rid of pests
Snails, slugs, caterpillars can be collected by hand. You need to inspect the beds regularly, as soon as the weather is warm.
Butterflies lay eggs in late May or early June, they can be found on the inside of cabbage leaves or neighboring plants, collected and destroyed. Snails hide in the shade during the day, and go out at night for food. You can collect them after sunset.
Traps are a good remedy for pests. During the season of butterfly departure, you can protect the area with special nets. Jars of syrup or beer are also used. Insects flock to the treat, remain inside the trap, and can be easily removed from the site.Beer traps for snails should be buried in the ground at the site.
Folk methods of struggle
The use of available folk methods helps to effectively get rid of pests. The most popular remedies are wormwood, ash and potato tops.
An infusion of 250-300 g of grass and 10 liters of water is prepared from blooming wormwood. Wormwood is poured with warm water, insisted for 10-12 hours. All cabbage is sprayed with infusion. The main thing here is to correctly calculate the dosage of the ingredients: too weak a solution will not give an effect, and too strong will lead to yellowing of the leaves.
A glass of wood ash is also poured with 10 liters of warm water, left to infuse for 6-8 hours. To prepare the infusion of potato tops, take 1.5 kg of the product and 10 liters of water. The tops are insisted for 4 hours. Grated laundry soap is also added to infusions for spraying plants.
Folk remedies help get rid of caterpillars. They make the leaves unsuitable for caterpillars to eat, but do not harm the plant itself.
Chemical and biological pesticides
Chemical treatment of cabbage is the most reliable method of pest control. Most drugs contain nerve agents. Farmers are primarily interested in the safety of such drugs. For a person and the condition of the fetus, subject to the dosage, they are as safe as possible.
Insecticide "Dimilin" is used to destroy white-flies and cabbage scoops; it reliably destroys insects in the larval stage of development. It is used during the growing season. Also popular are "Diazinon", "Fox". "Aktara 240SC" helps to get rid of cruciferous flea beetles. Biological preparations are used to prevent bacterial and fungal infections, which are promoted by insects and snails. For cabbage, "Lepidocid", "Bitoxibacillin" are suitable.
Spraying with insecticides is carried out at strict intervals, a one-time action is usually not enough. Caterpillars emerge from eggs gradually, at different times. Processing is carried out strictly following the instructions on the package. They also wear personal protective equipment so as not to harm health.
Conclusion
The appearance of holes on the leaves of cabbage is not such a rare occurrence. This symptom can be the beginning of the death of the entire crop. Preventive treatment against pests helps to save the cabbage crop. If you follow all the rules, you can maintain the quality of the fruit and get a rich harvest.