Cabbage is a very popular garden crop. In addition to the traditional white-headed gardeners grow colored, red, Savoy, Brussels, kohlrabi, broccoli and its other varieties. Unfortunately, getting a plentiful harvest is far from always possible. Often, some part of it is damaged by pathogenic fungi, viruses, bacteria, and suffers from insect attacks. Therefore, in order not to lose cabbage, you need to be able to recognize the symptoms typical of a particular problem and know what to do in each case.
Typical cabbage diseases
Cabbage mainly suffers from pathogenic fungi. It can become infected at any stage of cultivation and even during storage. If the problem is noticed on time, many diseases can be dealt with using folk remedies. This is even welcomed, because about a month before the planned harvest, the use of any chemicals is prohibited.
"Blackleg"
A dangerous fungal disease that destroys most or all of the cabbage crop is already at the seedling growing stage. It can develop after its transplantation into open ground, but this is rarely observed. Regular waterlogging of the substrate, its increased acidity and excessive enthusiasm of the gardener for nitrogen-containing fertilizers contribute to infection. Moreover, the thicker the planting, the more seedlings will suffer.
The base of the stem becomes thinner, deformed, blackens. He is no longer able to support the weight of the aerial parts of the plant, cabbage lays on the ground. Young seedlings from the "black leg" die, adult specimens can survive and even form small heads of cabbage, but the leaves on them dry, dry, rot, and rot.
To avoid infection, the soil for seedlings must be disinfected. Granules of Trichodermin, Gliocladin or sifted wood ash, crushed chalk are introduced into it. Seeds are etched in a solution of any fungicide of biological origin (Alirin-B, Maxim, Planriz). Irrigation water is periodically replaced with a pale pink potassium permanganate solution.
During cultivation, cabbage is sprayed every 10-14 days with a solution of Fitosporin-M, the soil on the bed is dusted with ash or colloidal sulfur. Fine sand is added to the base of the stems. Treatment with biostimulants - Epin, Immunocytophyte, potassium humate, has a positive effect on plant immunity.
Having found suspicious symptoms, watering is reduced to the required minimum. Instead of ordinary water, a solution of Previkur or Fitosporin-M is used. Cabbage is treated with Bactofit, Fitoflavin. From folk remedies, a pinkish solution of potassium permanganate or onion husk infusion is used.
You can try to save the seedlings of cabbage affected by the "black leg". Having cut off the affected stem, the aerial part is put into water with the addition of a couple of drops of the biostimulator. Often it gives roots.
Video: the fight against the "black leg of seedlings"
Peronosporosis (downy mildew)
It affects not only any kind of cabbage, but in general all plants from the Cruciferous family. Most often develops in a heavy acidified substrate. Spores of the fungus wintering in the soil remain viable for 5-6 years.
On the front side of the sheet, pale yellow spots blur. The wrong side is tightened with a continuous layer of pinkish plaque. Gradually, the spots change color to reddish, plaque - to purple. Affected leaves turn yellow and die.
For prevention, the seeds are kept in hot (45-50 ° C) water for 15-20 minutes before planting, then immersed in cold water for 2-3 minutes. To combat the disease using any fungicides. The best results were shown by Ridomil-Gold, Impact, Vectra, Skor.
If a pathogenic fungus affects cabbage seedlings, plants are dusted 2-3 times with an interval of 4-5 days with ash or colloidal sulfur and planted in the garden as soon as possible. Foliar top dressing with potash and phosphorus fertilizers has a positive effect on their immunity.
Alternariosis (black spotting)
Spores of the fungus are carried by wind or drops of water. Contribute to the development of heat disease and frequent precipitation. It can affect cabbage both during the growing process and during storage. Subtle black strokes appear on the leaves, gradually turning into dark green spots with a yellowish border, covered by a layer of "fluffy" plaque. Affected tissues rot.
