Why do cauliflower leaves curl? Cauliflower and white cabbage seedlings: diseases and their treatment

Of all the cruciferous vegetables, diseases and pests practically do not affect only kale. The worst enemies of cabbage are the spring cabbage fly, white butterfly caterpillars, mealy aphids, whiteflies, cruciferous clubroot, flea beetles and birds. However, insects or fungal diseases should not be blamed for all troubles.

Most often, gardeners themselves, who do not compact the soil when preparing the bed and when planting seedlings, are to blame for the fact that Brussels sprouts have loose heads, cabbage does not set heads, and cauliflower grows small.

The reason for failure may be acidification of the soil or growing cabbage in the same area where it failed last year.
The seedling bed is arranged in a sunny place protected from the wind. The soil must be fertile - if manure was not applied to the previous crop, compost is added to the soil when digging in the fall. Before sowing, the soil surface is loosened with a rake (not a pitchfork) and complex fertilizer is applied. If spring cabbage fly has been a problem in the past, you can resort to biological methods and introduce a nematode culture into the soil. The soil is trampled down so that there are no voids left, its surface is lightly loosened with a rake and the seeds are sown according to the instructions on the bag.

Downy Mildew

The leaves turn yellow on top, and a coating of white mold appears on their lower surface. Usually affects young plants. The spread of the disease is facilitated by dense plantings and high air humidity. Affected plants grow poorly.

Ways to fight: At the first signs of disease, plants are sprayed with mancozeb.

Precautions: Seeds are sown in sterile compost. Do not grow seedlings in an area where this disease was previously observed.

SPRING CABBAGE FLY

The leaves take on a bluish tint and wither in the sun; Newly planted seedlings are more likely to suffer from flies. Young plants die, the rest are stunted. Headed cabbage does not set heads; cauliflower heads turn out small.

Ways to fight: Immediately after planting the seedlings, a nematode culture is introduced or the soil under the plants is covered with roofing felt. You can cover young plants with a fine mesh

Gall Weevil

Clubroot clubroot is much less dangerous and less common. Surface roots swell. Plant growth may slow down somewhat, but this has almost no effect on the yield.

Ways to fight: Fighting is pointless. The spread of pests can be stopped by watering the soil around the plants with permethrin.

Precautions: To a certain extent, remedies for other, more dangerous soil pests help.

KULA CRUCIFERAS

The leaves turn pale and the sun withers. A dangerous disease that can lead to crop destruction in wet summers.

Ways to fight: None. Affected plants are removed and burned. In case of mass disease, do not grow cabbage on the affected area for several years.

Precautions: Add sufficient lime to the soil and ensure good drainage. Before planting, the roots of the seedlings are dipped in thiophanate-methyl.

BELLE (White Rust)

White spots appear on the leaves. In warm, damp weather, the entire leaf may become covered with white fluff. Growth stops and plants may die. A fungal disease that most often affects Brussels sprouts.

Ways to fight: Diseased leaves are cut off and burned. Plants are thinned out.

Precautions:

RING SPOT

Brown rings up to 2-3 cm in diameter appear on adult leaves. Severely affected leaves turn yellow and fall off. Damp weather contributes to the disease.

Ways to fight: Diseased leaves are cut off and burned. Plants are sprayed with mancozeb. Preventive measures: Do not plant cabbage in the infected area next year.

FAN

The leaves are thin, belt-shaped. Cauliflower heads are small or absent. The reason is a lack of molybdenum, which plants experience in acidic soil, with

Ways to fight: Plants are regularly sprayed with a solution of microelements.

Precautions: Before sowing or planting seedlings, add lime to the soil.

ROOT CALL ROT

The base of the stem turns black and wrinkles. Many young plants die, and those that survive grow very slowly and break easily at the base.

Ways to fight: None.

Precautions: Do not plant cabbage in wet, cold soil or compost, or thicken the plantings. Sometimes treating plants with dithane helps.

BLACK ROT

A dangerous disease that is sometimes encountered during warm, humid summers. The seedlings die, adult plants are greatly retarded in growth, the leaves turn yellow, the veins on them turn black. The lower leaves fall off. A dark brown ring is visible on the cut of the stem.

Methods of control: None. Sick plants are dug up and burned.

Precautions: None. Maintain crop rotation.

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

Butterfly caterpillars gnaw holes in the leaves and heads of cabbage. They can infect plants throughout the entire growth period; there are especially many caterpillars in dry, hot summers.

Ways to fight: At the first signs of damage, plants are sprayed with permethrin or fenitrothion. If necessary, repeat the treatment.

Precautions: When white butterflies appear, they inspect the leaves and destroy the egg clutches.

