Cabbage, like other crops, is affected by a huge number of diseases and pests. They attack the plant in different ways, and measures to combat them must be special. The main role is played by regular prevention, which helps to get a rich harvest, and to prevent the occurrence of diseases and the presence of pests.
Typical cabbage diseases
Often cabbage suffers from bacterial spores of fungi. It can be infected by them at any stage, even during storage. If the summer resident noticed the problem in time, then it can be solved in just a week, and then most of the crop will be preserved and will not die.
30 days before harvesting cabbage, the use of any type of product is prohibited.
Blackleg
Black spots form on the stems of young plants. It develops more often in greenhouses, due to poor conditions, such as low temperature and poor lighting.
Methods of struggle: use a solution containing copper chloride or mancozeb (0.2%).
Peronosporosis (downy mildew)
It is considered an enemy not only of cabbage, but also of many other varieties of Cruciferous. Often appears on those crops that grow in heavy, too acidic substrates.
Spores of peronosporosis can live in the ground for about 6 years, so getting rid of them and finding them in time is very difficult.
Symptoms barely noticeable yellow spots begin to appear on the cabbage, then they drag the entire plant with a pink layer of plaque. Spots change color and turn red. The affected foliage of the crop dies.
Methods of struggle: using any chemicals, Impact, Vectra and Skor products showed excellent results. As a preventative measure, before planting cabbage seeds, they are kept in hot water for about 20 minutes, and then quickly transferred to cold for a couple of minutes.
Alternariosis (black spotting)
Disputes of the disease appear on the cabbage due to drops of water or the wind. The disease develops rapidly with drought and frequent rainfall. It affects culture at all stages of growth and development.
Symptoms small black strokes appear on the foliage, which turn into spots with a yellow shell over time. There is also a plaque.
This disease leads to massive rotting of cabbage leaves.
Methods of struggle: use funds Abiga-Peak, Bravo, Skor and Quadrice. Cabbage is treated every 14 days until all signs of the disease disappear. As a preventive measure, Trichodermin granules are placed on the bottom of the recesses during planting, it can be replaced with wood ash.
Once every 2 weeks, the cabbage is sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate. To prevent the occurrence of the disease at the storage stage, the culture creates excellent conditions: air temperature +3 degrees Celsius, humidity 75%, good ventilation and lack of lighting.
Before heading out to the cellar, it is treated with slaked lime water, and you can also pre-burn in the basement a piece of sulfur checker. They examine the cabbage, dust it with chalk, and hang it on the ropes so that they do not touch each other.
Sclerotinia (white rot)
This disease overtakes the heads of cabbage during storage, but there are other cases when rot appears at the end of the vegetative period. Foliage of culture is covered with white coating, like cotton wool. Plant tissues get wet and rot.
Methods of struggle: it is very difficult to resist sclerotinia, since it spreads very quickly along the head of cabbage. If the summer resident was able to notice the ailment in the first stage, then it is necessary to destroy all the affected tissues, capturing and healthy. Cabbage wounds are crushed with a mixture of activated carbon or cinnamon.
As a disease prevention, it is necessary to carefully approach the selection of heads of cabbage for storage. It is not necessary to leave specimens that have frozen or overripe for the winter, they are most often affected by white rot. During the summer season, once every 2 weeks, foliar feeding is carried out, they must contain boric acid, zinc sulfate.
Phomosis (dry rot)
Phomosis harms not just “domestic” cultures, but also all “wild” ones. The disease progresses in high humidity and warm weather. Fungal spores enter the plant due to mechanical damage. Winter spends fungus in plant debris, lives about 5 years.
The main symptom of the disease - uncharacteristic of the culture red-purple color of the leaves. After this, the wounded cabbage leaves become thin and lifeless, black spots form on them. Over time, they turn into "sores."
Methods of struggle: it is better to use folk remedies, they do not greatly harm the plant. A great option - infusion of gruel onion or garlic. It helps Phytocide and Trichodermin to better stick to heads, they add a small amount of liquid soap.
If the disease is detected at the initial stage, then you can use any chemicals, often after 2 treatments the fungus completely disappears.
Botritis (gray rot)
Attacks the heads of cabbage during storage. More often, plants that previously were sick or were subjected to mechanical damage suffer. Cabbage is covered with very slippery spots, which eventually become dark brown in color, an ash coating appears on the leaves.
So that the disease does not destroy the entire crop, it is necessary to constantly examine the heads of cabbage during storage.
Methods of struggle: even experienced summer residents can not find suitable means. To defeat the disease is almost impossible. The main thing is to observe preventive measures, preserve important cover leaves of heads of cabbage, treat the plant carefully and accurately, and prevent any special mechanical damage.
All infected instances are discarded. If the disease was noticed at the initial stage, then it is necessary to deal with it in the same way as with sclerotinia.