When transplanting seedlings into the soil, Trichodermin granules or a little wood ash are put on the bottom of the hole. Once every 12-15 days, cabbage and soil in the garden are sprayed with 1% solution of copper sulfate, alternating it with Immunocytophyte. To combat the disease, Abiga-Peak, Bravo, Skor and Quadrice drugs are used. Plants are treated every 1.5-2 weeks until the characteristic symptoms disappear.
To avoid the development of alternariosis during storage, the heads of cabbage are provided with optimal or close conditions (temperature at the level of 2-4 ° C, humidity 70-80%, good ventilation, lack of light). Before laying in the basement or cellar, the room is disinfected by wiping all surfaces with hydrated lime diluted with water or by burning a small piece of sulfur drafts. Heads of cabbage are carefully selected, dusted with wood ash or crushed chalk, laid out or suspended so that they do not touch each other.
Sclerotinia (white rot)
Most often, cabbage becomes infected during storage, but with high humidity and cool weather, the disease can develop closer to the end of the growing season. The leaves are covered with a thick layer of whitish cotton-like plaque with small black patches. Affected tissues "get wet", become slimy to the touch, heads of cabbage rot.
To avoid the development of white rot, cabbage is carefully selected for storage, provide it with suitable conditions. Harvested on time - overripe and frosty heads of cabbage are much more likely to suffer from fungus. For prophylaxis during the summer, foliar feeding is carried out every two weeks, spraying the cabbage with a solution of zinc sulfate, potassium permanganate, copper sulfate, boric acid, ammonium molybdenum acid (1-2 g per liter of water).
It is quite difficult to deal with sclerotinia, because the disease develops very quickly. If you still managed to notice it at an early stage, the affected tissue is cut out, capturing a little more and those that seem healthy in appearance. “Wounds” are sprinkled with activated carbon powder, cinnamon or gruel from crushed chalk, diluted with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Phomosis (dry rot)
Not only “cultural”, but also “wild” Cruciferous suffer from phomosis. Therefore, special attention must be paid to weed control. Most often, the disease develops in high humidity and moderately warm weather (22-26 ° C). In the tissue, the fungus penetrates through mechanical damage. It hibernates in plant debris, maintaining viability for 5-7 years.
The first sign is the unnatural reddish-purple color of the leaf plates. Then the leaves affected by phomosis become thinner, grayer, dry, covered with ashen plaque with small black patches. Gradually, spots turn into depressed "ulcers."
For prophylaxis during the vegetative period, plants are treated with a solution of Trichodermin, Phytocide. From folk remedies, infusion of onion or garlic gruel is used. To make it “stick” to heads better, add a little soap shavings or liquid soap. To combat the disease, any fungicides are used. If it is noticed at an early stage, 2-3 treatments with an interval of 10-12 days are enough.
Botritis (gray rot)
A very dangerous disease of cabbage, develops during storage. It affects mainly plants with weakened immunity or mechanical damage. Heads of cabbage are covered with slimy dark green spots, then they turn brown and are tightened with a layer of "fluffy" ash coating.
Fighting the disease is almost impossible. For prophylaxis, when harvesting, several integumentary leaves are sure to be kept, they are treated with heads carefully so that they do not receive mechanical damage. During storage, they must be inspected regularly; all infected heads of cabbage are removed. If the disease is noticed at an early stage, they are fought with in the same way as with white rot.
Fusarium
The disease develops very quickly, mainly plants suffer from fusarium within a month and a half after planting in the ground. In just 5-7 days, the cabbage wilts. The fungus penetrates the plant tissue through the roots, does not manifest itself for a long time, nothing is visible on the aerial part.
The leaves of infected specimens turn yellow, lose their tone. Then they deform and dry out. The head of cabbage stops forming, cracking. If you cut the plant, ring-shaped black-brown blotches are noticeable in the stem tissues.
There is no cure for fusarium. Affected plants are immediately pulled out and burned. The substrate in this place is disinfected by spilling with 5% copper sulfate, burgundy liquid or a dark raspberry potassium permanganate solution.