Loose heads of cabbage

Heads of cabbage do not set for various reasons - most often due to a lack of humus in the soil or insufficiently compacted soil. This defect can also be caused by drought and severe shading. Proper feeding of plants, especially complex mineral or water-soluble potassium, but not nitrogen fertilizer, promotes the formation of dense heads of cabbage.

Can severely damage leaves and stems in wet weather. During the day, pests usually hide, but their presence is revealed by mucus tracks. Young plants are especially affected and may even die.

Ways to fight: At the first signs of damage, methiocarb or anti-slug granules are scattered on the garden bed.

Precautions: The area around the plantings is kept clean.

BIRDS

In many areas, birds, especially pigeons, cause serious damage by eating leaves down to the veins.

Ways to fight: None.

Precautions: Scarecrows are ineffective. You can cover the plants with nylon mesh.

CRACKING CAPS

Cabbage heads can crack for a variety of reasons. In summer, this usually occurs due to rain after a long drought. Spraying the plants with fertilizer at the first sign of cracking can help, but it is best to prevent the problem by watering the plants regularly during dry weather. In autumn, sudden cold snaps are dangerous; If the forecast promises severe frost, it is better to harvest the crop and store it.

Loose BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Sometimes the sprouts on Brussels sprouts are not dense and round, but loose, and they need to be removed immediately. The reason is the same why cabbage heads do not set - a lack of humus in the soil and insufficient compaction of the soil around the roots. During drought, plants should be watered regularly and seedlings should not be planted too closely. It is best to grow F1 hybrids.

Gall midge rutabaga

Rarely encountered, but extremely dangerous. The tip of the shoot and the base of the petiole of the upper leaves are swollen and deformed, new leaves are not formed. Look for small white larvae of these midges on the petioles.

Ways to fight: Severely affected plants are dug up and burned. Spraying or pollinating with lindane at the first sign of damage can prevent the spread of pests.

Precautions: There are no effective means of prevention.

FROST DAMAGE

In spring, cabbage may suffer from severe frosts. The roots may freeze and the plant will die. The leaves of heat-loving cabbages are afraid of even slight frost. Whitened areas of leaves are easily affected by fungi and bacteria, which leads to their rotting.

Ways to fight: Frozen leaves are cut off and burned.

Precautions: When planting, thoroughly compact the soil. Unripe tissues are more affected by frost, so when preparing the soil you need to apply a balanced mineral fertilizer.

EARTH FEAKS

Jumping bugs eat away the tissue on the upper side of the leaf, and small holes form in the gnawed areas as the leaf continues to grow. Plant growth slows down and seedlings may die.

Ways to fight: At the first signs of damage, plants are sprayed with derris. During drought, damaged plants are watered.

Precautions: Seeds are treated with an insecticide before planting.

SMALL CAULIFLOWER

Many gardeners fail to grow cauliflower. Often a very small head is formed early in the season, which quickly flowers and produces fruit. The reasons may be different, for example, damage to young plants by flea beetles, a lack of boron or molybdenum in the soil, or violations of crop conditions, for example, poor or loose soil, improper planting, insufficient watering or planting of unhardened seedlings.

Mealy aphid

Starting in June, during drought, colonies of grayish, waxy aphids may appear on the undersides of leaves and tops of plants. Affected leaves curl and turn yellow. If the infection is severe, mold may form; in this case, the plants are unsuitable for use.

Ways to fight: The fight is difficult. Plants are thoroughly sprayed with permethrin or heptenophos.

Precautions: Old stumps are dug up and burned.

CABBAGE WHITEFLY

In recent years it has become much more common. Small white insects and their larvae hide under the leaves. Damaged plants weaken and become moldy. Adult insects rise into the air in clouds when disturbed.

Ways to fight: The fight is difficult. Once every 3 days, spray the plants with permethrin in the morning or evening until the insects disappear.

Precautions: There are no effective preventive measures

MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY

The tissue of adult leaves between the veins first turns yellow and then turns orange, white, red or purple. Magnesium deficiency occurs much more often than manganese deficiency.

Ways to fight:

Precautions: When digging in autumn, compost is added to the soil. Use fertilizers containing magnesium.

MANGANESE DEFICIENCY

It is not always easy to tell from one leaf whether you are dealing with magnesium or manganese deficiency. Manganese deficiency usually appears on both mature and young leaves, and leaf margins often curl inward and dry out.

Ways to fight: The soil around the plants is sprayed with a solution of microelements. Repeated feeding with microelements through the leaves is also effective.

