From the very beginning it starts to annoy mint flea (Longatarsus licopi Faudr.). Its rather small beetles and larvae of 1.5 mm straw-yellow color, make rounded holes in the leaves. These pests are especially rampant if the spring is dry, without heavy rainfall and at the same time warm. The damage rate by this pest in some years can be very strong.
Another mint tormentor - green shield-bearer (Cassidaviridis L.), which also begins to rage immediately from the beginning of spring regrowth and during the period of intensive growth. Beetles and larvae make rounded holes in the leaves and gnaw at the edges.
Mint leaf beetle (Chrysomela menthastri Suffr) is a small bug measuring 7-10 mm, green with a metallic sheen. Beetles and larvae gnaw holes and damage the edges of the leaves.
Aphid (Aphis menthae L., Brachycaudushelichryi Kalt) - up to 2 mm in size, dark green, located in colonies at the bottom of the leaf. Basically, it damages the upper part of the shoot and the plant ceases to grow normally and form full leaves. It is destroyed during deep autumn digging. In some years, it can noticeably affect plants.
Cicadas (Empoasca pteridis Dhlb) - adults and larvae suck out the juice of the leaves and they begin to dry out. Young, growing plants are especially susceptible to pest attacks.
Mint can attack from both sides weevils (Tanymecus palliatus F., Bothynoderespunctiventris Germ.) - the beetles gnaw at the edges of the leaves, and the larvae quietly and imperceptibly feed on the roots. The only joy is that this pest is not announced every year.
But meadow butterfly (Pyrausta sticticalis L.), which can eat up the plant almost completely, in some years brings very strong damage.
Mint mite is a dangerous pest in the south. It hibernates in the soil at a depth of 10 cm. From May to August it feeds on the juice of the tips of the shoots, in August it goes into the soil for wintering. Distributed with planting material. Control measures: deep digging, treatment of planting material with acaricides and return of mint to its original place no earlier than 3 years later
Unaesthetic appearance of the plant and raw materials gives slobbering penny(Philaenus spumarius L.). Adults and larvae cause deformation of vegetative and generative shoots, and its presence is accompanied by the appearance of white foamy lumps on the stems and in the leaf axils.
If mint grows in a complex with wheatgrass or in the place where potatoes grew last year, beware wireworm (larvae of click beetles), which gnaws at the roots. Here, control measures are only preventive - a battle with wheatgrass and planting mint after crops that are not interesting to this pest.
In addition to the listed pests, mint can be damaged by all kinds of caterpillars, which, like a cabbage scoop, a round-winged moth and a burdock, gnaw leaves, a meadow moth, whose caterpillars eat the entire above-ground mass and, of course, the ubiquitous bear that gnaws at the roots.
How to deal with all these numerous freeloaders? In the production, insecticides are used, for example, deltamethrin (the drug Decis), which is treated once in case of severe damage by these pests, but no later than 25-30 days before the intended harvest. However, in the summer cottage, in the craving for everything environmentally friendly, it is better to do with preventive measures, that is, change the planting site of plants at least once every 2 years, dig the free area deeply, turning the soil over, clean up in time and burn plant residues.
Against the pests listed above, you can try to spray the plants with a concentrated broth of celandine (insist 200 g of dry leaves per 10 liters of water for a day, then add soap and spray the affected plants).A concentrated decoction of bird cherry twigs or an infusion of pine needles (1: 1) can help from the scoop.
Of the diseases on mint, the most harmful rust (Puccinia menthae Pers.), Which is found in all areas of mint cultivation. This is a fungal disease, the development of which is facilitated by high humidity, low air temperatures, excess nitrogen in the soil, as well as a perennial culture of mint. Brown pads appear on the underside of the leaves, which later acquire a dark brown color. Usually, rust is fought with preventive measures and spraying. But, for example, a rather exotic method was invented in the USA - burning out the above-ground part using a flamethrower with a propane-butane flame at a pressure of 2-4 atm. and unit speed 1 km / h.
Powdery mildew (Erysiphecichoracearum DC f. menthae), which manifests itself in the fact that a white cobweb bloom appears on the leaves and stems in the 2nd half of the growing season. Later, black fruiting bodies with spores appear. This disease is very common in the Non-Black Earth Zone, where wet and cool weather conditions in August provoke the active development of the disease. Control measures: autumn plowing to a depth of 20 cm; dusting with ground sulfur at a dose of 20 kg / ha; spraying with 1% colloidal sulfur solution.
Verticillary wilting (wilt) is a disease caused by a pathogenic fungus that invades through root hairs. The upper 2-3 pairs of leaves turn black, the plant dies. Agrotechnical control measures - observance of crop rotation, destruction of damaged plantations after harvest. Re-planting after 9 years. Breeding of wilt-resistant varieties, such as Prilukskaya 6.
Anthracnose (white hazel)- brown spots appear on the leaves affected by the fungus. The fungus hibernates on dead remains. Control measures: plowing, 3-4 times spraying with 1% Bordeaux liquid.
Septoria or leaf spot (Septoria menthicola Sacc) - characteristic features are rounded or angular brown spots (up to 8 mm in size) on the leaves, limited by a black rim and covered with black dots. Control measures are the same as for anthracnose.
Overgrowth of rhizomes cause mycoplasma (Micoplasma). Affected plants lag behind in growth, leaves acquire an anthocyanin coloration, and rhizomes cease to form. With this disease, it is necessary to destroy damaged plants as soon as possible and actively fight all gnawing and sucking pests that can transfer the disease from plant to plant. And, of course, transplanting healthy plants to another area.
The optimal measures to combat all of these diseases are prevention: replant plants on time, cut off plant residues and burn them, and not compost. To get away from rust and powdery mildew, you can cut the crop at the end of July, before the spread of the disease, respectively, without resorting to chemical remedies. In addition, excess nitrogen nutrition is an important factor in reducing powdery mildew resistance. But the introduction of phosphorus with viburnum, on the contrary, will raise the resistance of the plant.
