What pests of dill are there: photos and control of them, diseases and preventive measures to protect the crop

According to most gardeners, dill is a problem-free plant: it does not need fertilizing or special care, and natural precipitation is perfect for watering. But this is far from true. Improper care can cause plant diseases. A threat is also posed by insects, which, along with vegetables and fruits, are not averse to feasting on this aromatic plant.

To get a good dill harvest, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the diseases and pests of this crop, ways to combat them and measures to effectively prevent them.

Types of dill pests

Despite its high resistance to disease and ease of cultivation, the aromatic herb is susceptible to attacks by many parasites that can completely destroy dill beds.

Pests are divided into two types: damaging the underground (root) or above-ground part of the plant.

Affecting the root system

The roots of dill shoots are dangerous:

• mole cricket;
• wireworm;
• caterpillars;
• May beetle larvae.

Affecting the upper part

List of aboveground parasites:

• carrot psyllid;
• aphid;
• thrips;
• umbrella blind man;
• lined stink bug;
• leafhoppers.

What pests threaten dill?

There are no pests that prefer umbrella crops exclusively. But there are many insects in the garden or greenhouse that can spoil dill crops along with other crops.Let's look at dill pests, photos and measures to combat them.

Caterpillars

Frequent inhabitants of dill crops. Any caterpillar on a plant is a development cycle of a parasitic butterfly.

Larvae are often observed on the crop:

1. Anise swallowtail butterfly. Black and yellow stripes alternate on each segment of the body. It feeds on the leafy parts of the plant.
2. Swallowtail butterflies. The caterpillar has a bright light green color, with black and orange splashes on each segment. Quite a voracious creature.

To ensure timely detection of pests, the crop is inspected several times a week. The presence of sticky sap, cobwebs, and deformed leaves indicates the appearance of caterpillars.

How to save the crop if the use of chemicals can lead to food poisoning? The use of biological products “Biostop”, “Leptotsid”, etc. is suitable. A more harmless way is to manually collect leaf beetles.

For reference. Beneficial insects can also settle in the beds. Ladybugs will help gardeners destroy aphids, and wasps will help cope with butterfly larvae.

Medvedki

They can also cause damage to crops. They prefer to eat tubers of radishes, potatoes, radishes, but in search of food they do not neglect other plants in the garden. Dill often suffers too. The insect adapts to any conditions, so the struggle can be long and difficult. The primary measure and main method of exterminating the pest is the use of chemicals.

Aphid

Almost omnivorous insects that attack any vegetation. They live in large colonies and feed on plant sap. They do not pose a significant health hazard, since they are not poisonous, but can destroy the entire planting.

You can fight insects using folk remedies.The body of the aphid is covered with a translucent shell, due to which even the weakest agents easily penetrate inside and have a detrimental effect on the pest.

Popular with gardeners spraying infusions of tobacco or potato tops. 200 g of crushed tobacco leaves are poured into 2 liters of water and left for 20–24 hours. Then filter and add 10–20 g of grated laundry soap. Treat the planting in the morning and evening.

Important! Before eating, the plant is thoroughly washed with running water.

Dill moth

Also known as anise, carrot or umbrella. It is a small butterfly with dull brown wings. The adult lays eggs on the plant and in the soil. The main damage to the plant is caused by emerging caterpillars. They are the same color as the adult moth, with green spots between the body segments.

The larvae settle in umbrellas, entwining and tightening them with cobwebs. Caterpillars feed on buds and flowers, and young seeds.

It is easier to destroy affected areas of greenery than to treat them. To protect the garden bed from adult insects, it is recommended to plant rosemary, calendula, sage or other flowers with a distinct, strong aroma that can repel moths.

Also, as a preventative measure, you can install homemade traps (cardboard, smeared with honey or Vaseline) or Velcro for flies in the garden bed.

You can also scare away adults using the drugs “Entobacterin” or “Lepidocide”.

Bedbugs

The Italian bug likes to live on dill. There is also the name striped shield bug, or striped graphozoma. Adults overwinter on plant debris and become active in early April.Throughout the warm period, larvae breed, which, like adults, harm the crop by feeding on plant sap.

During the mating period, bugs settle on the top of the dill, making it easier for gardeners to fight. To eliminate pests, simply brush them into a bucket of water.

psyllid

Sometimes called the grass flea, it is a small midge with red eyes, thread-like antennae and transparent wings. Insects are dangerous to crops at all stages of their development. They prefer to settle on young plants and feed on juice from petioles and leaves. As a result, the greenery stops growing and dries out.

It is better to initially prevent the appearance of insects than to fight them in the future. Where dill is grown, there should be no conifers or wild carrots. It is important to remove weeds in a timely manner or use covering material (lutrasil or spunbond) and loosen the soil.

If preventive measures have not been taken and the psyllid has attacked the crop, dill is treated with infusions of orange peels or tobacco decoction: pour 1 kg of tobacco into 10–12 liters of warm water, leave for 24 hours, add soap and spray the beds.

carrot fly

Dangerous and prolific pest for umbrella crops, which is completely impossible to get rid of. Compliance with preventive measures and crop rotation rules will reduce the population.