KHRUSCH (Chafer beetle)

Leaves wither and plants die. The roots of the dug-up plants are chewed off, and in the ground there are slow, thick, curved larvae of this beetle, active all year round. They are especially common in virgin lands being developed.

Ways to fight: None.

Precautions: During autumn digging, the larvae are collected and destroyed, or biological control methods are used, introducing a culture of nematodes into the soil.

GORNOSTAYEVA CABBAGE MOTH

In some areas, the green caterpillars of these butterflies can be a nuisance in the summer. They eat away the leaf tissue from the bottom and, unlike the white butterfly caterpillars, usually leave the upper skin. Disturbed caterpillars hang on cobwebs. In case of a massive invasion, only veins remain from the leaves.

Ways to fight: At the first signs of damage, plants are sprayed with permethrin.

Mary warnings: None.

SCHOOL GUNTER

Large gray or brown caterpillars lurk in the soil near the surface. At night, they gnaw the stems of young plants at the base. They can gnaw leaves and roots. Most active in June-July.

Ways to fight: In mid-summer, the soil around the plants is regularly loosened. The caterpillars are collected and destroyed.

Precautions: They use biological control methods by introducing a nematode culture into the soil.

BORON DEFICIENCY

Cauliflower is very sensitive to boron deficiency. Young leaves are deformed, the heads are small and bitter. The main sign is the appearance of brown spots on the heads.

Ways to fight: Repeated feeding with microelements through the leaves.

Precautions: When digging in autumn, compost is added to the soil. Borax is added to boron-poor soil at the rate of 2 g per 1 square meter. m, avoiding overdose.

RAPE FLEET

Affected plants succumb and die. Small cream larvae of these beetles are visible on the cut of the stem. Active from August to October.

Ways to fight: Affected plants are dug up and burned.

Precautions: The following year, do not plant cabbage in the infected area.

Cauliflower is a crop that can easily be affected by a wide variety of pests. If gardeners do not follow the rules of agricultural technology or unfavorable weather conditions, diseases may develop, which are sometimes difficult to cope with. Preventive measures to protect cauliflower from diseases and pests help if they are taken regularly. Cauliflower is most vulnerable during its early development.

Major diseases

Cauliflower plugs can be affected by a wide variety of diseases and pests. These diseases can be fungal and bacteriological in nature. The result is a decrease in yield and product quality. Treatment of leaves and stems must be carried out.

In greenhouses and nurseries, cauliflower most often suffers from diseases such as black leg, mosaic, Alternaria, clubroot, and downy mildew. These cauliflower diseases can affect both the young head and the mature plant.

Mucous bacteriosis

The disease occurs due to a violation of the water regime. If moisture does not reach the absorbing roots, the plant is affected by mucous bacteriosis. This can be understood by the watery spots that appear on the heads of cabbage. Over time, most of the head of cabbage turns into rot, emitting an unpleasant odor. The most active development of the disease is observed in open ground with high humidity.

When the first spots appear, the agronomist must cut them out with a sharp knife, including healthy tissue. If the head of cabbage is severely affected, it must be pulled out and burned. During planting in the soil, cauliflower should be treated against pests with a solution of colloidal sulfur at a concentration of 0.4%, and in the fall after harvesting, the plant remains should be destroyed.

Blackleg

It mostly affects young seedlings and seed sprouts. It manifests itself as blackening and softening of the base of the stem and root collar. A head of cauliflower dies from this disease. If signs of disease are detected, it is better to destroy the plant immediately.

To avoid the appearance of blackleg, it is necessary to carefully follow the rules of agricultural technology. If seedlings are purchased on the market, the seller must be verified. It is better to disinfect the soil with steam before planting. Formalin solution is also suitable for this purpose. When planting on your own, the seeds should be treated with Pseudo-bacterin-2. Grown seedlings are treated with Previkur 607 SP.

The appearance of brown spots on the leaves, accompanied by a sharp darkening and the appearance of concentric circles, is Alternaria blight. To avoid its appearance, it is necessary to carry out treatment with special disinfectants, for example, Planriz, TMTD, even at the stage of sowing seeds.

During the growing season, plants also need to be treated. Sulfur-containing preparations and copper-based formulations are best suited for this:

• copper sulfate;
• colloidal sulfur;
• Bordeaux mixture.

If there is a need to feed plants, this should be done in moderation.

Kila

This disease is fungal in nature and affects the roots of cauliflower. You can notice growths and swellings on them, which can grow to very large sizes. Over time, a process of decay begins, which destroys the roots. The plant becomes yellow and lethargic. When it dries out, it dies.

