Wireworms in Potatoes: Mustards, Onion Hulls & Ash vs. Wireworm

The wireworm in potatoes is a nutcracker larva, a very dangerous pest, it feeds mainly on the roots and roots of plants. This pest got its name, for the similarity to wire. The larva is rather large, can reach a length of 5 cm. It has three pairs of legs that are located very close to the head.

Wireworm in potatoes: a little about wireworm

Wireworm in potatoes: photo

The most favorite food for the wireworm is potatoes, turnips, radishes, and the larva can also perfectly eat onions. The wireworm in potatoes is very fond of: - organic and plant waste; - high acidity of the soil; - high humidity.

Wireworm in potatoes: determining the level of acidity and alkalinity of the soil

Wireworm in potatoes: photo

In order to understand what kind of soil is on your site, you need to take a closer look at what plants grow on it. If plantain, sorrel or horsetail grows abundantly in your area, this means that the soil in your area is acidic. You can also determine what kind of soil on your site you can empirically. A handful of earth should be watered with vinegar, if the soil is alkaline, a reaction will immediately follow, the soil will be covered with bubbles. If no reaction occurs, the soil is acidic. Every gardener should remember that the nutcracker larva is very afraid of mustard, phytoncides and legumes. Basically, for the extermination of this pest, gardeners use mustard. As you know, mustard has a very pungent taste, which is strongly disliked by wireworms.

Mustard as a remedy for wireworm in potatoes

Wireworm in potatoes: photo

Mustard is usually used in powder or used as green manure. When planting plants, mustard powder must be added to the soil. If a huge amount of wireworm has grown on your site, then mustard should be mixed with red hot pepper in a ratio of five to that. Mustard can be sown in autumn or early spring as a green manure. It is best to sow it throughout the garden area. Mustard is not very whimsical and can withstand small frosts. As soon as the mustard blooms, it must be mowed, and the soil must be dug well. You can also fight the wireworm by observing simple rules of agricultural technology: - do not make too dense plantings; - reduce the acidity of the soil, for this you can use lime, eggshell; - regular weeding. It is best to reduce the acidity of the soil with the onset of spring. We apply fertilizers and dig deep into the soil. It is best to add lime to the soil no more often than once every three years.

Why is wireworm dangerous for potatoes?

The wireworm is very fond of eating potatoes. It eats long passages in tubers. Root crops lose their presentation and deteriorate very quickly. The tuber that has struck the wireworm becomes very watery and flabby. When harvesting, spoiled tubers are best eliminated. If the larva of the nutcracker gets into the cellar with potatoes, then during the winter it will ruin not a small part of the crop.

Legumes will scare away the pest

Wireworm in potatoes: photo

Legumes produce large amounts of nitrogen, and nitrogen in turn helps to reduce soil acidity.Legumes are best planted throughout the area. This measure will become a reliable barrier against the invasion of pests.

Onion peels versus wireworm in potatoes

During the autumn digging of the site, add onion husks and needles of absolutely any coniferous tree to the soil. This measure will help scare off the larvae. And if you carry out this procedure every autumn, then the wireworm will not return to your site.

Wireworm in potatoes: marigolds

Wireworm in potatoes: photo

These flowers have a rather pungent and unpleasant odor that the larvae cannot tolerate. I plant these plants around the perimeter of the plot or along the edges of the beds.

Wireworm in Potatoes: Wood Ash

Ash is perhaps the most powerful antidote and soil helper. Ash fights almost all viruses and a huge number of pests, wireworm is no exception. Ash should be applied at the beginning of the season into deeply dug soil.

The wireworm is afraid of green manure

Wireworm in potatoes: photo

Siderata are used not only to control pests and fungi, but also to fertilize the soil. They are grown on plots as organic fertilizers to nourish the soil. Siderata should be sown in the fall, before the frost begins, they have time to bloom, then they are carefully mowed, and the soil on the site is digged. The nutcracker larva is very tenacious. The life cycle of this pest is approximately 5 years. So you cannot do with one treatment, it is necessary to prevent the appearance of a wireworm from year to year, and then this pest will not appear on your site.