Like most plants in our beds, cabbage is susceptible to attack by pests. The most malicious of them is slug, because it not only eats cabbage leaves, but also is a distributor of fungal diseases. So that the crop is not completely destroyed, it is necessary to detect the pest in time and neutralize it. About how to save the crop, and what chemical and folk remedies exist to combat slugs, we will consider in this article.
Pest Description
A slug is a gastropod, which has undergone a reduction or a complete loss of the shell during evolution. Usually, all pulmonary snails from the group of Stylommatophora are called slugs. They lost their carapace due to a decrease in calcium consumption in their habitats, and the reason was the transition to dense thickets of water and forest plants. Their main habitat is moist soil.The slug has a head, leg, and body, called a visceral mass. On the head there are tentacle horns that serve as the sensory organ. The mollusk moves with the help of body contraction. In the process of all life activities, pests secrete mucus, which serves as their main assistant in the movement and scare off of enemies.
With the help of mucus, mollusks are held on vertical surfaces, and also form mucus cords for reproduction. The pest emits two types of mucus: liquid and thick. The secretion of the slug is hygroscopic, it tends to absorb wet vapors from the air - thus the slug body regenerates constant moisture.
Did you know? The process of breeding slugs is one of the most amazing in nature. They have male and female genitalia. Before mating begins, the mollusk pursues another mollusk, they spin and spin each other into the genitals. Very often they cannot unwind back, as a result of which apofallation occurs - eating their own or other people's genitals, which allows the slugs to detach.
This type of pest affects all types of cabbage: white-headed, broccoli, Beijing, color, Brussels. It should be noted that red cabbage is attacked by slugs much less. Slugs do not tolerate heat, so the period of their activity falls on the evening and night. They eat vegetable leaves and are capable of ruining the entire crop. Sometimes the damage from the transfer of viral diseases from plant to plant is more widespread than from mechanical impact.
Signs and causes
If you notice gnawed holes on the cabbage, as if a leaf was perforated into a fine net, this is the first sign of slugs. Measures should be taken immediately, since crop damage is done quickly. Another sign of their appearance is silver strips on the leaves of vegetables - this is the dried secretion of the mollusk. It should be noted that slug is especially active in humid and warm weather: mild winters, damp springs and the onset of rainy non-hot summers will be the main harbingers of the busy season.Under these conditions, snails will eat plants even during the day. And, on the contrary, the onset of dry summers will reduce their activity, because in the afternoon they will hide in the soil, under a pile of compost, under logs, in cellars and cellars. Among all vegetables, the pest with particular pleasure eats cabbage leaves, because they contain a lot of juice and minerals necessary for its vital functions.
What to do and how to get rid of slugs on cabbage
If initially (back in the period of the appearance of the first shoots) you did not take care of preventive measures and noticed the appearance of “uninvited guests”, then it is urgent to take measures to eliminate them. Fighting slugs is a time-consuming, but not time-consuming process.
Sometimes using one of the techniques will help get rid of the slug for the whole season, since the mollusk is sensitive to many components. In addition to folk methods that have been tested over the years, there are many modern chemicals for repelling pests.
Did you know? The longest slug is considered to be a forest black and blue slug, which is listed in the Red Book. In a flattened state, the length of its body can reach 30 cm. Despite its impressive size, a black-blue mollusk is not considered a pest, but, on the contrary, an important inhabitant of the forest and an indicator of forest soil.
Manual collection
The easiest way is to make a daily tour throughout the garden and manually collect slugs. The advantage of the method is that you do not need additional funds and costs for it, but you can argue about its effectiveness. You will have to go around every day, because new ones may crawl into the place of utilized parasites.
To protect the cabbage from new “attacks”, preventive measures are taken after the first round. For example, chipped eggshells, gravel, chipped bricks, sand or nutshells are poured around each plant. The fact is that the slug body is very sensitive to mechanical damage, so in this way it may not get to the coleslaw.To make the manual collection process less time consuming, traps are arranged on the beds. The snail is attracted by the smell and taste of fermented syrup, beer, compote or jam. You can arrange "treats" in transparent glasses by digging them into the ground. Since snails have a highly developed sense of smell, by the morning near each trap you will find dead "guests".
The disadvantage of this method is that beneficial insects, for example, bees, will fly into the sweet bait. For the manual method, you can also use wet boards, logs, moss, wet rags as traps, under which slugs will hide during a hot day.
Chemical treatment
The use of chemicals in the fight against slugs takes place with a massive invasion and inefficiency of other methods. All chemicals for this pest are based on the main component - metaldehyde. One of the most popular and effective remedies is the thunderstorm. This is one of the few chemicals aimed at a direct fight with slugs and snails. It acts like poison through contact with the gastrointestinal tract of the mollusk.
Important! Pure metaldehyde can be used as a chemical, but it is dangerous not only for other animals, but also for humans, therefore its dosage should be applied strictly according to the instructions.