To minimize the risk of infection, very finely ground wood ash should be added to the soil throughout the growing season. If infection has occurred, it is not recommended to plant cauliflower in this area for 6-7 years. Two-year-old humus is suitable as a fertilizer, and a solution of dolomite flour at a concentration of 25 g/l is well suited for irrigation.

Downy mildew (pernosporosis)

When this fungal disease appears, yellow spots with a white coating are found on the leaves. Leaves affected by powdery mildew die. Dense plantings of cauliflower are more susceptible to the disease.

Cabbage seeds should be well treated before planting. They are kept in water for 20 minutes at a temperature of 50°C. The beds are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture 1% or polycarbocin 0.4%.

Pest Control

Cauliflower pests can cause the death of the plant. To repel insects, cauliflower is treated with an infusion of tomato or potato tops.

In some cases, a solution of tobacco and laundry soap helps well in the fight against insects.

To increase overall immunity, plants can be sprayed with anti-stress agents. Immunofit, Sodium Humate, Immunocytophyte have proven themselves well in treating cauliflower against pests.

Cabbage fly

Cabbage fly lays eggs around plant stems. If they are found, it is necessary to urgently rake them away along with the soil, and then hill the plant high using new soil. This will promote the formation of new, healthy roots. The frequency of this procedure is several times a season. It is with this frequency that female cabbage flies lay eggs.

To scare away flies, you need to sprinkle the ground with tobacco dust or its mixture with ash in a 1:1 ratio. As a result, per 1 sq.m. About 20 grams of the mixture may be consumed. You can also use thick cardboard collars that are placed around the cauliflower stems. A method that helps a lot is compacting plantings with celery.

These small bugs feed on both seedlings and leaves of plants. The most important thing that an agronomist can do in the process of control is to destroy weeds that retain the pathogens of the disease.

Preventive measures are carried out 2 weeks after planting. The weather is hot and dry. The main method is dusting the beds with ash or lime. In addition, compacting plantings of garlic and tomatoes, which cross-shaped flea beetles cannot tolerate, are very effective.

Cabbage aphid

Causes great harm to cauliflower. Survives the winter in unharvested stalks and two-year-old weeds. The adult sucks the juice from the plant, and as a result the leaves become discolored, in some cases turn pink and curl.

Cabbage aphids cannot tolerate the smell of tomatoes, so beds with cauliflower should be placed next to tomatoes. Preventive measures include the following procedures:

• regular weeding;
• digging the soil in the fall;
• burning residues after harvesting;
• wiping the leaves with a solution containing soap;
• the use of drugs such as Karbofos, Decis Extra, Antio, Lepidocid and Entomophtorin, mixed with each other.

With good care of the plant and proper processing, and detection of pests in time, cauliflower disease can be stopped.

Cabbage cutworm, turnip and cabbage cutworm

The best control method is to carefully inspect the cauliflower leaves and manually destroy the eggs. White butterflies will stop flying around plants on their own if empty chicken eggs are placed on pegs nearby.

Among the microbiological preparations, Entobacterin, Lepidocide and Bitoxibacillin should be highlighted, which help protect cauliflower heads from pests. Methods of application are described in detail in the annotations; following them is the key to success in pest control.

Cauliflower is susceptible to bacteria and insect pests. Most often this happens when cultivation rules are violated. The occurrence of some diseases is associated with high humidity. In any case, to prevent diseases, you should follow the rules of agricultural technology and take preventive measures.

During the growing season, cabbage can be susceptible to diseases and pests, which leads to a change in its appearance. For example, cabbage leaves begin to curl. Why is this happening?

Possible causes of cabbage leaves curling

Cabbage leaves can curl for several reasons:

• pests;
• lack of moisture;
• imbalance of nutrients in the soil;
• leaf burn as a result of pesticide treatment.

Action of pests

The following can harm cabbage:

1. Cabbage aphid. A small insect with an ovoid body of a grayish-white color. During a massive attack on cabbage, the leaves are completely covered with aphids, discolored and curled. When destroying aphids, traditional methods are used in the form of spraying with decoctions of garlic, onions, potato and tomato tops, henbane, and tobacco dust. Regular inspection of the lower leaves of the plant for the appearance of aphids gives a good effect. Regular weeding and removal of plant residues after harvest are also recommended.
2. Whitefly. It is a white midge that resembles a moth. The pest larvae attack the lower part of cabbage leaves, as a result of which they curl, a dark coating forms on them, after which the cabbage leaves dry out. It is difficult to fight whiteflies, since their larvae are not amenable to chemical treatment. Adults are subject to destruction. Adhesive tape against flies is used, as well as Fufanon, Actellik, etc.
3. Cruciferous bug. They have a body length of 5-10 mm and are variegated in color. Damage to cabbage is caused by larvae and adults. Insects are especially harmful to seedlings, which wither and leaves curl. To prevent the appearance of this pest, it is necessary to carry out regular weeding of weeds - shepherd's purse, field grass, sverbiga, rapeseed, etc. After harvesting the cabbage, carefully destroy the remains of the crop. In some cases, chemicals are used.

