Parsley is one of the most popular plants in the garden. But often diseases and pests impede plant growth and destroy it at an early stage of development. In order not to lose the crop, you need to know not only the symptoms of the problem, but also the methods for solving it.
Parsley Disease
There are many diseases threatening the plant, so gardeners should be careful about the state of greenery and, if signs of an ailment are detected, take urgent measures.
Powdery mildew
This is a fungal disease that can be identified by a white-gray coating on parsley. The lower leaves are the first to be affected, and over time, the disease completely captures the entire plant.
Developing, the fungal coating darkens, changing color to brown-brown and its density increases. The white substance is mycelium, and the spores are small spherical grains of dark beige color.
Ideal conditions for the development of the fungus is an excess of nitrogen fertilizers in the soil and hot dry weather, especially with significant fluctuations in humidity during the day and night. Spores are spread by wind and water during irrigation or rain.
Powdery mildew in a very short time can cover a large area of plants of one species.
Prevention measures include:
- removal of plant residues of parsley in the fall;
- control during the application of nitrogen fertilizers and phosphorus-potassium fertilizing to strengthen the immunity of plants;
- work on the conclusion of hybrids resistant to infection;
- annual change of landing place.
If the disease is already progressing, then you can’t do without treatment with the fungicidal composition “Fundazima”, “Quadrice”, etc. You can try folk remedies that have wood ash, laundry soap, kefir, etc.
Stolbur
The causative agent of the disease is Phytoplasma. A symptom of this disease is the appearance of a red rim on the leaves, and with the development of the column, the entire leaf acquires a reddish hue. When flowering, seeds unfit for sowing are formed, the plant often dries and dies. Cicada disease is spreading in late summer.
Prevention measures:
- crop rotation;
- seed dressing;
- insect control;
- foliar top dressing with a 0.04% borax solution;
- weed weeding, thinning of dense crops.
Black rot (or alternariosis)
Alternariosis is a disease of root crops. In this fungal disease, the stems and roots of parsley are covered with various black spots. The upper layer of the root system exfoliates, and the plant dies. Taste is spoiled. During storage, root crops turn black and rot.
Prevention measures include the sowing of quality healthy seeds, moderate watering, storage of the crop at a minimum temperature and in a dry room.
Early burn (or cercosporiasis)
In case of illness, parsley is covered with yellow-brown colored spots of various sizes up to 0.6 cm in size. As it develops, the spot brightens, but the brown rim remains. Such plaques on the stems have a depressed appearance. Plants grow slowly and wither.
The development of the disease occurs at a time when the humidity is from 80%, and the temperature is above 21 ° C. More often, parsley is sick, which is densely planted in lowlands, marshy and not aerated soils.
Fighting an early burn involves:
- use when planting healthy seeds and seedlings;
- crop rotation;
- soil loosening and weed control;
- treatment of plants with a solution of 1% Bordeaux fluid every 10 days.
Bordeaux fluid application is completed 2 weeks before harvest.
Rust
This fungal disease can quickly destroy crops. On the lower leaves of the parsley, convex yellow-brown spots with orange edges form. The first stage of the development of the disease occurs at the beginning of summer. By autumn, the spots darken, merge. Parsley turns yellow and dries prematurely.
The spores of the fungus winter on the remains of plants, and in the spring they germinate, infecting new areas of greenery. When infected with rust, fungicidal treatment of greens is required. Prevention is a deep digging of the earth with the destruction of all plant debris.
Septoria (or spotting)
Pathogen - Septoria petroselini Desm. Very small brown spots appear on the lower leaves. After a while, they cover the entire plant and acquire a brown tint. Parsley dries, and spores inside it persist. Septoria loves humid, warm weather; active development occurs at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. It is spread by wind and rain.
To prevent the appearance of white spotting on the parsley plantation, sow quality seeds in well-ventilated areas with low acid soil types, completely clear the area from aboveground parts of plants in the fall. Methods of control are reduced to treatment with antifungal drugs.
Fomoz
This is a fungal disease, the signs of which are manifested in the formation of gray-brown spots on the leaf veins. Parsley root crops during storage suffer from depressed putrefactive formations. The presence of pests on the green aggravates the problem.
The fungus prefers moist weather and an air temperature of 10-15 ° C. It is distributed by pycnospores, which retain an active state in the soil for up to 3 years.
