In the vegetable garden in May and June

Practices during the period: Care is taken of the seedlings for late tomatoes, medium-early head and cauliflower, leek – irrigation, fertilization, weeding. The necessary agrotechnical practices are applied for the already transplanted early field and for the emerged directly sown vegetable crops. The period is characterized by frequent showers and consequently higher air and soil humidity. The so-called critical periods are formed for the occurrence and development of late blight on potato and downy mildew species on cabbage and onion, determined by a complex of agrometeorological conditions: complete cloud cover, 2–3 days of calm and prolonged rainfall, lower temperature, relative air humidity above 80%. If the rainfall is short-term, it favours the development of early blight (black leaf spots), and if accompanied by strong wind – of bacterial diseases (leaf spots and blights).

Plant protection:

Diseases in tomatoes and cucumbers

Tomatoes: in the seedlings, early blight (black leaf spots) (Alternaria) and late blight are observed. In protected cultivation facilities, in addition to these, powdery mildew, grey mould (Botrytis) occur, and in field-grown tomatoes – also bacterial leaf spots and blights, but without powdery mildew. Control in field production should be carried out upon notification from the regional services.

Cucumbers: in protected cultivation facilities powdery and downy mildew, angular leaf spot (bacterial disease) are encountered.

Pests in tomatoes and cucumbers in protected cultivation facilities have a constant composition, but for spider mites and thrips the conditions are more favourable for severe harmful activity – high temperatures and low relative humidity. Therefore, frequent misting is necessary and the paths should be kept moist. The glass should be shaded with suitable mixtures. Considering that the crops are in intensive fruiting, pesticides with a short pre-harvest interval must be used.

Outdoors in tomatoes, pepper, eggplant during this period the following are harmful: aphids, thrips (vectors of tomato spotted wilt virus), cutworms, Colorado potato beetle, and usually from the beginning of June the flight of the planthopper Hyalesthes obsoletus begins, which transmits the phytoplasma of stolbur. Control is successful when treatments are carried out at the most appropriate moment, as indicated by the regional plant protection services.

Cabbage is attacked by downy mildew, against which the products recommended for late blight in potato are applied. Among the pests, the following are harmful: aphids, flea beetles, stink bugs, tobacco thrips, cabbage root fly, caterpillars of cabbage moth, diamondback moth, turnip moth.

Onion – attention should be focused on downy mildew, tobacco thrips, leek miner fly. The products indicated above for the other crops are applied against them.

Do not forget to add a wetting and sticking agent to the pesticide solutions applied to cabbage and onion crops.