Curling of cabbage leaves also occurs due to lack of moisture. This crop is very moisture-loving, so a lack of moisture can lead to curling of cabbage leaves. For the purpose of prevention, it is necessary to carry out frequent loosening of the soil and watering.

Effect of soil nutrients on cabbage leaf curl

A deficiency or, conversely, an excess of certain nutrients can lead to curling of cabbage leaves. With a lack of potassium, the edges of the leaves become yellow-brown, curl and then dry out. A lack of calcium is manifested by whitening and curling of young cabbage leaves, and brown spots form on areas of dead tissue.

If the plant does not have enough boron, the young leaves of cabbage seedlings from the petiole become pale, their edges curl. If there is a lack of molybdenum, young cabbage leaves curl into a spoon shape. Cauliflower leaves wrinkle, curl, and the tissue becomes transparent and thin. The leaves take on a dirty green color.

Residents of Russia became acquainted with cauliflower back in the 17th century, appreciating its taste and beneficial properties - low-calorie, preventive effect, high content of proteins, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamins C, B and PP, compatibility with a variety of products.

The vegetable became a permanent resident of Russians’ gardens and received “personal” enemies – characteristic diseases and pests. But, knowing them by sight and why this happens, every gardener can easily cope with them and reap a bountiful harvest.

Description of cauliflower diseases and methods of combating them

White rot

A fungal disease that is most dangerous when storing crops in rooms with high air humidity. Cauliflower becomes covered with a white “cotton-wool-like” coating, rotting completely and infecting neighboring vegetables through direct contact. The main symptom is mucus on the leaves of ripe heads of cabbage.

The main methods of combating “white rot” are compliance with crop rotation (3-4 years), temperature conditions in the storage (from 0 to +1 degrees) and its disinfection (shelves can be wiped with a solution of potassium permanganate 0.5-1%), avoidance of mechanical damage heads of cabbage, cutting off infected parts and timely harvesting.

Kila

The most common fungal disease of all types of cauliflower, it affects the root system and forms growths on it that interfere with growth. The plant begins to wither and die. Manifests itself in the form of yellowing and wilting of leaves, death of seedlings. Soil with high humidity and acidity is especially dangerous for vegetables.

Plants that are sick with clubroot are not treated, completely destroying and treating the area with formaldehyde (Bordeaux mixture, 1% Fundazol solution), without planting cabbage on it for 5-7 years. The beds are carefully hilled up and weeded of cruciferous weeds, watering abundantly. Before planting, as a preventative measure, it is recommended to lim the soil, and during growth - root watering with dolomite solution (1 cup of flour per 10 liters of water).

Blackleg

The fungus infects cauliflower seedlings and young shoots, the lower part of the stem and root stalk become dark in color, rot and become thin. The disease is infectious in nature, and before the plant dies, it infects surrounding shoots. The reason may be sudden temperature changes, high humidity and acidity of the soil, “saturation” of the soil with nitrogen fertilizers and fungus remaining in it, excessive sowing density.

You can avoid the appearance of “black leg” by cultivating the soil with 1% warm solutions of potassium permanganate, potassium permanganate or “Fitosporin”, fertilize the area with TMTD or “Cumulus DF” before sowing, treat the seeds with “Granosan” (“Fundazol”, “Planriz”) . Sick plants should be promptly removed and the soil should be shed with potassium permanganate.

Fusarium wilt

The disease can destroy up to 1/4 of the crop; early varieties of cauliflower are at risk. The leaves wither, turn yellow and fall off, leaving a bare stem with a barren crown. The cause is the fungus itself, prolonged high soil temperatures (15-17 degrees) and insufficient watering.

Fusarium wilt cannot be treated; infected plants are removed along with the rhizome, the soil is treated with solutions of manganese or copper sulfate (5 grams per 10 liters).

Gray rot

The disease manifests itself in the form of a gray “cotton-wool-like” coating and is most dangerous during storage of the harvested crop. Frostbitten or injured areas of cauliflower are affected, mucus and areas of rot appear. The risk of infection is particularly high during long periods of wet weather.

You can protect the crop and prevent the appearance of “gray rot” by maintaining temperature conditions for storage and disinfecting premises (as in the case of “white rot”).

