Celery, like many garden crops, has to be attacked by pests and various pathogens. These phenomena will almost inevitably lead to the death of the plant, if you do not know what to do to save it.
Disease
Celery is not immune to disease. The cultivation of this culture is associated with constant monitoring of the condition of the plant and the use of preventive measures against pathogens and carriers of diseases.
Rust
In late May - early June, red-brown convex spots can be seen on celery leaves. With the development of the disease, they merge with each other to form brown stripes framed by a bright orange border. When you touch the pad, dust comes out of it. In this way, spores spread to other plants, infecting them.
When rust occurs, celery begins to dry out slowly and ultimately dries out completely.
Success in the fight against the disease depends on what stage of development the infection was noticed. It is desirable to completely remove diseased plants from the beds and burn. Process the remaining planting with Fitosporin-M. Dilute it with 5 ml for each liter of water.
Cercosporosis or early burn
It is characterized by the appearance of brown concave spots with a dark border on the plant. The size of such lesions in the initial stages is about 5 mm. After watering or rain, a gray coating appears on their surface. With the development of the disease, the spots merge into one area, and their color can change to a lighter.
When infected, celery lags behind in development, the yield drops sharply. With continuous distribution, plants die.
Cercosporosis prefers warm and humid daytime weather, therefore, the threat of infection with them appears closer to mid-summer. Distributed with rainfall and watering. The causative agent does not die in winter, lives on plant debris and in the soil. Possible infection through the seeds.
Methods of control are reduced to processing the plantation twice at the beginning of summer or at an early stage of infection with the drug "Energren". The dilution rate of 10 drops per 1 liter of water. The procedure is repeated at weekly intervals. A good result is possible when using Topsina-M and Fundazole.
Septoria or late burn
The manifestation of this fungal disease is determined by the appearance in bulk of small yellow spots on the surface of the plant. At first they are saturated in color, and as the fungus grows older, they acquire a gray-beige color and merge. The spots are translucent, the sheet structure is clearly visible inside.
The fungus prefers cool, wet weather, so it appears either in early spring or autumn. It especially occurs with a surplus of nitrogen in the soil. It is spread by wind and rainfall.
Celery gradually dries. The crop is not kept for long.
For prophylactic treatment, Topsin-M and Fundazol are used. Their breeding is carried out strictly in accordance with the instructions for use. With continuous infection with septoria, plants are destroyed, and the soil is cultivated with fungicides and digged.
Downy mildew
On the affected celery, you can notice light spots on the upper surface of the leaf plate. And the lower surface of the sheet is dusted with loose dust. Over time, plaque and spots acquire a brownish tint. The disease spreads quickly, a large area of planting can be infected in a short time.
Celery with the defeat of powdery mildew becomes stiff, the juiciness of the plant decreases sharply. Further cultivation of culture loses its meaning.
Chemical treatment with celery leaf varieties is not possible.
Prevention measures come down to the timely detection and destruction of affected plants.
Cucumber mosaic
This disease has a viral origin, leading to the occurrence of deformities on celery. The tint variety of the sheet plate with spherical formations of various sizes is manifested. The affected plant stands out sharply against a healthy culture.
Cucumber mosaic leads to a significant decrease in yield, stopping the celery vegetation. The carriers of the virus are insects, in particular aphids.
Methods of control are reduced to the destruction of diseased plants, and also suggest various measures to suppress the appearance of aphids.
Scab
Cold and humid weather provokes the appearance of scab on celery. The roots of the culture are covered with brown spots, flaky and crack. The plant is undernourished and may die as a result.
Control measures include planting celery taking into account crop rotation, preparing the soil for planting. Often, only the complete destruction of plantings by burning can help get rid of the disease.
As you can see, the measures for the prevention and control of celery diseases are reduced to the following actions:
- Site preparation before sowing.This measure involves digging the soil, making the necessary amount of fertilizing and the destruction of plant debris. If necessary, treat with fungicidal agents.
- Seed disinfection.Soak the seeds in a light pink solution of manganese before planting directly.
- Compliance with crop rotation. An annual change in landing site prevents the disease from spreading.
- Agrotechnical events. Timely cultivation and weeding allow you to remove the weeds from which the spread of the fungus begins, will create increased aeration. Thin planted thickened.
- Fertilizer application.This measure improves celery immunity to disease.
Pests
In addition to diseases, celery crops are threatened by pest attacks.
Celery (borsch) fly
Celery fly is a wine-colored insect about a half-centimeter long. They often move to celery beds from a cow parsnip. The female lays eggs under the skin of the leaf, from which the larvae develop, and feed on the juice and pulp of the plant, make brown tunnels in the leaves.
Celery under the influence of a fly loses its taste, root crops become unusable.
From a lack of nutrients, culture dies.
Measures to control borsch fly are reduced to compliance with crop rotation, weed control and seed disinfection before planting. Planting next to onion celery will scare away insects.
Bean aphid
Small dark insects live in colonies. Maturation of individuals before the breeding period takes two weeks. Therefore, in a short time, aphids can destroy large areas of celery. In addition to their own damage, insects are a carrier of viral diseases.
To combat these pests, they spray the infusion of tomato and potato tops. A tincture of citrus fruit peel helps a lot. To cook it, take 5 parts of crusts and 10 parts of water. Mix and leave for 4-5 days in a cool place. Ready solution to process celery with a spray.
If in the vicinity of celery to plant nasturtium or thyme, it will scare away aphids.
Preventive measures against aphids include digging beds in the fall and harvesting weeds.
Carrot leaf
Small jumping insects winter on conifers. Upon the onset of a warm period, they fly to celery and eat it, damaging the stems and leaves. Culture is drooping and deformed.
To avoid attacks of this pest, make sure that celery plantings are away from coniferous plantings. Observe crop rotation and crop rotation.
Methods of control include sprinkling the soil with a mixture of sand, tobacco and mustard in a ratio of 1: 1: 1. It is advisable to carry out such work every 10-14 days.
Carrot fly
An adult insect is not a danger to celery. But laying their eggs in the ground under the roots of the culture, the carrot fly poses a threat to the fact that, when larvae appear, they feed on the sap of the plant. This leads to a deficiency of nutrients, drying out celery leaves.
The insect gives offspring in early summer and late autumn.
Control measures come down to frequent root cultivation of the soil, destruction of weeds, sprinkling of beds with a mixture of sand and tobacco ash in equal proportions. You can sprinkle the soil with tobacco ash and dry mustard by mixing them in equal parts. The consumption rate of the mixture is 1 tbsp. l for each sq. m plot.
Prevention of the appearance of a carrot fly involves:
- deep plowing of the soil so that insects wintering in it are on the surface and die under the influence of the cold;
- crop rotation of umbrella crops;
- weeding weeds.
Celery is threatened by many diseases and pests. Observing all preventive measures and knowing how to deal with threats, the gardener can count on getting a healthy and rich harvest.