Inexperienced vegetable growers make a big mistake by neglecting the autumn treatment of the greenhouse. This event is one of the most important in agrotechnical care. After the last harvest, insect pests hide in the ground for the winter. Preventive procedures in the fall will help get rid of them and preserve the future harvest.
Preventive measures take place in several stages.
Cleaning the premises from weeds and debris
Many pests lay larvae on leaves and materials used for staking crop plants. Therefore, clearing the greenhouse of all vegetation and related items after harvesting vegetables is an important part of pest control.
The soil must be cleared of all root systems. In autumn and winter, they can rot and become a breeding ground for pests, which will subsequently negatively affect the yield of vegetable crops.
Greenhouse structure cleaning
Particular attention should be paid to the walls and frame of the room. They must be cleaned of dried leaves and other traces of vegetable development. This will help get rid of not only pests, but also various diseases that also negatively affect the harvest.
A concentrated solution of laundry soap and water is perfect for cleaning walls made of polycarbonate or glass.The film covering must be removed, washed in a soap solution and left in a dry room until the next season.
Non-removable parts are treated with antiseptics. You can disinfect with antiseptics, a solution of bleach (350-400 g of the substance is used per 10 liters of water), a solution of copper sulfate is also suitable for processing (100 g of the substance is dissolved in 10 liters of water).
When using chemicals to treat the structures of a greenhouse or hothouse, be sure to use protective equipment. Carry out processing indoors for no more than 10-15 minutes.
Soil treatment
This stage involves disinfection of the soil, while replacing the soil is not necessary.
The soil beds are loosened, the depth should be sufficient for the layers to mix with each other. The soil is moistened and the greenhouse is opened to dry out.
After this, you can proceed to treating the soil with disinfectants. They can be purchased in specialized stores or prepared at home.
You can prepare a solution of bleach and copper sulfate yourself. These substances are taken 1:1 and dissolved in 10 liters of water. This solution moistens not only the beds, but also the paths well.
A solution of potassium permanganate is also suitable for autumn preventive treatment against pests. To do this, take a bucket of warm water and a small amount of potassium permanganate. The water should turn light pink.
To consolidate the effect, the soil treatment can be repeated after 13-15 days.
After the measures taken during severe frosts, the greenhouse is opened to freeze the soil.
Carrying out the recommended procedures will help not only get rid of insects, but also increase the future harvest. Autumn pest control is considered a very important procedure that ends the harvest season.
