Content
- 1 Reasons for the appearance of aphids on dill
- 2 Methods for controlling aphids on dill
- 3 How to fight aphids on dill using folk methods
- 4 "Original" methods of combating aphids
- 5 How to get rid of aphids on dill using biological products
- 6 Treating dill against aphids with chemicals
- 7 Physical control measures
- 8 Biological methods of controlling aphids on dill
- 9 What to do if there are aphids on cut dill
- 10 Prevention measures
- 11 Conclusion
Aphids are small insects whose body length does not exceed 7 mm. The life cycle of an aphid begins with the emergence of a larva from an egg, usually with the arrival of warm weather. This insect pretty much ruins the lives of gardeners. It parasitizes various plants and often leads to their death. You can get rid of aphids on dill using a variety of effective methods.
Reasons for the appearance of aphids on dill
The main reason for the appearance of aphids is ordinary ants, which are attracted to honeydew (sticky liquid) secreted by aphids during their life processes.Ants not only consume this liquid, but also bring the larvae of harmful insects into anthills for the winter, which helps preserve their offspring. To control aphids, you need to get rid of ants.
A possible reason for the appearance of aphids on dill is the successful wintering of eggs in the soil on the site.
Another reason for the occurrence of a pest on a site may be a lack of phosphorus or an excess of nitrogen in the soil under dill.
Methods for controlling aphids on dill
The harm from aphids is obvious and undeniable:
- deprives the plant of its supply of nutrients, the tops of the plant become deformed and dry out;
- sticky secretions (honeydew) from aphids inhibit the process of photosynthesis and provide a favorable environment for the proliferation of various fungal and viral diseases;
- attracts other pests.
Dill is most often attacked by willow-carrot aphids, which can produce up to 17 generations over the summer period.
Ash-like scales (old aphid shell) indicate the presence of a pest.
Upon closer inspection, you can find black or green aphids on the inside of leaves, on shoots or umbrellas.
There are many ways, methods and preparations to protect dill from aphids.
Pest control is complicated by the fact that the crop is consumed throughout the season. Based on this, the methods and preparations used should not leave toxins after treatment.
In order to get rid of aphids, use the following methods:
- folk,
- "original";
- physical;
- biological;
- chemical means.
When aphids appear en masse on dill, it is recommended to use special preparations that are safe for humans.
How to fight aphids on dill using folk methods
You can get rid of aphids using:
- herbal decoctions and infusions that are effective and absolutely harmless to humans;
- enemies of aphids (for example, ladybugs).
Herbal infusions and decoctions
For minor aphid infestations of dill, you can use infusions or decoctions. Repeated processing of dill will be required, since the duration of action of infusions is shorter than that of chemical preparations.
Herbal infusions
Ingredients for herbal infusions are readily available, and the recipes are not difficult to prepare. At the same time, they are effective and safe.
From nettle
Nettle contains nutrients that make dill resistant to aphids. Nettle is crushed, diluted with water and infused for a week. The infusion is filtered and watered over the dill for several days in a row.
Onion
The following infusion will help get rid of aphids. Cut 35 g of onion and keep it together with the peel in 1 liter of water for 5 hours. Strain and add 1 tsp. crushed laundry soap. Add water to a volume of 1 liter and spray the affected dill.
From tobacco
Thanks to its pungent odor, tobacco helps get rid of aphids. Dilute 200g of tobacco in 5 liters of water. Leave for 2 days. Bring to a volume of 10 liters, filter and spray the areas of dill affected by aphids.
From garlic
To prepare the infusion, pour 1 liter of cold water and chop 200 g of peeled garlic. Insist for 4 days under the lid. Add 10 g of laundry soap to better bond the solution to the surface of the leaves. The resulting concentrate (25 g) is diluted in 10 liters of water.
From spices
Aphids do not like strong odors. Take 20 g of red, black pepper, cinnamon and coriander and pour 2 liters of cold water. Close with a lid and leave for 1 day. Dill is treated by spraying on a sunny day.
Herbal
Tansy, nettle, wormwood, celandine and yarrow are suitable for preparing herbal infusion. The grass is finely chopped and filled with water. Close the container with a lid and leave for 24 hours, filter and process the affected dill.