Fusarium
The disease develops rapidly, so few people succeed in saving the cabbage crop. Heads of cabbage suffer from Fusarium within 30 days after planting in open soil. Over a week, the cabbage completely fades. The spores of the fungus penetrate the plant through the roots, for a long time the disease does not show itself, and then instantly destroys the heads of cabbage.
The development of fusariosis occurs deep underground, so you can understand that cabbage is infected only by digging out a head of cabbage.
Methods of struggle: they do not exist. Affected specimens are torn out of the ground and burned. The earth in this place is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate. As a preventive measure, you can water the soil with Fundazole. Cabbage is sprayed with various drugs to prevent the disease.
The only sure way to protect cabbage from Fusarium is to plant only disease-resistant varieties, for example, Kolobok, Karamba, Amazon or Satellite.
Mucous bacteriosis (black rot)
The disease appears due to the hot climate, high humidity, lack of potassium or phosphorus in the soil. Also, the cause may be a large amount of nitrogen in the ground. Often, cabbages suffer from mucosal bacteriosis in late August.
The leaves of the plant rot, you can feel an unpleasant odor. First, the cabbage becomes yellow, then gray and brown. The veins turn black, the mold becomes moldy.
It is impossible to add even surviving leaves from mucous bacteriosis to food, a person can be poisoned, which often leads to death.
Methods of struggle: as soil prophylaxis, they are sprayed once a week with a mixture of copper sulfate (1%). You can use Planrizim. The earth is dusted with crushed chalk. Seeds are carefully processed before planting. Spores of mucous bacteriosis attack not only cabbage, so you need to inspect all the vegetable crops growing in your garden.
Resistant cabbage varieties: Monarch, Valentine, Gingerbread Man and Monterrey.
Kila
Extremely dangerous disease, it affects any kind of cabbage. If the keel has been identified, then you can not plant cabbage on contaminated soil for at least another 8 years. Looking at the plant, it seems that the head will wither away for no particular reason. When digging it out, one can notice growths of various sizes resembling neoplasms. Cabbage is not tied in the future.
During planting, pay special attention to the root system of seedlings, discard any seedlings with strange growths. The disease spreads only in acidic soil, dolomite flour is introduced into the ground to reduce acid.
Methods of struggle: impossible to get rid of keel. Tear out cabbage and burn. Work on the land in this area. It is better to grow disease-resistant varieties: Nadezhda, Kiloton, Tekina and Ramkila.
Summer residents determined that there are some cultures that cleanse the soil from the spores of the disease. If you plant them in an infected area over the course of a few summers, you can return the cabbage much faster. Such crops include spinach, beets, onions and garlic.
Mosaic virus
Cabbage leaves turn yellow between the veins. Then they curl, dry, and over time the plant dies.
Even experienced gardeners cannot cure the mosaic virus on cabbage.
Methods of struggle: the only solution is to plant varieties that are resistant to this disease. Also take preventative measures. Aphids spread spores of the disease, so it is necessary to fight it first.
Common Disease Prevention Methods
Prevention of cabbage diseases is carried out before the direct planting of seeds in the ground. Only at this stage can chemicals be used. But the best options for combating ailments are folk remedies, which do not include potent pesticides. Often it is impossible to cure cabbage, the only option is to tear it out of the ground and burn it so that other crops and heads of cabbage are not infected.
Dangerous pests
There are many insects that harm the plant. They are attracted by delicious and nutritious cabbage leaves. The danger is brought not only by the fact that they eat plants, but also by the fact that they are considered the main carriers of diseases, viruses and fungi.
Cabbage aphid
Small green pests completely cover the leaves of cabbage. Insects feed on the heads of cabbage, well-visible areas appear on the affected areas. Leaves change over time, dry out and die.
Aphids - the most common harmful insect, it is a danger to all types of cabbage.
Methods of struggle: pests do not like pungent odors; they do not attack crops growing next to marigolds, basil, lavender and other fragrant plants. The best result comes from carrots, dill, parsley and garlic. These herbs can be used to create infusions. You can use tobacco, hot pepper, tomatoes as a means for spraying.
The only enemies of pests are birds, especially sparrows and tits, and earwigs are also a danger to them. Birds are attracted by feeders and drinking bowls.
If there is not a lot of aphids on heads of cabbage, then you can use soap suds or a solution of soda ash. If there is no desired result, then chemical agents are used, for example, Fitoverm, Iskra-Bio, Corado or Komandor. Often enough to carry out a couple of treatments to completely destroy the aphids.
Crucifer bug
Pests suck out the juice from cabbage, it dries and stops growing. The early varieties of cabbage practically do not get sick from the cruciferous bug - when the pest is activated, the plant has already accumulated a sufficient amount of green mass, and the bug can no longer do harm.