The product is in the form of granules and is used in dry form (without dissolving in water). Pellets are laid out under each cabbage, taking into account the proportion of 15 g (1 sachet) per 5 m² of bed area. "Thunderstorm" contains substances that lure the slug with its smell, after eating the granules, the pest dies after 2 hours. On birds, worms and other insects, the agent acts as a deterrent. Rain does not remove the properties and effect of the drug.
The second popular remedy is Meta, which is also eaten by slugs. It has the appearance of dry granules and is used similarly to "Thunderstorm". Granules “Bros”, “Ulicide”, “Antilimacos” are also used for slugs. Means "Agrozin" has a liquid form and is used as a solution for structuring and restoring soil fertility. Its use has proven effective in controlling slugs.
With the help of folk remedies
Experienced summer residents argue that the use of folk remedies in the fight against slugs can be no less effective than chemicals. Snails are sensitive to many components, so people have several options for solutions that will discourage them from cabbage:
- A solution of strong coffee. A double dose of ground or instant coffee is brewed, with which each cabbage bush is sprayed. Coffee is not harmful for a vegetable, but its smell is unpleasant for gastropods.
- A solution of vinegar. Table 9% vinegar is diluted with water in a proportion of 0.5 cups per 10 liters of water. This mixture is poured around each head of cabbage. A pair of vinegar can drive away “uninvited guests”.
- A solution of ammonia. Alcohol is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 6. The solution is sprayed with heads of any kind of cabbage, this does not harm it.
- Salt solution. Make a strong saline solution and apply it to the bushes by spraying. With this tool should not be zealous, since salt causes dehydration of the vegetable fruit.
- Mustard Powder Solution mixed with water in a proportion of 150 g per 5-8 l of water and process the cabbage by spraying. You can also moisten them with soil around each cabbage bush.
Important! Before planting cabbage, you need to remove all excess garbage left over from last season: boards, rags, branches, logs, unnecessary household appliances. Since slugs and snails in the daytime love to hide in moist and shady places, such things on the site will attract their attention.
In addition to solutions, the organization of furrows or ditches in the territory of the bed is used. The most popular and win-win slug repellent is ash. Its smell is intolerable to gastropods. The use of ash is a fight against a pest, which in 99% of cases is effective and tested for years. In addition to ash, tobacco or sulfur can be poured into the ditches. This procedure will need to be carried out throughout the season after each rainfall.
Preventive measures
In order not to waste time on pest control, you should worry about the safety of vegetables in advance. There are a number of preventive measures that can prevent the invasion of slugs. They include both drug and folk methods. The main attention should be paid to the cleanliness and maintenance of the garden plot.Be sure to get rid of last year's compost heaps. Cabbage should be planted freely, since dense foliage can also serve as an attractive “place of residence” for mollusks. During the season, it is necessary to take care of the timely collection of weeds and mowing the grass so that the slugs do not hide in high vegetation.
Gardeners advise early heads of cabbage to cover with a film. The created greenhouse conditions under the scorching sun become unbearable for slugs and they die. Many summer residents say that mollusks are afraid of nettles and die from its burns. To do this, nettle grass is wrapped around each head of head of cabbage (sometimes bitter pepper is used instead of nettle).
Additional recommendations for growing cabbage
So that the heads of cabbage grow large and resistant to external factors, do not forget about fertilizing the soil. Starting from the stage of emergence of young plants, the earth is fed with potassium salt (sulfate or potassium chloride) or superphosphate. During autumn and spring digging, organic fertilizers are also added, which saturate the earth with useful substances, improve its acidity and serve as a prevention of many diseases.During the growing season, cabbage should receive at least 3 top dressings, which are applied both in dry and in liquid form. In addition to slugs, heads of cabbage can be affected. cabbage aphid, cabbage fly, cruciferous flea, butterfly cabbage, cabbage leaf beetle. Cabbage aphid drinks juices from leaves, which leads to complete dehydration of the vegetable. To prevent her attack, it is recommended that carrots are planted between the cabbage rows (the aphid does not like its smell), the destruction of anthills on the site.
The cabbage fly lays larvae on heads of cabbage, the penetration of which to the roots leads to the death of the plant. To prevent this, before planting cabbage, deep digging should be carried out (not less than 30 cm), do not plant the vegetable for several years in a row at the same place, protect the basal part with any waterproof material.
An unpleasant “guest” on cabbage leaves may be a cruciferous flea. These small bugs gnaw holes in the leaves of the plant, after which it dries up. Fleas lay the larvae that live in the ground, so the main preventive measure here will also be the deep digging of the earth and its thorough fertilizer.If you notice slugs in your area, you should not panic and reproach yourself with poor concern for the crop, because any plant is susceptible to disease and pest attack. Knowing how to deal with them, you will protect your plantings from harmful insects and save the crop.