How to protect potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle using sawdust: a working method

09.06.2023 12:50

If you are still accustomed to using wood sawdust as mulch, it is time to get acquainted with another way of using them in your garden.

According to experienced gardeners, wood shavings can be useful in the fight against the Colorado potato beetle.

To do this, all you need to do is sprinkle sawdust between the rows of potatoes.

The parasite especially dislikes pine and birch sawdust.

Let's make it clear right away - this method, although effective, is not 100%, so it should be used in combination with other measures to combat the pest.

Colorado beetle
Photo: © Belnovosti

By the way, sawdust not only helps fight pests, but can also be used for growing potatoes.

For this purpose, wood shavings are poured into boxes, potatoes are placed on top, and then everything is covered with sawdust again (the height of the last layer should not exceed 3 cm).

After this, all that remains is to wait for the shoots to emerge, moistening (but not overwatering) the sawdust and maintaining the room temperature at +12 degrees.

Elena Shimanovskaya Author: Elena Shimanovskaya Internet resource editor