Due to its small size, the fly is difficult to notice - its length does not exceed 4.5 mm. The appearance of reddish-purple spots on the leaves, their yellowing and death indicates damage by the pest.

Planting garlic or onions on the plot will repel flies - they cannot tolerate a strong, specific smell.

For prevention, dill beds are irrigated with an infusion of red or black pepper and a solution of onion peels.

Cicadas

They look like small butterflies (up to 5 mm), white in color. Harm is caused by both adults and larvae. They feed on plant sap. If brown spots appear on the crop and shoots dry out, it’s time to fight pests.

The leafhopper, the Slobbering Pennywort, is even more common in the garden beds. The name of the insect is due to the secretion of white foam in which the larvae develop. It looks like a brown or yellowish-dirty butterfly, 1 cm in size. It loves a humid environment and greenhouses.

A solution of laundry soap, onion or garlic infusion is effective in the fight against insects. To prepare a soap product, dissolve 300 g of soap in 10 liters of warm water. For garlic or onion infusion you will need 250 g of chopped vegetables per 1 liter of water. Next, it is infused for 7–10 days in a closed container, after which it is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:50 and the plantings are treated.

Thrips

Insects are small in size with an elongated body, therefore inconspicuous. They feed on cell sap on the leaves and flowers of plants. The key to success in the fight against insects is their timely detection.

Since dill cannot be heat treated before use, the use of insecticides is undesirable. You can try to fight thrips with folk remedies - a decoction of celandine, tobacco, and hot pepper. Many gardeners use sticky traps.

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How to deal with them

There are several ways to control insects. One of the safe options is using Fitoverm. This is a product of biological origin with a wide spectrum of action. The processed crop can be eaten after 24–30 hours.

Chemicals

When growing umbrella crops for food, the use of pesticides and any other chemicals is prohibited. Dill is often used without prior heat treatment, which can lead to health problems. Therefore, pesticides are used only if dill is grown for seeds.

But even in this case, insecticides are used with great care and do not overuse treatments.

Traditional methods

Most gardeners prefer to use folk remedies. Natural insecticides include a decoction of potato tops. It contains solanine, which has a detrimental effect on most pests.

Infusions of celandine, hot pepper, and mustard do not have a toxic effect on the crop. Tobacco greens are also popular among gardeners.

Plants for infusions and decoctions can be prepared in advance and used next year.

It is recommended to treat with infusions and decoctions 2-3 times every 6-8 days. With an increased number of pests, you can increase the amount of application until the insects are completely destroyed.

Dill diseases and methods of their treatment

Thanks to the work of breeders, dill has a well-developed immunity to negative external factors. But the plant does not have absolute protection against diseases. Various factors contribute to the development of herb diseases, ranging from dense beds to poorly chosen planting sites.

Diseases are conventionally divided into:

• spread by pests (Phomosis, Cercospora, Verticillium wilt);
• resulting from improper care (powdery mildew, rust fungus, downy mildew, blackleg, fusarium).

Compliance with simple preventive measures will allow you to avoid problems with crop diseases and save time and effort for the gardener.

Fomoz

A fungal disease that develops due to high humidity or heat. It can also occur due to a lack of boron in the soil. In most cases, the fungus is active on the aboveground part of the plant; the roots are rarely affected. It appears as dark elongated spots with small inclusions of black.

Treatment of the affected areas of the plant is useless; the dying parts are removed. The remainder of the crop is sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, and the soil is disinfected.

Cercospora

It develops as a result of the activity of a pathogenic fungus and inhibits the development of the plant. Occurs due to high humidity and cool air temperatures.

It appears as small brown spots with a brown edging. They quickly increase in size, the plant rots and dies. Copper oxychloride or Bordeaux mixture help with cercospora.

Verticillium wilt

It rarely affects dill; it is more often found on root crops and berry bushes. Because of the plaque on the plant, most gardeners confuse this disease with a spider mite infestation.

Other signs of verticillium include:

• loose root system;
• drying of the lower leaves;
• stop in development;
• the appearance of a red tint on the leaves.

Treatment is useless - there are no drugs for verticillium. As a preventive measure, you can treat the bed with Previkur.During the active growing season, plantings are irrigated with “Phytodoctor” and “Fitosporin-M”.

Important! A feature of verticillium disease is its long incubation period (more than two years). The pathogen develops in the soil and does not manifest itself in any way. The soil should be disinfected every fall.

Powdery mildew

The most common fungal disease. It develops at a humidity of 70% or more, at an air temperature of +17–20°C. Spore carriers are aphids, ants and other insects.

The main symptom of powdery mildew is the appearance of a white coating on the plant containing the spores. Over time, the plaque thickens and its color changes to dark brown. The affected areas die off, the dill itself loses its taste and its characteristic aroma.