Mosaic

An untreatable disease that causes black spots to appear on cauliflower and leaves to curl. Infected plants are uprooted and destroyed.

The carriers of the “mosaic” can be insects and weeds, so the main means of protection have become the fight against them and regular inspection of neighboring plants to prevent the spread of infection.

Downy mildew (Peronosporosis)

White-yellow spots appear on diseased plants (sometimes acquiring a red tint). The leaves die, the cauliflower grows poorly and dies.

The causative agents of peronosporosis are located on the seed coat, so the seeds are treated before planting (placed in 50-degree water for 20 minutes, then in cold water for 3 minutes). Vegetables in the beds must be sprayed with Bordeaux solution (polycarbocin, Planriz).

Mucous bacteriosis (Wet bacterial rot)

The disease can develop at all stages of growth and storage of cauliflower, in which the head rots. In other cases, the root leg of the vegetable is affected. The reasons are violation of crop rotation rules, excess nutrition with nitrogen fertilizers, pests and long wet periods of weather.

They are protected from mucous bacteriosis by observing crop rotation, fighting pests and weeds throughout the season, the roots of the seedlings are treated with “Phytobacteriomycin”, the storage facilities are properly prepared and the storage regime is observed, the open ground is spilled with a solution of colloidal sulfur (0.4%).

Vascular bacteriosis (Black rot)

All stages of vegetable growth are also susceptible to the disease, and it manifests itself in the form of yellowing (in the shape of an angle) of the edges of the leaves. Subsequently, they disappear, and cauliflower stops developing and loses its taste. In addition to pests, pathogenic bacteria can be carried by rain.

To protect against vascular bacteriosis, they adhere to crop rotation (3-4 years), the seeds are treated with Agat-25 or Fitolavin. It also treats the seedlings, and at the first signs of disease, the plants are sprayed with Planriza solution. You can also use “Binoram”, which is used for root watering of seedlings.

Description of cauliflower pests and methods of controlling them

Slugs

The abundance of slugs (snails without shells) is explained by their fecundity and omnivorous nature. Moisture-loving pests bite into cauliflower and can destroy the entire crop.

It’s easy to fight them; you just need to collect them in time. You can organize “baits” from pieces of wood or wet rags, under which they will gather as the day approaches. They also tear off the lower leaves and dig wet grooves around the plant, covered with wood ash or mustard.

cabbage aphid

Small, about 2 millimeters, pests are able to “suck out” cauliflower due to their abundance and fertility (several generations per season). The leaves of the plant become discolored, may turn pink, curl, and the heads are not fully formed.

In order to prevent cabbage aphid larvae from developing, the tops and cruciferous weeds are destroyed in a timely manner, and when they appear, it is recommended to treat the beds with Decis, Karbofos, Aktara or Rovikurt. Pests can also be removed manually, with a simple rag soaked in soapy water, decoctions of garlic, tomato, and tobacco.

Cruciferous flea beetles

There are several types of jumping 2-3 mm bugs, with colors ranging from yellow-bronze to blue-green and black. Harm, even to complete destruction, can be caused to young shoots of cauliflower due to their tenderness and vulnerability, and the number of pests. Particularly active in hot sunny weather.

Insects should be combated with preventive methods, destroying cruciferous weeds, digging up the soil for the winter and planting plants early, before cruciferous flea beetles appear (let the leaves form and get stronger), water and shade the beds on hot days, treat them with a solution twice every 10 days trichlorometaphos-3 (0.2%). If vegetables are attacked by pests, you can spray them with “Aklettik”, “Decis”, “Bankol” or “Karate”.

Spring cabbage fly

The insect is dangerous because of its larvae, which it lays in the ground and on the root collar of cauliflower. As they grow, they feed on the plant, reducing the yield or completely destroying it.

As a preventive measure, gardeners are advised to spill the soil around each seedling with a solution of karbofos (0.2%, repeat the procedure three times with an interval of 8-10 days), and dig up the soil in a timely manner. When it appears, treat the cabbage with chlorophos.

Caterpillars

Moths and some types of butterflies (cabbage cutworm, white moth) that lay eggs on the leaves of the plant are dangerous for cauliflower. Growing up, they turn into caterpillars, which, as they grow older, bite into the cabbage, causing the heads of cabbage to become unusable.

They destroy caterpillars even before they appear by detecting and crushing clutches of eggs. Adult specimens can be collected by hand. To control pests, entobacterin-3 (0.5%), potassium chloride (0.5%, 2-3 treatments), superphosphate (0.1%), drugs “Fosbecid”, “Aktelik”, “Lepidocid” are also used. , "Karbofos" and others.