For prevention, soil on the garden bed is shed with a solution of Fundazole. Cabbage is sprayed with Agate-25K, Immunocytophyte, Heteroauxin, Emistim-M. Healthy plants are less likely to get sick. But the only reliable way to avoid infection with Fusarium infection is to grow varieties and hybrids resistant to it. There are quite a few of them - Fresco, Amazon, Satellite, Kolobok, Paradox, Megaton, Karamba and so on. There are also varieties of red-headed, leaf, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Savoy cabbage and kohlrabi possessing “innate” immunity.
Mucous bacteriosis (black rot)
The disease, the spread of which is promoted by increased humidity, heat, alkaline substrate, a deficiency in the soil of potassium and phosphorus and an excess of nitrogen. Most often, cabbage suffers from it in the second half of summer, near the end of the growing season.
Leaves from the outside rot, spreading a pungent odor. At first they become yellowish-cream, then they turn gray and brown. The base of the stem and veins turn black. The soil is covered with a layer of mold. There is no such cabbage.
For prevention, the soil is sprayed every 7-10 days with 1% vitriol or Planriz, the cabbage itself is Agat-25K. The soil is dusted with wood ash or crushed chalk. Before planting, seeds are pickled in a solution of Binoram, Previkur, Fitolavin. He can also shed holes for seedlings. The roots are dipped in gruel from fresh manure and powder clay with the addition of Trichodermin, Glyocladin. Spores of the fungus are borne by most pests of cabbage, so the fight against them also needs to be given attention.
It is impossible to cure this disease with modern means. The only way to safeguard the crop is to plant varieties resistant to bacteriosis. In white cabbage, for example, Valentine, Kolobok, Nadezhda, Slavyanka, Monarch, Lennox, Monterrey.
Kila
It affects all plants from the Cruciferous family. If a keel was found in the garden, cabbage and other crops cannot be planted on it for at least 7-8 years. It seems that the plant wilts for no apparent reason. But if you dig it out of the ground, ugly growths of various sizes resembling tumors are clearly visible on the roots. Heads on such cabbage either do not tie at all, or are very loose.
When planting seedlings in the ground, it is necessary to pay attention to the roots and reject all seedlings, even with barely noticeable suspicious growths. Over time, they can increase to the size of a head of cabbage.
Kila develops in acidic soil. To neutralize it during the preparation of the beds, dolomite flour, egg shells, wood ash pulverized into powder are introduced into the soil. Cabbage at least once a month is watered with diluted water with colloidal sulfur or the same dolomite flour (the so-called milk of lime). A solution of Topaz, Alirina-B is also suitable.
It is impossible to cure this disease. The plant can only be torn out and burned, thus eliminating the source of infection. Soil in this place must be disinfected. Immune against keel varieties of white cabbage - Kiloton, Tequila, Nadezhda, Ramkila, Taininskaya.
There are cultures that effectively clean the soil from spores of keel. If you plant any Solanaceae, onions, garlic, beets, spinach, cabbage on this bed within 2-3 years, you can return it to its original place faster. Some gardeners recommend planting chopped beet tops in the garden when digging.
Video: keel on cabbage
Mosaic virus
On the leaves, starting with the youngest, yellowish spots appear between the veins. Then, sections of necrotic tissue appear on these tissues, veins are deformed, leaves are wrinkled. Gradually they dry, the plant dies.
It is impossible to cure the mosaic, like most viral diseases affecting garden crops. Therefore, prevention is absolutely necessary. Seeds are soaked in hot water, pickled in a solution of Phytocide, Agate-25K. Spores of the virus spreads aphids, which also need to be fought purposefully.
Dangerous pests
There are a lot of pests in any variety of cabbage. Insects are attracted to succulent leaves. They are dangerous not only because they damage plants. Many of them are carriers of spores of pathogenic fungi, viruses, bacteria.
Cabbage aphid
Small pale green insects literally dot the inside of the leaves. Aphids feed on plant sap. Multiple discolored dots appear on the affected tissues, clearly visible on the lumen. Then the leaves are deformed, thin out, as if decay.
