Growing crops indoors is associated with the risk of infection of buildings and plants with various diseases. To avoid a sad fate, disinfection is necessary, and one of the most effective means is considered to be a sulfur bomb for polycarbonate greenhouses, as well as for glass and film structures.
Next, we will tell you in detail how to properly use smoke bombs to disinfect greenhouses, why to do this, and when it is better to treat the premises.
Fumigation of greenhouses is an effective method of treatment against infections and pests
Features and principle of operation
Greenhouse conditions are good not only for plants.
A comfortable microclimate provokes the growth and development of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and also attracts various insects to the greenhouse. To destroy all harmful microflora and disinfect the greenhouse, people began to use sulfur bombs. This idea is not new: basements and cellars have long been fumigated with acrid smoke in order to better preserve the harvest for the winter. “Dymovukha” looks like a briquette or a set of tablets containing sulfur. The concentration of the active substance in them is quite high: up to 750-800 g per 1 kg of powder. Each tablet has a wick. To carry out disinfection, you need to set fire to a certain amount of the product and leave it to smolder in the greenhouse. During the combustion process, sulfur dioxide will be released. It is he who destroys pathogens and pests, and also repels rodents.
By the way. Also on sale are tobacco, bromide, permethrin and other types of products. Sulfur bombs have the widest spectrum of action.
Pros and cons of the product
The benefits and advantages of using sulfur-based smoke fumes are obvious:
- disinfection of greenhouses, and, if necessary, basements and cellars;
- versatility - the product immediately fights mold, microorganisms and insects, there is no need to use different groups of drugs (insecticides, fungicides);
- the scale of the impact - toxic smoke penetrates into all corners of the greenhouse, where it is difficult to reach with a sprayer;
- ease of use - checkers are sold ready-made, you just need to calculate the exact quantity for your greenhouse;
- availability of purchase;
- efficiency.
Also consider the negative aspects associated with fumigating a greenhouse with sulfur:
- if you do not follow safety rules, you can be seriously exposed to a caustic substance that is released during combustion;
- sulfur dioxide has a negative effect on the metal elements of the greenhouse. To protect the frame from destruction, it should first be coated with a primer, painted or treated with grease;
- the substance does not affect pathogens that are located in the deep layers of the soil;
- in this case, the top fertile layer of soil may be damaged by combustion products.
Keep in mind. It is believed that repeated sulfur treatment harms polycarbonate. It becomes cloudy and covered with cracks.
Why treat a greenhouse with checkers?
Bacteria, microorganisms, and harmful insects can reduce all the gardener’s efforts to nothing. A smoke bomb for a greenhouse is an inexpensive, effective, easy-to-use product used to sanitize a room from harmful insects and diseases.
Types of checkers for greenhouses
Checkers for processing greenhouses differ in the components included in their composition:
- Sulfur compounds, when burned, sulfur anhydride is formed - a toxic substance that fights well against fungi, small insects, and mites. Sulfur bombs are suitable for bactericidal and insecticidal fumigation of greenhouses.
- Hexachlorane is a systemic substance, an enteric insecticide, and has a nerve paralytic effect. It is used to destroy soil-dwelling insects, copes well with butterfly caterpillars, but is completely useless in the fight against herbivorous mites and cocticides.
- Didecyldimethylammonium bromide checkers have significant bactericidal and fungicidal activity. Effective against fungal and bacterial infections, and also destroys insects in the greenhouse.
- Permethrin is an insecticide that has a nerve-paralyzing effect. Destroys flying insects, used against moths and ants.
- Tobacco smoke bombs - when smoldering, nicotine is released, which works to kill insects and fight diseases.
A smoke bomb for a polycarbonate greenhouse is harmless if the metal frame is painted
Why checkers are effective
Treating a greenhouse with a sulfur bomb is considered the most effective way to disinfect indoor soil and the room itself. The destruction of diseases and insects occurs by fumigation. Smoke is able to penetrate into the most inaccessible places, including inside the ground, into cracks, connecting nodes, and places where the frame and covering material fit. Fumigation with checkers allows you to process large areas of greenhouses with minimal costs and little effort.
Important: Fumigation does not have a residual effect; the smoke destroys diseases and insects in the greenhouse only during the burning of the bomb and a few hours later. In case of severe infection, it is recommended to repeat the procedure 2-3 times.
Fumigation with sulfur is the best remedy for killing spider mites
Nuances of use. Security measures
It is believed that the optimal time for fumigating a greenhouse with a sulfur bomb is autumn. Harvest the crop completely, and then treat the room according to the instructions. It is important to do this before the soil temperature drops below +10 °C. Otherwise, sulfuric acid will be actively absorbed into the soil layers. Experienced gardeners recommend using a smoke blower if:
- for several years you have been planting crops in a greenhouse that suffer from the same ailments;
- the fight against insects and harmful microflora using other means has not been successful;
- Bacterial diseases have been recorded on your or a neighboring site, which have destroyed a significant part of the plants.
You can use checkers in the spring. The same condition: warming the soil to +10 °C. It is allowed to plant seedlings at least 14 days after the destruction of pathogens. In advanced cases, you can treat the greenhouse twice: in the fall and in the spring.
Attention! It is not advisable to set fire to a saber in the summer, so as not to poison the crop.