Treating cauliflower against pests with folk remedies

In addition to chemicals and laboratory developments, years of cultivating cauliflower have given gardeners a lot of “folk” methods of pest control. For example, treating damaged plants with solutions of mustard, vinegar or salt helps against slugs, and aphids – with soap tinctures of tobacco, tomato, garlic and onion.

You can repel and get rid of cruciferous flea beetles by sprinkling and pollinating cabbage with wood ash, lime (fluff and a mixture with tobacco dust), phosphate rock, garlic solution (add 1 cup of garlic and tomato (potato) leaves to 10 liters of water, leave for 12 hours , grind 40 grams of soap and filter). Cardboard with glue applied also helps - when waving, frightened and jumping fleas stick to the sticky surface.

The cabbage fly is repelled with a vinegar solution (1 tablespoon of acid per 10 liters of water), and butterflies and moths are repelled from laying eggs with infusions of wood ash (1 cup of ash per 10 liters, leave overnight, stir and spray in the morning), salt (1 cup per 10 liters) or tomato tops (3.5 kilograms of tomato tops are cut, poured with 10 liters of boiling water,infuse for 24 hours, grind and filter, add 8 water and 40 grams of laundry soap to 2 liters of concentrate).

Lack of mineral nutrients and excess sun

In addition to pests and diseases, cauliflower does not like direct sunlight, from which the heads begin to turn yellow and pink, and over time they can turn brown. They lose elasticity and taste. Therefore, it is recommended to shade the heads from direct sun when they form the size of a walnut.

Cauliflower may die or produce a poor-quality and weak harvest due to a lack of nutritional mineral elements.

Potassium

Dry small brown spots and growing necrosis appear on the edges of the leaves, and the leaves curl over time, causing the cauliflower to turn blue-green. A lack of potassium prevents heads of normal size from forming, and they are poorly stored.

The reason may be “overfeeding” the area with magnesium and calcium or sandy soil. In the latter case, liming the soil helps.

Phosphorus

A lack of phosphorus leads to the death of the edges of the leaves, the lower part of which acquires a purple (with shades of red) color, and the upper part becomes covered with purple spots.

The high acidity of the soil is to blame for phosphorus starvation, so it is limed and fed with fertilizers containing microelements.

Nitrogen

Without receiving enough nitrogen, cauliflower stops growing, the lower leaves begin to turn red and blue, and the bulk of them become pale green.

You can compensate for the lack of a microelement using urea or ammonium nitrate.

Magnesium

For cauliflower, a lack of magnesium is just as dangerous as its excess. The lower leaves lighten and fall off prematurely, and yellow-orange spots may appear.

In this case, fertilizing the soil with magnesium sulfate or kalimag will help, but in case of “overfeeding”, liming should be carried out.

Prevention

There are many methods for combating diseases and pests of cauliflower, but prevention of their occurrence is still at the forefront. The constant destruction of cruciferous weeds and old tops, digging up the soil late in the winter and ventilating-freezing greenhouses and greenhouses in cold weather will help to significantly reduce the chances of losing the harvest.

These measures will help destroy insect larvae and eggs, harmful bacteria and fungi. Timely fertilization and watering of the soil also helps, repelling both diseases and pests of cabbage.

Cabbage is a plant that requires a lot of attention from the gardener. It is susceptible to various diseases, among which are white and gray rot, powdery mildew, rhizoctonia, late blight, black leg and others, as well as invasions of numerous pests.

One of the problems that often bothers beginners is the curling of cabbage leaves. Before you figure out what to do and how to treat the plant if the cabbage leaves in the garden curl inward, you need to find out why this happens.

Causes of leaves curling on cabbage

Lack of moisture. Curling cabbage leaves outside of the head is a bad sign. Cabbage leaves may curl if it suffers from a lack of moisture. Check the soil near the roots and if it is dry, then pour half a bucket of settled water onto each head of cabbage. The temperature of water and soil should not differ greatly. Watering is carried out directly along the holes or along the furrows. In too hot weather, sprinkling is allowed. Also, a garden plant lays down and withers when affected by blackleg, to destroy which “Baktofit”, “Planriz”, “Fitosporin” or “Fitolavin-300” are used. We weed the hole to remove weeds and hill up. There is enough water, and the leaves have never curled.