Aphids do not like pungent odors. Marigold, calendula, rosemary, lavender, sage, basil, and other herbs are scared away from the cabbage bed. The most pronounced effect is given by carrots, garlic, fennel, dill, parsley. The same plants can be used as raw materials for the preparation of infusions, which are sprayed with cabbage every 10-12 days. Also suitable tomato tops, mustard powder, onion and garlic arrows, hot pepper, dry tobacco leaves.
The natural enemies of aphids are birds (sparrows, tits) and earwigs. For the former, feeders can be put on the plot, the latter are attracted with the help of containers filled with wood shavings.
Finding aphid while it is still a little, cabbage is sprayed with soap suds, a solution of soda ash. Use and infusions designed to scare her away. Only the intervals between procedures are reduced to 6-8 hours.
If there is no expected effect, any general-acting insecticides are used, for example, Commander, Corado, Inta-Vir, Iskra-Bio, Fitoverm. Usually enough 2-3 treatments with an interval of 7-12 days.
Video: aphids on cabbage and methods of dealing with it
Crucifer bug
Adults and larvae suck juice from cabbage leaves. They turn yellow and dry, the plant stops in development. Early varieties suffer less from bedbugs. Until it is activated, they form fairly powerful plants, which are harder to do harm.
To repel the pest, a cabbage bed is surrounded around the perimeter with wormwood, tansy, and calendula. Rags moistened with kerosene or turpentine are laid out in the aisles. The soil is sprinkled with mothballs mixed with wood ash (1: 5).
Prevention - spraying cabbage with chamomile infusions of pharmacy, tomato or potato tops. When pests appear, plants and soil are treated with Belofos, Fosbetsid, Enzhio, Actellik. If the bugs have bred massively, the concentration of the chemical is doubled compared with the recommended manufacturer.
Cruciferous flea
A specific pest of plants from the same family. Small bugs in a matter of days can turn the leaves into a sieve. They destroy seedlings of cabbage literally in hours. The most active pests in the spring, when the air temperature rises to 15 ° C and above.
For prevention, cabbage is placed away from the beds with radishes, radishes, daikon. Plants are sprayed weekly with diluted water in a proportion of 1:10 vinegar essence. The bed is dusted with a mixture of wood ash with tobacco chips and red ground pepper. The plants themselves - crushed chalk or colloidal sulfur. In water for irrigation add valerian infusion, essential oil with coniferous aroma (8-10 drops per bucket of water).
If a pest is detected, the preparations Decis, Karate, Bankol, Aktara are used. A flea shampoo designed for animals also gives a good effect (50 ml per 5 l of water).
Slug
Shellfish deprived of shells feed on cabbage leaves, eating large holes in them. On the surface there remains a sticky shiny coating, casting silvery. Keeping quality of such heads is sharply reduced, and presentability too. I don’t want to eat such cabbage at all.
Deeper can be collected manually, since they do not differ in speed of movement and ability to disguise themselves. Traps give a good effect. Deep containers are dug into the ground and filled with beer, sugar syrup, kvass, fermented jam, slices of cabbage or pulp of grapefruit.
To scare away slugs, the bed is surrounded by any spicy herbs - mint, sage, wormwood, parsley. In the aisles lay stalks of nettles. Their natural enemies are hedgehogs, toads, starlings. Attracting them to the site is not so difficult.
A good effect is given by spraying with strong coffee diluted with water with ammonia (1: 6), salt solution (a teaspoon of 3 l). The latter should not be carried away, otherwise the heads of cabbage will turn yellow and dry out. At the base of the stems, a “barrier” is constructed of needles, ground eggshells or nutshells, sand, hot pepper, ash, and small gravel.
Chemicals are used only in case of a massive invasion of slugs, which is extremely rare. They use preparations of Thunder, Sludge, Meta, other insecticides, which include metaldehyde.
Video: how to get rid of slugs on cabbage
Cabbage Moth
Small grayish-brown butterflies lay eggs 5-6 times during the summer. The larvae emerging from them feed on leaf tissues. Caterpillars are especially rampant if there is intense heat on the street. Affected plants stop in development, dry, do not tie heads.
