Saving the plum from aphids: proven control methods
When growing fruit trees, gardeners often face such a problem as pest infestation, and this is very serious. Even the smallest insects, with the inaction of summer residents, can deprive the crop and even destroy the tree. The list of pests is quite extensive, but most often trees (including plums) are attacked aphids... It is very easy to recognize its presence: young leaves and twigs are covered with a glossy shine, and if you touch them, they stick to your hands. The insects themselves gather mainly under the leaf, or rather, from its back side.
Aphids cause significant harm to the plum, sucking sap from shoots and leaves and weakening the tree. In addition, various fungal diseases develop very well on a sticky plaque, and the aphid itself carries them throughout the entire area.
So that the entire garden does not suffer from one affected tree, it is urgent to take measures to destroy the pests. So what if sticky leaves are found on the plum?
Folk ways to get rid of aphids
Many folk remedies work well on small pests and have been tested in practice. So, spraying a tree will be effective:
- Herbal infusion of nettle... Place 1 kg of fresh nettle in a bucket of water and let stand for a day. Strain before use.
- Ash infusion... Dissolve a full liter can of ash in a bucket of water, leave for a day. To make the liquid adhere well, add liquid soap.
- Tobacco infusion... You can insist both tobacco and ordinary cigarette butts.
Of the modern folk methods, it is worth noting the use of Coca-Cola sweet water for treating trees. Gardeners who have tried this method assure that aphids quickly disappear, but one nuance should be taken into account - in order to block access to the "sweet" plum for ants, the trunk must first be wrapped with adhesive tape.
Chemistry in the fight against aphids
If you have no desire to bother with the preparation of the solution, you can use ready-made preparations, especially since many of them work all season with just a single treatment.
Some of the most effective remedies are:
- Inta-Vir;
- Bi-58;
- Kinmix.
How to prevent the appearance of aphids in the garden?
To prevent damage to aphids of plums and other horticultural crops, it is necessary to maintain a "healthy lifestyle" - water and feed them in time, because insects most often attack weakened crops. Twice a year, the trunks must be whitened, having previously cleaned off the old dried bark from them.
To prevent aphids from starting in the garden, you should get rid of the ants, since they breed it. Other insects, ladybugs, can help with this, and in order to attract them, calendula and spicy herbs can be planted under the crown of a plum.