From chamomile
100 g of dried chamomile flowers are poured into 1 liter of water and left for 12 hours. For spraying, dilute the infusion with water, maintaining a ratio of 1:3. Additionally add 1 tsp. crushed laundry soap.
Dandelion
To get rid of aphids, it is recommended to use an infusion of tops and dandelion roots. For this you will need:
- 200 g dandelion leaves;
- 100 g roots.
Finely chop the flowering plant and add 10 liters of water. Leave for 4 hours and treat dill infected with aphids with the resulting infusion.
From citrus peels
To prepare the infusion you will need:
- 100 g peels from any citrus fruits;
- 1 liter of warm water.
Insist for three days.
Herbal infusions
Herbal decoctions have insecticidal properties and are effective in controlling insect pests, including aphids.
From tomato tops
Plants of the nightshade family contain a substance called solanine in their leaves and stems, which is fatal to aphids. To get rid of insects, you will need the following decoction:
- 5 kg of tomato tops;
- 10 liters of water.
The composition is brought to a boil and left for 0.5 hours over low heat. Before spraying, add 30 g of soap and dilute with water in a ratio of 1:3.
From hot pepper
Required components:
- 100 g hot pepper;
- 1 liter of water;
- 40 g of laundry soap.
Boil the composition for 1 hour under the lid. Leave for 2 days, filter. For spraying, dilute with water in a ratio of 1:10.
From celandine
In order to get rid of aphids, the following decoction will help:
- 0.5 kg of fresh stems, leaves and flowers of celandine;
- 1 liter of water.
The celandine is crushed and water is added. Insist for two days. Boil the resulting broth for 30 minutes, cool and filter.
Soda and salt
Baking soda and salt are affordable and effective remedies for garden pests, including aphids.
To prepare an insecticidal agent, you need to dissolve 10 tbsp in 10 liters of water. l. baking soda or 1 kg salt. Treat dill bushes affected by aphids.
Ammonia
Ammonia is also an effective and easily accessible means of getting rid of aphids on dill. In addition to the fact that the smell of ammonia repels pests, it is also a good nitrogen fertilizer. To prepare the solution you will need:
- 1 tbsp. l. ammonia;
- 1 liter of water.
The resulting solution is sprayed on dill 2 times a week in the evening, after watering.
Soap
Soap is part of any folk remedy, as it has a gluing effect. The aphids stick and cannot feed or move, which is why they die.
To make an effective solution against aphids, laundry soap is suitable, but tar soap is also possible:
- 150 g of tar or 250-300 g of laundry soap, grated;
- 1 liter of water.
Then add another 9 liters of water and spray the dill with the resulting solution.
For greater effect, add 10 tbsp to the solution. l. soda (it is safe for humans and dill, but harmful to aphids) or 200 g of vinegar per 10 liters of the finished solution.
Ash infusion
Ash (waste from burning wood) is a good fertilizer containing Ca, K, some P and many trace elements. In addition, ash is successfully used to get rid of pests, including aphids.
To prepare a solution for aphids, take:
- 2 cups of ash;
- 5 liters of water.
Leave for 12 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain and add 15 g of soap.
Instead of infusion, you can make a decoction from the ash. Take water with ash and boil over low heat for 40 minutes. Cool, filter and add 15 g of soap. The resulting decoction can be used every day until the aphids are completely eliminated.
To get rid of aphids, ash is also used in dry form. In advance, sew a small bag of gauze folded in half. Place 1 tbsp in a bag. ash, red pepper (ground) and mustard (powder). The resulting mixture is crushed onto the plants. After 7 days, water the dill bed with a watering can.
Vinegar
A solution of acetic acid is weak, but at the same time concentrated and can be dangerous to plants. Therefore, pre-calculate the dosage so as not to burn the leaves. When using 7% vinegar, you will need 1 tsp. for 1 liter of water. Spray dill with this solution every other day.
"Original" methods of combating aphids
Craftsmen, using ordinary products, have also achieved excellent results in getting rid of pests, including aphids
For example, the most ordinary vodka or Coca-Cola, which is sprayed from a spray bottle on the affected plants, will help.
Another recipe: add 15 drops of lavender, tea tree and cedar oil to 50 g of cream and add 2 liters of water. Spray three times every other day.
How to get rid of aphids on dill using biological products
Biological products (consisting of bacterial waste products) are safe for humans, animals, plants and at the same time destroy insect pests.