From folk remedies for scaring away cabbage moths, decoction of tops of tomatoes, dandelion leaves, extract of mustard powder, ground pepper, and tobacco crumbs are used. Several bushes of tobacco can be planted along the perimeter of the beds. A good effect is provided by the "barrier" of clover, parsley, cilantro, leaf mustard, carrots. They attract the natural enemies of the cabbage moth.
To protect against adults, a masking tape is hung next to the bed for catching flies or pieces of cardboard, greased with resin, petroleum jelly, honey, and a long-drying glue. Cabbage is sprayed with Entobacterin, Gomelin, Dendrobacillin. Against caterpillars, treatments by Actellic, Ambush, Nurell-D, Kinmiks are effective.
Cabbage White
The pest is better known to gardeners as a cabbage butterfly. If you do not fight it, you can completely lose the crop. Each butterfly lays 200 or more eggs, the caterpillars hatching from them eat the leaves for several days, leaving only streaks from them.
For prevention, leaves must be regularly examined, especially from the inside. Discovered eggs are destroyed immediately. If there are a lot of them, they sprinkle the bed with tobacco chips. Adults are scared away like cabbage moths. You can also use the infusion of rhizomes of burdock, wormwood. For the destruction of tracks used Fitoverm, Kemifos, Kinmiks.
An interesting method of fighting a butterfly is to place sticks on a bed with pieces of eggshell glued to them. Apparently, they take them for "relatives" and fly further, believing that the territory is already occupied.
Cabbage scoop
Caterpillars hatching from eggs laid by a brownish-gray butterfly, first eat the cover leaves of the head of cabbage, then penetrate inside, making long "tunnels".
Caterpillars and eggs are harvested by hand. Butterflies are scared away by spraying cabbage with infusion of chili pepper pods or baking soda diluted with water (10 liter glass). A good effect is also given by the traps described above, drugs Lepidocide, Bitoxibacillin, Zolon. In case of a massive invasion of caterpillars, Inta-Vir, Fury, Sherpa, Karate are used.
Video: butterflies on cabbage and ways to deal with them
Rapeseed sawfly
Female beetles lay eggs in plant tissue. They “seal” the place of masonry with their own excrement. The larvae that emerged from them eat out the stems and leaves from the inside, gradually going outside. In addition to cabbage and its "relatives", the pest also affects plants from the Celery family (carrots, parsley, parsnips, coriander), so it is better to plant them away from each other.
For prevention, cabbage is sprayed with infusion of wormwood, chamomile, tansy, aconite (the latter is very toxic). Another option is a solution of soda ash (70 g per 10 liters of water). Larvae are destroyed by treating plants and soil with Metaphos, Phosphamide, Arrivo, Actara, Confidor-Maxi.
Cabbage fly
Adults lay eggs in the soil. Larvae penetrate the roots and gradually move up the stalk without going outside. They make long tunnels in the tissues. The plant slows in development, dry.
Adults scare away, surrounding the bed with dill, calendula, marigold, caraway seeds, coriander, celery. They also do not tolerate the smell of valerian. The soil is sprinkled with ash, cabbage is sprayed with infusion of dandelion or burdock leaves, with saline solution (a glass in a bucket of water) or ammonia diluted with water (10 ml per 10 l). When planting seedlings, granules of Bazudin, Pochin, Zemlin are introduced into the holes in the soil. At the peak of activity of flies (you can focus on the beginning of lilac flowering), cabbage is covered with lutrasil, spanbond, and other similar white material.
When loosening the soil, it is dusted with a mixture of mustard powder and ground pepper or wood ash with naphthalene or camphor. Having discovered the larvae, Rovikurt and Trichloromethaphos are used.
Whitefly
Detecting a pest is easy. Small moth-like whitish butterflies fly up into the air even with the lightest touch of the plant. Both they and the larvae feed on cabbage juice, yellowish spots spread on the leaves. This culture is especially affected by whiteflies when grown in a greenhouse. She is very suitable for heat, high humidity and fresh air.
