Various pests can appear in the potting soil, which are usually only discovered by chance. If jumping animals are observed, they are springtails. Since they can damage the cultivated plants, action must be taken.
Although springtails are small, they are easily visible to the naked eye
What are springtails?
Springtails that live in the potting soil are whitish in color. There is a jump fork on their body, which they use to hop around on the surface.
They love moisture and feed on dead plant matter. As a rule, potting soil consists of peat, compost or humus, so there is plenty of dead plant material for the springtails to feed on. As they break down the dead plant material, new humus is formed, which in turn serves as food for the plants.
However, the springtails multiply rapidly and become a nuisance on the one hand, and on the other hand the food in the soil becomes scarce due to the mass occurrence.
Damage to springtails
When there is little or no food left in the soil, the springtail begins to feed on the roots of plants or on young seedlings.
The plants can no longer feed themselves properly and become stunted. Disease germs can also penetrate the plant at the damaged areas and kill them.
Control of springtails
If springtails appear in large numbers (e.g. due to excessive fertilization), control measures are necessary, such as:
- with water
- with dryness
- with predatory mites
Use water against springtails
Although the animals love moisture, they cannot tolerate large amounts of water.
- Take a large bucket and fill it with water.
- Place the plant with the pot in the water so that it is completely covered.
- Wait about half an hour and the springtails should be swimming on the surface of the water.
- Drain the animals.
- Take the plant out of the bucket and refrain from watering for a while.
Dry out springtails
This method is recommended when the animals appear in the garden bed or in large tubs that cannot be submerged.
Watering is kept to a minimum. Since springtails love moisture, they will immediately migrate if they get too dry.
The use of predatory mites
As the name suggests, the predatory mites are predatory. They suck out the larvae of various pests and thus ensure that the vermin disappear from the potting soil.