Methods of struggle: the soil is treated with Fosbecid, Actellic or Belofos. If the bugs have captured all the plants, then the soil is treated with a doubled concentration of drugs. As a preventative measure, cabbage is treated with infusions of chamomile, potato tops or tomato broth.
Cruciferous flea
A special pest that can turn a plant into a sieve in a couple of days. They eat seedlings in 2 hours. Insects do more harm in spring when the temperature reaches +15 degrees.
Methods of struggle: when insects are detected, Decis, Karate, Aktara or Bankop are used.
Experienced gardeners claim that a solution of water (10 l) and shampoo for animals from fleas (100 ml) brings an excellent result.
Slug
These nasty creatures scramble onto the leaves and eat them up. On greens remains slippery plaque. Heads of cabbage do not lie for long, and their presentable appearance deteriorates significantly.
Methods of struggle: slugs are collected with their own hands, because of the slow movement this is done very simply, although unpleasantly. You can use numerous folk remedies, for example, a container with beer, sugar syrup or jam is buried in the ground, slugs climb into them and can no longer get out.
The main enemies of these pests are hedgehogs, starlings and toads, so try to attract your saviors to the garden.
Chemicals are best used only during prolonged and massive attacks by pests, the best of which are Thunderstorm, Meta and Sludge.
Cabbage Moth
Caterpillars begin to activate during prolonged heat. Affected cabbage stops growing, dries and no longer develops. Adult moth is not afraid of plants, but caterpillars should beware.
Methods of struggle: use a decoction of tops of tomato, mustard and ground pepper. Plant a couple of bushes of tobacco over the area of the garden, its smell will scare off the pest. Also make protection from mustard, cilantro and clover. Sprinkle heads of cabbage with any anti-caterpillar chemicals.
Cabbage White
Many gardeners know this pest as a butterfly cabbage. It lays about 200 eggs, individuals hatch, and in a couple of days they completely eat the crop.
Methods of struggle: inspect the plant from all sides, destroy the eggs immediately. You need to fight with whites just like with cabbage moth. Use Kinmix or Fitoverm as pesticides.
Cabbage scoop
They are caterpillars making tunnels in cabbage.
Methods of struggle: Collect eggs and individuals by hand, spray the heads of cabbage with pepper solution and water. You can try special tools that give a good result: Inta-vir, Sherpa and Karate.
Massive pest does not attack, so they get rid of them quickly.
Rapeseed sawfly
Pest larvae destroy stems and cabbage leaves from the inside. In addition to the heads of this culture, pests are dangerous carrots, parsley and coriander, so they should be planted away so that the insect does not cross from one culture to another.
Methods of struggle: spray heads with infusion of wormwood, pharmacy chamomile or aconite. Another option is to use a mixture of soda ash (10 l of water + 70 g of the product). Effective such funds: Arrivo, Aktaru, Metaphos, Phosphamide.
Cabbage fly
Adult pests lay eggs in the ground, the larvae are absorbed into the root system and destroy the plant invisibly. Heads of cabbage slow down in development, completely dry up.
In May, the cabbage fly manifests itself most noticeably.
Methods of struggle: when transplanting seedlings into the ground, add Pochin, Terran or Bazudin to it. When loosening the soil, apply a mixture of mustard or wood ash. Having found insects, destroy them with Rovikurt or Trichloromethaphos.
Whitefly
Noticing an insect is very simple, they are white in color and look like moths. Larvae and adults feed on cabbage juice, develop at high temperature and humidity.
When making traps, rely on adult pests to love yellow and larvae to love blue.
Methods of struggle: repel insects with a solution of yarrow, garlic or laundry soap. If folk remedies were powerless, then use drugs such as Inta-Vir, Talstar and Fitoverm.
Watch a video about cabbage pests - how to deal with them (mainly folk remedies), and they will also tell you about the terrible Kiel disease, and how to avoid it:
General Pest Prevention
Each summer resident knows that it is better to take care of the problem in time than to think how to get rid of it later.
Preventive actions:
- Dig a bed from the autumn. This contributes to the destruction of all larvae and spores of fungi.
- Do not bring manure in the spring, many pests winter there.
- Weed and loosen the soil throughout the summer season.
- Remember crop rotation. In the best case, cabbage is transplanted every year to a new place. Good predecessors: beets, aromatic herbs.
- Keep the distance between the seedlings. With close planting, insects spread faster.
- Do not hesitate in planting cabbage in the open soil - the culture has weak immunity.
- Inspect planting material well.
- Do not regret throwing or burning a diseased plant.
- After detecting a disease or pest, treat the soil.
Cabbage has a weak immunity, so it is often attacked by diseases and pests. However, competent preventive measures will help reduce the risk of infection, and the gardener will be able to count on a rich harvest.