Carrots curl: why and what to do?
Content:
The article discusses the problem of why carrots curl: what to do, elimination of the problem with chemical and folk remedies, prevention.
The clearest sign that your carrot crop is at risk is foliar curling. You will learn why this is happening and what to do to fix the problem in this article. We will also tell you about the folk method of treatment and prevention, we will select the best option, after which you can safely eat processed carrots.
Curly carrots: the causes of the problem
Curly carrots: photo
Carrots are an unpretentious plant to care for, but even they are sometimes attacked by harmful insects. The disease immediately affects the appearance of the tops. If the problem is not corrected in time, then the carrot crop may be lost. The main symptoms of carrots curling: the color of the visible part of the plant has changed, the leaves of the tops began to curl, and the stems stopped growing evenly. If you notice at least one of their symptoms, this is already an alarming sign that can signal the damage caused by pests.
Curly carrots: types of insects that can damage the carrot crop
Curly carrots: photo
- Carrot aphids: appears during the summer drought, multiplies quickly, especially if the carrots are not sufficiently hydrated. The consequences of the defeat of aphids - carrots are dry, not sweet, unsuitable for food.
- Carrot fly: the most active period of the attack falls on the middle of summer. The insect lays eggs even at the first shoots of carrots. Grown fly larvae move in the process of eating closer to the developing carrot fruit and destroy it. This is reflected in curly foliage even with normal watering.
- Carrot lily: This pest is the most difficult to detect. Insects are small in size, difficult to perceive by the human eye. They do not leave any traces for a long time. The tops do not change color, the damage is not noticeable and the carrots look healthy. But if the tops of the carrots begin to curl at least weakly, any summer resident, in order to save his harvest, must take compulsory measures to suppress the leaf beetle. Its larvae tolerate winter well and can wait for the new season to attack the plant again.
Sometimes, carrots curl not only because of harmful insects, but also because of the lack of useful trace elements in the soil, namely, potassium and magnesium. This is a rare case and more often the cause of curly carrots is pests.
Why do carrots curl and the consequences of inaction
Curly carrots: photo
What will happen to curly carrots if measures are not taken in time to eliminate the problem? First of all, this will affect the taste of the root crop. The carrots will be dry and savory. If the pests inflict severe damage, then the carrots will not grow and remain small with an irregular shape. Such vegetables are inedible and do not carry any benefit in themselves. Affected carrots are also not used for livestock diets due to the poor quality of the crop.
Why carrots curl and what to do: insecticides as a treatment for curly tops
This method of pest control will only help in the early stages of infection. In specialized stores, there is a large selection of insecticides. The most effective and safe drugs are Aktara, Zeta, Intavir, Aktellik, etc.
When deciding to use insecticides on a carrot bed, consider the following conditions for this method of eliminating the disease:
- chemistry can be applied only after the roots have formed;
- after processing, it is impossible to harvest the crop earlier than a month later;
- it is forbidden to spray the tops with one agent no more than two times. If the insecticide does not work, and after the second spray
- traces of damage reappeared, then pest control with another drug should be done, since insects are likely to have
- resistance to the active component appeared;
- read the instructions carefully before preparing and using an insecticide-based solution;
- frequent use of one product every season significantly reduces the effectiveness of its use.
Useful advice: If your carrot beds often suffer from insect attacks, keep a treatment diary and write down all the products used, their frequency, and the effect of use in it.
Treatment with folk remedies
Carrots are not a new vegetable in our beds. There are many popular methods of pest control. For a long time, people have tested various means and now they can be called a good alternative to chemical solutions.
Spray the carrot tops with a strong infusion of yarrow, celandine, horse sorrel and garlic. It is safe to use for humans, but causes great damage to insect pests.
If there are no infusion plants at hand, you can use a solution of laundry soap. Dilute 300 g of crushed soap into 15 liters of water. The tops are treated with a solution until the curl disappears.
It is not necessary to prepare folk remedies based on water. There is also a dry method of getting rid of unwanted insects - dusting. The plant is showered with wood ash or tobacco dust. For efficiency, you can use them together. It should be repeated several times until the desired effect appears.
If you have done everything you can, and the carrot tops continue to curl, only drastic measures will help. If you do not weed out the bed infected with insects and do not burn it, then the pests can attack the plants adjacent to the bed.
Preventive procedures
According to the reviews of experienced summer residents, if you plant carrots next to garlic or onions, it will give a good harvest and will be out of the zone of damage of harmful insects. Carrots should be watered in a timely manner and thinned efficiently. For prevention, you can process carrots with infusions of non-toxic herbs, without waiting for the first signs of a pest attack.
If the site was infested with insects last season, do not sow carrots on it.
Attention to the carrot beds, and the elimination of the first signs of infection at the moment of their appearance will be the key to an excellent harvest, sweet and large carrots, rich in useful vitamins and minerals.
Curly carrots: what to do?
