Ziemórkand those little black flies that often fly around potted flowers. Although we only see flies, the real damage to plants is caused by their larvae feeding in the ground.Fighting earthlingsis difficult, because you have to get rid of both adult flies, their larvae and eggs laid in the ground. Learn about the proven method ofecological control of earthlings in potted flowers , without the use of harmful chemicals. I present a proven and … always effective method!
Earthworms are little black flies flying around flowers
Fig. depositphotos.com
How to recognize earthworms?
Earthen flies are black-bodied fliesseveral mm long and transparent wings. They can often be found flying around flower pots. However, the larvae that feed in the ground are most harmful to plants.The larvae of earthworms are legless , with a transparent body (with a visible digestive tract inside), ending in a black head. The length of the larvae can reach up to 7 mm. Adult insects, or black flies, can live for about a week. During this time, the females lay eggs in the ground, from which the larvae hatch after about 4 days. The larvae feed for about 2 weeks, then for 3-4 days they transform into pupae, and then transform into adult flies.
Earthworms do not always have to be harmfulWhen their numbers are small, the larvae of saplings feed on dead organic matter. However, when they multiply excessively and they run out of this food, they will gnaw at the roots and stem bases of potted plants, thus doing a lot of damage and contributing to the deterioration of our flowers.So how do we get rid of the potato plants from our pots?
Fighting earthworms
"A commonly recommendedway to combat earthworms is to water the plants with chemicalssuch as Decis 2.5 EC. However, it is better to avoid the use of chemical pesticides in house crops so as not to poison themselves. The more so that the earthworms can be defeated without the use of garden chemicals. If someone decides tochemical control of earthworms , it is better to take the flowers outside (of course, in warm weather).
It is definitely better to reach for natural ways to eliminate groundcakesHere are the 5 most effective: "
1. We put traps on earthworms
In order tosuccessfully fight earthworms by natural means , several methods must be combined. First, we fight flying flies, or adult insects, by placing traps. These can be yellow sticky boards for pests, bought in a garden store or florist, or a self-made trap.
Tomake a trap for earthwormstake a yellow cup or glass and fill it about 2/3 with water with the addition of 1 teaspoon of apple or wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon of washing-up liquid. If you don't have a yellow cup, the water can also be colored yellow by adding turmeric to it. The yellow color and the scent of vinegarattracts mature specimens that melt easily in liquid
We remove bothpest plates and homemade earthworm trapsas soon as a lot of flies are collected in them and place new ones immediately for at least a few weeks. We have tofight the next generations of earthlings , which will hatch from eggs laid in the ground.
2. Dry the soil in the pot
At the same time, we have tofight the earthworm larvae feeding in the groundIf our plants tolerate drying out, just water them less often to let the soil in the pot dry out.Saplings like moisture and desiccation of the soil will limit their abundance. However, if our potted flowers cannot stand such drying, it will be safer towater them with garlic infusion
3. We water the flowers with garlic infusion
Toprepare an infusion of garlic against potatoes, crush the head of garlic and pour over 1-2 cups of boiling water. When the infusion has cooled down, pour it into a 1.5- or 2-liter bottle and fill it up with water. We water the potted plants with this solution.
All these methods will significantlyreduce the number of earthlingsbut will not always eliminate them completely. Therefore, as a last resort, preferably in the period of transplanting potted flowers, i.e. around March, it is worth reaching for a radical but at the same timevery effective method for plantingAnd what is important - also completely natural!
4. Root bath against earthworms
If you wantto get rid of the earth in the potonce and for all, it is best to simply replant the plant. However, in order to prevent the eggs and larvae of the earthworms from transferring to the fresh soil together with the remains of soil on the roots, it is necessarydisinfection bath .
This method was suggested by Mr. Witold Czuksanow in the gardener's lunar calendar (2015 edition, page 26). Well, the plant must be removed from the ground and its roots should be thoroughly sprinkled with the remnants of the soil. The old soil must be thrown away or exposed to frost in winter, which will kill the larvae of the sows. Then,plant roots are immersed in a disinfection bathprepared in the following proportions for 24 hours: give a tablespoon of liquid potassium soap per liter of water (you can also dissolve a piece of gray soap in a bar) and a tablespoon of denatured alcohol. In order to increase the effectiveness of this bath even more, it is worth using a special garden soap with the scent of garlic, which has additional disinfecting properties and deters earthlings. You can buy such soap in the store of our guide.
After bathing , plant the plants in fresh soil and clean pots . If we do not replant the larger pots, but the same ones, the pots must also be thoroughly washed, preferably with the use of gray soap.
After this treatment, the earthworms are unlikely to come back, but to be sure, in case single adult flies become entangled somewhere in the area, let's put up the aforementioned traps on the soil or sticky boards near the flower pots. If no midge appears in them within 2-3 weeks, we can be sure thatwith earthlings is done once and for all !
5. Water the plants with NeemAzal T / S
This is the last and, at the same time, the most convenient solution among all those mentioned here. Quite recently, garden stores have introduced a natural and safe to useNeemAzal T / S preparation designed to combat earthworms .
The natural ingredient of NeemAzal T / S are compounds from the limonoid group, which are very effective in repelling insects. These are compounds of plant origin (phytosterols) found mainly in citrus fruits.
You can water or spray plants with this agent . It is suitable for the cultivation of ornamental potted plants, as well as vegetables and herbs. It can be used in organic farming.
For treating earthworms, use NeemAzal T / Sin the amount of 5 ml of the preparation per 1 liter of water. Both water and spray the plants with this solution.