They frighten away butterflies by spraying the plantings with infusion of yarrow, garlic arrows, and foam of laundry or tar soap. The sticky tape for catching flies and special pheromone traps helps in the fight against whitefly. They are also made independently from pieces of cardboard, lubricating them with petroleum jelly, honey, glue. From time to time in the greenhouse you can burn any plate for the fumigator. To combat the pest, Inta-Vir, Talstar, Mospilan, Fitoverm are used.
Video: the most common diseases and pests of cabbage
How to prevent cabbage infection and pest attacks
Preventing the problem is much easier than fighting the consequences later. Properly looked after cabbage is much less likely to suffer from diseases and pests.
In the autumn, they definitely dig the garden bed. This helps destroy eggs and pest larvae. For the same purpose, it is cleaned of weeds and other plant debris. Fresh manure is not allowed in spring. Many pests hibernate in it. During the summer, the garden is regularly weeded and loosened.
Always keep in mind crop rotation. Ideally, cabbage is moved to a new place every year. If this is not possible, at least once every 2-3 years. Good predecessors for her are beets, spicy herbs, any Solanaceae. Unwanted - other crops from the Cruciferous family.
In the garden, seeds and seedlings are planted, maintaining the recommended distance between plants. With "crowding" on the bed, especially if cabbage is cultivated in a greenhouse, diseases and pests spread much faster.
For seeds, pre-planting is carried out, heating them in hot water or pickling in a solution of a fungicide of biological origin or potassium permanganate. Seedlings can not be poured, otherwise you can lose the crop before the cabbage is planted in the ground. It is not worth delaying the planting of cabbage into the ground - such plants have much worse immunity.
For long-term storage, only those heads of cabbage are selected that do not have the slightest suspicious traces or mechanical damage. They are provided with optimal or close conditions. They are laid out on shelves so that they do not touch each other. Slices must be processed; in the process of harvesting, only sharpened and sanitized tools are used. Cabbage in the basement or cellar is regularly inspected, infected heads of cabbage are immediately cleaned.
Do not feel sorry for the plant if you did not notice the development of the disease on time. When the process has already gone far, the only thing left is to tear and burn them, stopping the spread of the infection. To make sure, the place on the bed is disinfected.
Other problems arising from growing crops
Often, the cabbage does not feel too well, the gardener himself is to blame. Unintentional errors in care can provoke a deterioration of the plant. As a rule, this is not critical for culture. It is only necessary to “correct” in time and everything will return to normal.
- Thin, almost lanceolate leaves. Broccoli and cauliflower have very small inflorescences or their complete absence. The reason is a deficiency of molybdenum in the soil and / or an overly acidic substrate.
- Yellow spots between the veins, gradually changing color to orange-red or burgundy. Caused by a lack of magnesium.
- The drying edges of the leaves, twisting inward. It is provoked by a deficiency of manganese.
- Deforming young leaves, smaller heads of cabbage, bitter smack of cabbage. Associated with a lack of boron.
- Blue leaves. Mean phosphorus deficiency. Perhaps the cabbage was planted in an unheated soil. This affects the ability of the roots to absorb this macrocell.
- Heads of cabbage do not tie at all or are very loose. Cabbage is planted in an inappropriate place (even partial shade does not suit it) or too light, not nutritious soil. Or a long drought is "to blame" for this. Another possible reason - seedlings of cabbage of medium-late and late ripening were planted in the last decade of May. That is, the cabbots simply did not have time to form.
- Cracking heads of cabbage. Wrong watering - at first the cabbage is not "watered" for a long time, then the soil is moistened very profusely.
- A few small heads are formed instead of one large. Most likely, the cabbage came under spring return frosts, as a result, the apical growth point suffered. Similar damage can cause mechanical injury or burns in fertilizer in high concentration.
Cabbage is a garden crop that quite often suffers from diseases and pests. But any problem is easier to prevent than to deal with the consequences later, especially if the process has already gone far enough. Simple preventive measures and competent planting care help minimize the risk of infection, respectively, the gardener can count on a good harvest.