Emma Miller
It is possible to save the carrot crop from being destroyed by pests even if some of the carrots are already spoiled. July is harvest time for home vegetables, including early carrots. After digging up the roots, many gardeners find an unpleasant surprise – traces of insect bites and larvae. Carrots are tasty food for carrot flies and some butterflies. To save the crop from pests, chemical or organic means are used in the garden.
How to get rid of pests of carrots with chemicals
The most effective way to destroy larvae and insects is through chemical preparations. Many preparations are effective against several types of insects. But if you know a particular pest, you can buy a remedy for a particular insect. When applying the drug, it is important to clearly follow the instructions and keep in mind that for a few days after treatment, the fruit is poisonous.
Tobacco infusion for carrot pests
A folk remedy for carrot pests is a mixture of ash and tobacco. Mix 300 g of tobacco dust and 500 g of wood ash. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the soil where carrots grow, and loosen the soil with a rake. You can buy tobacco dust in an agricultural store.
Carrot leaf solution from soap and vegetables
Dissolve a few bars of soap in 1 liter of warm water. Separately pour hot water into a pan with tomato leaves, grated garlic cloves, and wormwood. Leave it for a day. Strain the plant solution through gauze. Mix the soap solution and the plant solution, and water the area with the carrots.
Carrot Pest Traps
If carrots have moths (brown butterflies), set sweet traps against them. Take several large bottles and cut them into two halves. Pour any sweet filler on the bottom, such as honey or sugar syrup. Spread the bottles between the beds of carrots.
Control larvae with nitrate
Ammonium nitrate is an effective way to control larvae on a plot. Use 40 grams of nitrate per 1 square meter of land.
How to protect carrots from pests: prevention measures
- Select the right “neighbors” for carrots. Carrots should not be sown next to potatoes, turnips, parsley, and celery – they have common pests. Good neighbors for carrots will be onions, garlic, and cabbage – these plant pests do not like carrots.
- In the fall after harvesting carrots, dig up the area well. Pests overwinter in the ground, and if the ground is over-cultivated, the insects will freeze over the winter.
- Before planting, treat carrot seeds with insecticides – then the insects will not touch the harvest.
- Plant special varieties of carrots that are insect-resistant. These include Olympus, Flacco, Calgary, and other varieties.
