Whisper the word “Integrated Pest Management” or, worse, “IPM” at your local lawn club assembly and even the top expert gardener will notice that you are fleeing to the nearest exit.
What is built-in pest control and why does it deserve your attention?In short, it is a technique to control lawn pests while causing the least damage to the environment. With a focus on preventing challenges, the MPI adopts a long-term technique for pest management. a mixture of techniques. Let’s take a look at some of those techniques.
Strolling on the lawn in a robe and clogs, morning coffee in hand, beware!When you see an insect on a leaf, take a closer look at it, and then ask yourself: is there only one?Are they on my lawn or just this plant?Is there damage to the plant? Which brings us to:
The ultimate vital step of IPM is identification. Knowing which pest you have will give you an idea of the extent of the damage it can also cause. You may even notice that it is beneficial. Not all insects are destructive and most are benign. it’s about finding answers that do the bare minimum for the environment.
What is your pain threshold that you are willing to endure before you have to do anything?Maybe you don’t have to do anything. Losing some leaves on a vine by a caterpillar does not justify any action. In small amounts, only a few small wounds can occur.
However, watching an award-winning rose being dragged underground through a pocket tuza, recommend a response from “Caddyshack”!
It is vital to realize that we do not live in a sterilized environment. There will be damage to the plants; we just want to be informed to live with a little.
Don’t you forget the previous mention of favorable insects? They are a type of biological pest control. To help control aphids, buy a container of ladybugs at your local nursery and drop them on your lawn (at night to make sure you don’t fly far). This giant spider that builds a web on your way to head height also eats a lot of insects.
A caterpillar infestation can be treated with Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, an herbal microbe that generates fatal toxins for insect larvae. Be sure to read the label to know what the target pest is. Do you want to breed monarch butterflies?Make sure not to spray Bt on milkweed!
For many years, gardeners have known that they should not plant the same crop in the same position year after year. This “crop rotation” is a form of cultivation that helps decrease the pest status quo by converting where a host plant grows. For example, developing your favorite variety of tomatoes in the same position can cause bile nematodes. Place it in another position next year and the nematodes will be minimized over time in the absence of a host.
Do your zucchini contract powdery mildew? Try to plant a disease-resistant variety. Try not to put water on the leaves and water in the morning so that the plant can dry out during the day. Another example of cultural control is site selection. If you place the plant in its ideal location, it will be better able to repel pests because it will grow healthier.
If you find aphids in your citrus fruits, you’ll probably also see ants running up and down the tree. Ants “breed” aphids for the “molasses” they secrete. They even move them around the plant to form new colonies. Keeping ants out of the tree with a sticky substance like Tanglefoot, a super sticky compound that protects against certain insects, is a form of mechanical control. Another is to use a jet of live water from your pipe to crush and dislodge the aphids directly. However, fortunately one weighs them between your fingers!
Sometimes the most productive way to prevent parasites from entering is to physically exclude them. If the local rat population harvests more peppers than you do, it may be time to build a barrier over their raised beds. Growing cabbages in canvas row will save you from fake cabbage surveyors.
The simplest physique is your fingers! So, pick up all the snails and throw them in the trash.
Finally, we come to chemicals. In the MPI, insecticides are the ultimate hotel and are only used in conjunction with other long-term strategies. Sometimes insecticides are the last and most productive hope when other strategies have failed. target organisms and the environment. Use a selective product intended for the pest you are looking for Array
Ultimately, it incorporated pest control, that confusing, far-fetched formula designed to keep you up at night. Rather, it’s a long-term common sense technique for reducing pest disorders and expanding your gardening pleasure.
Much more information about IPM can be found on the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources website.
Boldt has been a UCCE master gardener since 2005. He enjoys developing special plants and vegetables, and cooking.
Get loose gardening tips on the Master Gardener hotline, (858) 822-6910, or by email to help@mastergardenerssandiego. org. timely manner.
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