Growing healthy, robust cabbage seedlings at home is another first step towards a successful harvest. How many more difficulties gardeners have to endure in the process of cultivating this vegetable crop! Often, immediately after transplanting seedlings into open ground, wilting of cabbage leaves is observed. This problem can have different causes. Typically, many plants experience discomfort when transplanting from one place to another. To recuperate and adapt in a new area, the plant needs to spend some time. However, if every day the cabbage withers and dries more, it becomes clear that soon the seedlings will die. In some cases, wilting occurs due to insects that have begun to multiply and eat the leaves.
Leaves and stems of cabbage seedlings wither
Freshly blooming cabbage leaves attract pests from all over the garden. To save the succulent vegetation, you will have to make a lot of effort, otherwise you will not be able to get a healthy and tasty harvest of this vegetable crop in the fall. At the initial stage of development, cabbage seedlings are in danger, therefore, require special attention and care. The most common insect that damages cabbage is the cabbage fly. Outwardly, it resembles an ordinary housefly, but is smaller. The body length does not exceed 6 mm.
The appearance of cabbage flies
In the conditions of the central zone of the Russian Federation, the cabbage fly begins to appear in the gardens during the flowering of birch and lilac bushes. If we talk about the Leningrad region, here the activity of flies coincides with the flowering of a cherry tree. As a rule, when the ground is already well warmed up, the pupae that have wintered in the ground gradually wake up. Flies are formed from them, which then fly in different directions and cause harm to vegetable and berry crops. To lay eggs, flies choose the strongest seedlings and lay in the root of the plant.
Why is the cabbage fly dangerous for cabbage seedlings?
In the risk zone are young, not huddled bushes of succulent cabbage, which stand out against the background of other specimens with tall shoots. In most cases, cabbage fly larvae form on such seedlings immediately after planting. They accumulate on the bare surface of the stem. The color of the larvae is beige, and the shape resembles small worms. The body length is about 8 mm. First of all, the larvae damage the root, and then get to the cabbage stem, gnawing into the flesh.
As a result of such an attack, the development of the root system of seedlings is inhibited, and the entire underground part decays. It goes without saying that without the functioning of the roots, the plant will not be able to receive nutrients and will stop growing. Cabbage leaves will wilt and turn an unhealthy purple color. The vital activity of the larvae lasts about 20-30 days. Then the larvae enter the soil and turn into pupae either already in the ground or directly on the stems.
If spring is late and the soil is not warmed up enough, gardeners have to take risks and plant seedlings in the beds, risking serious damage due to recurrent frosts. First, the early varieties of cauliflower and white cabbage are under attack. Late cabbage species are considered more resistant to pests. Flies dislike red cabbage, but the larvae are found even in radish leaves. Often, the root crop of this crop is covered with a wormhole, which is the result of the work of the larvae. They bite into the surface of the root crop and leave behind crooked, jagged paths.
How to deal with a cabbage fly
To stop the breeding of the cabbage fly and avoid egg laying, timely processing is required. If it was possible to find traces of damage on the leaves or the accumulation of larvae on the surface of the stems, it is necessary to clean the infected area as soon as possible, then healthy tissue will form in its place. Sore spots are rubbed with wood ash and smeared with wet clay on top to enhance the effect.
Cabbage seedlings are provided with abundant watering and feeding with organic fertilizers, for example, manure diluted in water or fresh mullein. Young bushes do not forget to huddle. Then the plant will grow root mass faster, and it will be more difficult for flies to reach the trunk.
On a note! Cabbage fly does not tolerate certain odors, which makes it possible to use another method of struggle. We are talking about celery and tomatoes. It is recommended to plant these vegetables next to cabbage to repel insects.
Tobacco dust and wood ash are considered to be an effective means of protecting cabbage and radish seedlings from flies. A few days after planting, the cabbage leaves are sprinkled with this mixture.
The article contains very important information that is very helpful in growing cabbage. Thank you for such important information.