Spraying of dill is carried out in dry, windless weather at a temperature not lower than +22 ⁰С.
Not only the dill leaves are sprayed, but also the soil under the plant.
To get rid of aphids, you can use the effective drugs Confidor, Extra, Strela.
One of the effective drugs is Fitoverm.
After using it, almost all pests die within 3 days, and the effect of the drug lasts for 7 days (in dry weather up to 3 weeks).
Enterobacterin has an effect even at high air temperatures.
Another effective biological product is “Biotlin”, which completely destroys insect pests 5 days after spraying.
In order to use the biological product, dilute the contents of the sachet in water following the instructions for use written on the package. Spraying is carried out in the evening after watering the dill.The results from using the biological product will appear 2 days after use, and dill is edible after 6 days.
Treating dill against aphids with chemicals
The following chemicals are used to kill aphids on dill:
- The drug is C30. Spraying with the drug is carried out in early spring. According to the instructions for the drug, 400 ml are diluted in 10 liters of water.
- Karbofos refers to moderately toxic pesticides. 1 tbsp. dissolve in 10 liters of water. When spraying, pay special attention to the bottom of the leaf. After spraying, when the soil dries a little, loosen it and add a little ash.
- Foliar feeding. Take 1 tbsp. potassium chloride and 2 tbsp. superphosphate, diluted in 10 liters of water. The solution is treated with the lower part of the leaves. The procedure is repeated a week later.
Despite the fact that the effect of chemicals lasts about a month, their toxicity also persists for the same period. Because of this, many gardeners avoid using chemicals on their plots and use other methods and techniques for killing aphids.
Physical control measures
Having discovered aphids on their dill, gardeners first treat the affected plants with a stream of cold water from a hose.
In the process, the limbs of the aphids become numb, and the insects fall and die. Single individuals are removed using a cotton swab.
Biological methods of controlling aphids on dill
Biological methods to get rid of aphids include:
- Plants-allies, which are divided into repellent and attractive.Repellent plants include herbs with a strong odor: coriander, onion, lavender, garlic, mint, mustard, basil, chamomile. It is recommended to plant these crops next to dill. Attractive plants include crops that attract aphids. These include: petunia, mallow, begonia, poppy and beans. They are planted away from the garden plot.
- Insects and birds are natural enemies of garden pests, including aphids. Insects that feed on aphids: ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, some types of wasps, predatory bugs. To attract these insects to the site, carrots, parsley, and daisies are planted.
- Aphids are prey for small birds such as tits, wrens, wrens, robins and linnets, so it is advisable to place a feeder in the area.
- Lizards and hedgehogs are also helpful in the fight against aphids.
What to do if there are aphids on cut dill
It is very easy to remove aphids from cut dill. Place the dill in a deep bowl, add salted water, and leave for 10-15 minutes. After the specified time, the water is drained and the greens are thoroughly washed under running water.
Prevention measures
To prevent the appearance of aphids on plants, follow certain rules:
- For planting dill, choose sunny and well-ventilated areas. The soil should not be too wet.
- When choosing a place for planting, you should avoid proximity to crops such as parsnips, parsley, dill, and carrots.
- The best neighbors of dill are plants with pungent odors: onions, garlic, coriander, rosemary, mint, basil.
- It is necessary to promptly thin out seedlings and remove weeds.
- Dill requires moderate watering.
- Fertilizing is carried out with a solution of potassium and superphosphate in a 1:2 ratio, which will improve the protection of dill.
- In the fall, plant remains are carefully removed from the site, since this is where aphids overwinter.
- A couple of times a week, inspect the dill bushes for the presence of aphids or other pests and diseases.
- In the spring, the site is prepared for planting. To do this, remove debris, weeds and disinfect the soil. The day before planting dill, the selected area is poured with boiling water or, in hot weather, covered with polyethylene for 3 days.
- Periodically pour boiling water over the anthills located on the site.
- When ladybugs are found in the garden, they are taken to the dill bed.
- It is not advisable to plant dill near bird cherry, viburnum or linden.
If you follow these recommendations, you can grow healthy and useful dill.
Conclusion
You can get rid of aphids on dill using traditional methods, but their effectiveness and duration of action are shorter than that of chemical preparations.
