Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Few suspect it, but ordinary corrugated cardboard can become an unexpected ally in the fight against pests in the garden. For example, in Poland, gardeners are advised to wrap the trunks of fruit trees with it to create a kind of trap for insects.
Experts from the Polish publication Dziennik explained this simple and eco-friendly method.
Why do pests hide in cardboard?
Many insects look for cozy and protected places to develop, pupate, or over-winter. Corrugated cardboard with numerous folds can mimic natural cracks in the tree bark. Pests hide inside such a wrap, after which the cardboard can be removed and disposed of together with the insects.
According to experts, this method can help reduce the numbers of certain pests without constant use of chemical plant protection products.
When should you install cardboard belts?
It is important to choose the time correctly, as the terms depend on the life cycle of a particular pest. To combat, in particular, plum moth, the first cardboard wraps are advised to be installed roughly in mid-May.
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The second wave can be done at the end of summer. Spring belts at the end of the season are removed, and those installed at the end of August can be left until winter or early spring. After use, the cardboard must be properly disposed of so that pests remaining inside do not continue their development.
Why do Poles wrap fruit trees with cardboard / Photo Unsplash
How to wrap a tree with cardboard correctly?
For the trap you will need ordinary corrugated cardboard about 10 – 20 centimeters wide. It is wrapped around the trunk, usually at a height of about 50 – 60 centimeters from the ground, and fixed with twine or string.
At the same time, the wrap should not squeeze the bark too tightly. Cardboard belts should also be regularly checked and replaced as needed.
Will cardboard save the entire orchard?
The cardboard belt by itself is not always able to fully protect trees, especially if there are already a lot of pests in the garden. Therefore mechanical traps should be combined with other protection methods:
regular inspections of trees,
removal of damaged fruits and other preventive measures.
These cardboard wraps can be used not only on plums but also on other fruit trees—namely apples, pears, cherries, plums, peaches, and apricots. The main thing is to consider which pests are a problem in a particular garden.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Поляки масово обгортають дерева картоном: навіщо це робити до зими". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.