Lack or excess of nutrients in the soil. Sometimes cabbage leaves curl due to a lack or, conversely, excess of nutrients in the soil. In this case, the best solution would be to use mineral fertilizers, since it is quite difficult to find out what exactly your cabbage is missing. But it is also not worth fertilizing the plant according to the principle “the more the better” - this is fraught with oversaturation with minerals, which will not bring any benefit. Chemical burns from pesticides will certainly affect the appearance of the leaves if you carelessly sprayed the cabbage with an overly concentrated solution. In this case, it is unlikely that the plant will be restored in any way, and you will most likely have to say goodbye to the harvest. If the plant does not have enough boron, the young leaves of cabbage seedlings from the petiole become pale, their edges curl. If there is a lack of molybdenum, young cabbage leaves curl into a spoon shape. Cauliflower leaves wrinkle, curl, and the tissue becomes transparent and thin. The leaves take on a dirty green color.

Cabbage pests. One of the most common reasons for this leaf behavior is the attack of cabbage aphids, the main pest of this vegetable. At the same time, leaf curling is just one of many troubles. Settling on cabbage in large colonies, aphids, a small grayish-white insect, cause enormous and sometimes irreparable damage to this plant. External symptoms are yellow spots in places where the proboscis punctures, drying and dying of individual sections of the leaf. Cabbage leaves lose color, turn yellow and curl. Plant development slows down, the weight of the head of cabbage decreases, and the commercial properties of the product deteriorate. In cabbage seeds, branches and buds with flowers become blue-pink, seeds are not formed, and leaves fall off. Cabbage must be freed from aphids as early as possible; if no measures are taken to combat the insect, many plantings will die. Aphids, in addition to direct harm to the plant by eating, carry about twenty viral infections. To prevent the spread of aphids and other pests, it is recommended to remove and burn plant residues (stumps) after harvesting cabbage, thoroughly dig up the soil in the fall followed by leveling (in production conditions - deep autumn plowing and spring cultivation), as well as regular weeding of weeds from the Brassica family: with shepherd's bag, field grass, rapeseed, sverbiga, alyssum, zherushnik, etc. When the first colonies of aphids are found on cabbage, wipe the leaves with aphids with a cloth soaked in a soap solution. Folk remedies - the use of infusions and decoctions of potato and tomato tops, tobacco, henbane, onions, garlic, etc.

It is recommended to use chemicals (Antio, Bi-58 new, Decis extra, Karbofos, Rovikurt) in production conditions only when the economic threshold of harmfulness is reached: when 5-10% of plants are infested with aphids. To determine the EPV, cabbage plants are examined in the phase of head formation and compaction, examining the field in a checkerboard pattern of 5 plants in 20 places.

The cause of cabbage leaves curling can also be a common garden pest - whitefly. This small butterfly is very similar in appearance to a moth. First, pest larvae appear on the undersides of cabbage leaves. Very soon the cabbage leaves curl and become covered with a fungal coating, after which they completely dry out. Whitefly larvae are covered with a waxy coating and are therefore extremely resistant to various chemical treatments. It is much more effective to destroy adult insects using the drugs Fufanon, Actellik, Intra-vir and yellow adhesive fly tape (whiteflies are attracted to the yellow color).

Cruciferous bug. They have a body length of 5-10 mm and are variegated in color. Damage to cabbage is caused by larvae and adults. Insects are especially harmful to seedlings, which wither and leaves curl. To prevent the appearance of this pest, it is necessary to carry out regular weeding of weeds - shepherd's purse, field grass, sverbiga, rapeseed, etc. After harvesting the cabbage, carefully destroy the remains of the crop. In some cases, chemicals are used.

Is it possible to save cabbage if its leaves curl?

Although fighting aphids is not a simple task, it is quite possible to achieve success with regular protective measures. Firstly, after harvesting, it is necessary to carefully destroy all infected cabbage stumps and weeds on which aphid eggs can overwinter. The land in the area where cabbage was grown must be plowed, thus leaving no chance for aphid eggs to safely survive the frost. How to feed pepper seedlings for growth?

Thirdly, when the first signs of cabbage being infected by aphids are detected, it is necessary to begin treating the area with insecticides. How to treat cabbage if its leaves curl and dry out? For the first treatment, a mixture of 5 grams of potassium chloride and 10 grams of superphosphate extract is usually used, dissolving them in 10 liters of water. Repeated treatment with this infusion can be carried out, if necessary, 10-15 days after the first. Among the folk remedies in the fight against aphids, infusions of potato tops, tobacco dust, onion peels and ash are used. Treatment with such infusions can be carried out at intervals of one to one and a half weeks, two to three times per season. If folk remedies are powerless against pests, the drugs “Decis” and “Fozalon” come to the aid of the gardener. Any of these products must be dissolved in water in a proportion of 10-15 ml. per 10 liters of water and treat the cabbage beds with the resulting solution. The drug “Iskra” also gives good results, one tablet of which must also be dissolved in one bucket of water.