Pollinating the crop with sulfur will prevent the occurrence of fungus. In case of single lesions, plants are removed. The rest of the plantings are treated with copper-containing products or potassium permanganate. Some gardeners prefer to treat dill with an antibiotic solution: 2 g of terramycin, penicillin and streptomycin per 1 liter of water.

Rust mushroom

The incidence of plant rust fungus occurs in June. It appears as brown-yellow spots. Treatment with Bordeaux mixture (1%) helps, three times a month.

As a preventive measure, before planting, seeds are soaked in hot, then cold water and dried thoroughly.

Downy mildew

Another name for the disease is downy mildew.. Recognized by yellow spots on the outside of leaves, shoots, and umbrellas. Over time, the color changes to brown. A whitish coating appears on the inside. The plant dries out and disintegrates.Among the favorable conditions for the development of the disease, watering with cold water is noted.

To combat advanced cases, biological preparations are used: “Fitosporin-M”, “Bayleton”, etc. If these means are not effective, gardeners treat the plantings with the insecticides “Oxyhom” or “Acrobat MC”, but then it is forbidden to eat this dill for at least 30–40 days.

To protect beds from peronosporosis, crushed chalk or sifted wood ash is used - sprinkle both the soil and the plants.

Blackleg

Basically, the disease appears on young seedlings and in most cases the gardener himself is to blame for this, watering the beds abundantly and often.

Signs include rotting of the root collar, blackening and drying out of dill. At the first manifestations of the disease, watering is reduced to a minimum. Each time you should add several crystals of potassium permanganate to the water. After watering, carefully loosen the soil to avoid stagnation of moisture in it.

For treatment, the soil and plants are sprayed with solutions of “Baktofit”, “Fitosporin-M” or granules of “Glyocladin” or “Trichodermin” are added to the soil.

Among the traditional methods, treatment with an infusion of onion peels or wood ash is effective.

Fusarium

A fungal disease is considered quite dangerous. The pathogen saturates the plant tissue with a toxic substance. It appears on the lower leaves, then moves to the upper ones.

The greenery takes on a red and yellowish tint, and watery spots appear. In advanced cases, the plant completely withers. In case of mass infection, the crop is destroyed. At the initial stage, “Vitaros” and “Fitolavin” help.

Important! To prevent the disease from spreading throughout the area, infected plants are burned.

Watering the soil weekly with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate will prevent the appearance of fungus.

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Prevention measures

To avoid diseases and pests, follow the rules for growing umbrella crops. We also recommend taking preventive measures:

1. Clear the area of ​​fallen leaves and plant debris.
2. Dig up the soil for the winter.
3. Follow the rules of agricultural technology.
4. Remove weak and diseased plants.
5. Respond in a timely manner to the appearance of pests.

Attracting birds and beneficial insects to your garden plot will help prevent the appearance of pests. Useful helpers are lured with coriander or parsnips, bird feeders are installed or nests are made.

Common Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions from new gardeners. And experienced summer residents may encounter similar situations.

Striped beetles on dill - who are they and how to fight them?

These are Colorado potato beetles and overwinter in the soil. They are especially dangerous during the period of flowering and budding of plants. The main damage is caused not by the beetles themselves, but by their larvae. To protect the future harvest and the death of beetles in the winter, the soil is dug up in the fall.

In the spring, bugs and larvae are removed manually into a container with kerosene or a concentrated solution of table salt. In case of a critical pest invasion, it is worth treating the plantings with special preparations.

What to do if dill turns black?

Gardeners often ask: why does dill turn black? This is the first sign of Phomasis. The affected areas are removed - they can no longer be saved.The remaining crop is treated with Bordeaux mixture and the frequency of watering the beds is reduced.

What do black dots on dill mean?

Black dots on the plant are a symptom of phomosis, as is the blackening of the plant. Dark oblong spots with black spots indicate fungal activity in the garden bed.

Why do dill leaves turn red?

One of the reasons for the appearance of brown color on the dill crop is dense planting. Due to excessive sowing density, the plant weakens. The beds must be thinned out and subsequently loosen the soil in a timely manner. A weak solution of borax as a plant feed will help avoid redness.

Also, dill may turn red due to acidic soil.

For reference. Soil acidity is determined using litmus indicator paper.

Another reason is aphids. Take a closer look at the crop - you may find small insects on the leaves.

Dill leaves also turn red due to a physiological process - in the fall, when the temperature drops at night.

Conclusion

Although dill is considered an unpretentious plant, it, like other garden plantings, is susceptible to disease. Spicy grass is not spared by pests: the root and aerial parts can be damaged by various insects. To get a healthy harvest, follow the basic rules of plant care and regularly inspect your crops. In case of infection, now you know how to treat the plantings.

When the first signs of damage are detected, preference should be given to traditional methods of control - this will allow you to confidently eat the herb. If chemical insecticides were used, wait 30–40 days. Every experienced gardener knows that it is better to prevent a problem than to fight it.Simple preventive measures will help prevent crop loss from diseases and pests.