Prevention methods reduce the likelihood of parsley infection. To do this, observe crop rotation, use healthy, etched materials when planting, and control pests.
Most parsley diseases are fungal in nature. Therefore, preventive measures are especially important in the fight against diseases. Often the use of fungicidal agents is a necessary measure not to save the crop, but to prevent it from being obtained next year.
Parsley Pests
Insects, if you do not fight them, can destroy the entire crop of parsley in a short period. In addition, they are carriers of spores of fungal diseases, which doubly makes it necessary to carry out measures to destroy them.
Gourd aphids
Represents small wingless or winged insects of an egg-shaped green or black color. With a single fertilization, an aphid individual is able to reproduce offspring with a frequency of 14 days throughout the entire seasonal period. Therefore, early detection and application of control methods is especially important.
Insects feed on parsley juices, thus depriving it of nutrients and leading to death. To prevent the appearance of gourd aphids, parsley should be planted in bright, well-ventilated areas, fertilize plants and loosen the soil.
Do not abuse the use of chemicals to fight aphids. Chemistry can also destroy insects that are useful to gardeners.
Ladybugs, lacewings, predatory bugs eat aphids.
Preferably the destruction of pests of this species using folk remedies. These include solutions based on ash and laundry soap, infusion of onion husks with citrus peels or using garlic, wormwood, mustard, etc.
Carrot fly
Adults feed on nectar during the flowering of parsley. For the crop, they are not dangerous. Larvae of this insect lead to the death of plants, which penetrate into the plant and feed on the juice and root tissues.
Flies lay eggs near the plant, which will feed offspring. Parsley treatment carried out correctly and on time (in May) will save the crop. The difficulty lies in the fact that the fly lays eggs twice a season. The second delay is not easy to notice and can be skipped.
Insects prefer moist shaded areas. Carrot flies in winter in the form of pupae live in root crops and in the ground.
The main way to prevent flies is crop rotation. Sow parsley no closer than 10 m from last year’s growing place. Then in the spring the flies will die, because they are not able to fly such a long distance for them.
In summer cottages, to get the crop, choose the seeds of parsley "Calgary", "Flacca", which are resistant to this pest. Seeding density is minimal. Before sowing, antifungal treatment of planting material is desirable.
Chemical preparations against flies - “Karate”, “Arriva”, etc. Before contacting them, it is preferable to try alternative methods. These include infusion of wormwood, garlic, sprinkling of herbs with sharply smelling powders, such as red pepper, tobacco dust, mustard.
Stem nematode
This is a parasitic worm, transparent white in color up to 1.8 mm long, up to 0.06 mm wide. About 300 eggs are laid per season. Winters in the stems and roots of plants to a depth of 20 cm. Its presence in parsley can be determined by the following signs:
- inconsistency in seedlings;
- sprouts are weak, deformed, with the presence of spots on them;
- the color of the shoots is pale green;
- thickening is possible on the stems.
For the development of nematodes, conditions for frequent watering of plants, foliar top dressing, and growing parsley in shady, moist areas are suitable. Pests prefer soils with high acidity and the presence of plant debris.
Prevention measures come down to:
- liming of soils;
- agrotechnical care;
- planting along the perimeter of a marigold bed of parsley - phytoncids scare away these worms.
Chemical control methods include soil disinfection with Tiazon or a similar composition and treatment with poisons, for example, BI-58.
Carrot leaf
Carrot leaf-flea is an insect about 2 mm in size of yellow-green color with webbed wings. Red insect eyes. They survive winter on wild carrots, and with the advent of spring they lay eggs on garden plants. The nutrition of the larvae is the juice of the plant, which deprives parsley of nutrients. From this, plant growth slows down, the leaves become twisted. Parsley root hardens and collapses.
Prevention measures against leaf flies include:
- weeding thickets of wild carrots;
- selection of a seat away from conifers.
Alternative methods of combating this pest involve processing carrots with tobacco infusion with laundry soap.
For large-scale flea attacks, chemicals are used, for example, Actellik, Sumicidin, Tsimbush, etc. Their use should be strictly according to the instructions.
Chemistry-based processing should be discontinued at least one month before harvesting.
Compliance with the agrotechnical conditions of parsley cultivation, the use of prevention methods and timely pest and disease control will guarantee a rich harvest of healthy herbs to the joy of both farmers and amateur gardeners.