When working with a smoke blower, remember your own safety. Wear thick clothing. Protect your hands with gloves, your eyes with special glasses, your face with a respirator or mask. When lighting several checkers, start with the furthest one, quickly moving towards the exit. After work, do not eat or drink until you have showered.
How to properly treat a greenhouse with a smoke bomb
The effectiveness of using a sulfur bomb for fumigating a greenhouse against various diseases and insects has been confirmed by many years of experience. To get the maximum benefit, it is important to do the treatment correctly, so we offer step-by-step instructions:
- carry out general cleaning of the greenhouse;
- wear personal protective equipment;
- seal all cracks, the room should be as airtight as possible;
- moisten the surfaces well with water;
- place the checkers on metal sheets, bricks, flat stones, the amount is 50-150g per m3, depending on the degree of infection;
- There are 2 ways to set fire to a greenhouse bomb: place crumpled paper under it or use pure kerosene; igniting with gasoline is strictly prohibited;
- Close the door to the greenhouse tightly and leave it to smoke for 3 days, then ventilate the room.
Good to know: A sulfur bomb is not always useful for a polycarbonate greenhouse; expert reviews say that it should not be used for buildings on a metal frame: galvanized or aluminum; whitewashing with lime also reacts with sulfur dioxide.
The metal turns black, rusts and collapses. A sulfur bomb for a polycarbonate greenhouse on a wooden, painted metal base or PVC pipe is absolutely safe. Some people note darkening of the material, but this is due to soot; simply washing the surfaces is enough.
We invite you to watch the video instructions on how to use a smoke bomb in a greenhouse.
Calculation and preparatory work
Each manufacturer provides their product with detailed instructions. From it you can find out how many tablets are needed to treat the greenhouse. Most often per 1 cubic meter. It is recommended to use 60 g of sulfur. Therefore, if you buy a briquette weighing 300 g, this will be enough for 5 cubic meters. m.
Note! We are talking specifically about the volume, not the area of the greenhouse. To find out this value, you should multiply the length, height and width of your greenhouse.
Calculation example. Initial design data: 2x3x6 m. It turns out 36 cubic meters. m. For such a greenhouse you need to buy 7 sulfur blocks of 300 g each or 3-4 pcs. 600 g each
Having calculated the required amount of active ingredient, proceed to prepare the room:
- remove weeds and debris;
- dig up the soil to raise overwintering pest larvae to the surface of the beds;
- remove all equipment;
- wash the internal elements of the structure with soap and rinse;
- close the windows tightly and seal any cracks;
- properly process the metal parts of the greenhouse;
- Prepare stands made of non-combustible material (for example, bricks) for checkers.
Instructions for use
Before setting fire, you need to water all the surfaces of the greenhouse so that the “smoke” will smolder longer. It is most convenient to use a hose. After that:
- Place the tablets evenly on stands around the perimeter of the greenhouse. You can place the entire workpiece in the center of the room.
- Light the fuse. In conditions of high humidity it may burn poorly. Some summer residents advise using a little kerosene for ignition, but in no case gasoline.
- As soon as you see that a fire has appeared, immediately leave the greenhouse and close the door tightly. The wick burns for approximately 1.5-2 minutes.
The checker will smolder for several hours. But you can’t open the greenhouse right away! For better disinfection, leave it sealed for another 2-3 days. After this, ventilate the greenhouse for several days.
There is no need to wash the greenhouse after burning the sulfur bomb. Better take care of soil fertility, which can be degraded by toxins. After fumigation, fertilize the soil and treat it with preparations containing beneficial bacteria.
Reviews
Lyudmila Makarova, Rostov-on-Don
“I started using the Hephaestus checker on the advice of a seller from a garden store. To be honest, at first I doubted its effectiveness. I kept thinking that after the smoke, the bugs and mold in the basement would survive. But no! They died! True, for this I did not just one treatment, but three, apparently everything was neglected, but I am more than satisfied with the result. Now I recommend it to my friends. I forgot about the mold, and in the fall I’ll try to fumigate the greenhouse.”
Irina V., Moscow region
“I tried a sulfur bomb in the barn to drive away the rodents. Don't repeat my mistakes! I didn't read the instructions well, and I paid for it. I cleaned the house at random, and in the middle of the process I suddenly began to remember if I had forgotten anything flammable near the checker. Well, she opened the door. The smoke hit my face, and for about thirty seconds I thought I had gone blind and was about to lose consciousness - the pain in my chest was so strong after inhaling the poisonous gas. Somehow I groped my way to the water, washed my face, and seemed to feel better. But my eyes watered for another week. The same amount of soreness in my throat. But the rats escaped. In general, it's my own fault. In the event of an invasion, I will smoke again, only this time correctly.”
Mikhail Petrovich, Pskov
“In the spring, I decided to preventively treat the cellar against parasites, and bought not the usual “Climate”, but a saber of the “FAS” brand. The product is no worse, but the appearance let us down. I had to explain to the traffic cops for a long time that this was not an army grenade, but a fungicide. So take it into account. The result of the treatment was pleasing, the benefits were very noticeable: the mold stopped spreading after the spring flood, the woodlice died, and woodworms were not visible (the dust stopped falling on the head from the boards). I recommend it, it’s a good product.”
- Author: Maria Sukhorukikh
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