Pest Management Is a Matter of Timing

by Dan C. Scheel.

Dan C. Scheel is the owner of Strawberry Orchard Fruit Farm and president Of The Elegant Farmer, Inc., Mukwonago, Wis.

Total pest control may not be necessary nor realistic, as the loss of a few leaves or flowers does little real harm to a plant. If a garden is generally healthy, a few chewed or discolored leaves, and some less than perfect fruits, are neither economically nor ecologically harmful. There are various ways to control pests, including chemical pesticides, physical methods, cultural practices, and natural and biological methods.

Pest management should be your goal. This means that you want to prevent disease and insect problems during the growing season, and to control those pests you cannot prevent. A combination of prevention and cure, natural controls, and chemical controls working together make up pest management.

Learn what to expect by getting literature on the various vegetables and fruits you grow. Informative pamphlets and bulletins can be obtained from Federal and State Agriculture Departments, as well as Cooperative Extension Service offices. These Extension offices are usually located at county seats, and are affiliated with State colleges and universities where agricultural research is done. Newspapers with a gardening section generally offer timely local pest information as the seasons progress. Your local garden center, or the place where you purchase plants, fertilizer, pesticides, and other garden supplies, is often a good source for literature and information.

You must learn what to do in your own garden, as pests are selective. Some insects and diseases attack only certain plants. These pests are usually not a problem during the entire season. They attack at specific stages of a plant's growth, or when favorable weather conditions exist for their own growth and development. To develop your plan for pest control, consider (1) What you are growing, (2) Which pests are most likely to attack, and (3) When these pests will generally be a problem.

Timing is the major key to success once you have determined what measures to apply. There are certain critical times when you have to take some steps in order to prevent pest problems or to control insects and diseases. The chart will aid you in this timing. If you can't or don't do anything else all growing season, plan to take the necessary steps at the critical times listed. You should be able to prevent most pest problems. But throughout the season, be on the lookout for the early stages of insect and disease attack.

Pickle worm, a melon pest, is shown in adult stage. This pest also damages cucumbers and squash.

A bikini is fine for beach but not for spraying garden chemicals, which can easily get on skin and may cause harm. When spraying, wear full-length clothing, gloves, and wide-brim hat.

The "what to do" section of this listing refers to chemical measures only. Other types of control may reduce or eliminate the need for chemical control. Specific chemical recommendations are not given because these vary from State to State, and because the Environmental Protection Agency may cause pesticide labels to be changed from time to time.

This "what to do" is a basic guide only. You must follow local recommendations on rates, restrictions, and alternatives. Never use a chemical unless the label says you can use it on the plant to be sprayed. Follow all label instructions and precautions.

You can make up your own pest control chart, using the one with this chapter as a model. Or, you could list the month first, and then note all the pest control measures you are likely to use in, say, April.

The critical times listed are for chemical prevention of the most likely problems at the most likely time. A regular check of your plants is necessary to detect and then control these and other problems as they may occur.

Keep dated records that include the varieties planted, the steps taken for prevention, and successes or failures in control. Note the weather conditions, as they are a major factor controlling pest development. With a little effort and a plan, it won't be long until you will know precisely what to do for your garden. You will have developed your own "pest management program" that maintains a balance between chemical and other pest control methods.

Pests can be controlled using one or more of several techniques. Your pest management program will need to consider and use the best combination of methods available. A good rule of thumb is not to apply a chemical unless it is needed to prevent damage or to control a pest. In some instances, natural pest predators and parasites will help control a problem while chemicals may kill the good guys as well as the pests.

Good cultural practices and physical controls also provide a garden environment conducive to reducing needs for chemical control.

Chemical Controls

Chemicals are classified according to their primary use as follows:

Pesticide General term meaning all chemical control materials as a group.

Insecticide Chemicals to kill insects.

Fungicide Those used to prevent or cure diseases caused by fungi attacking plants.

Bacteriocide Those used to prevent, or cure, bacterial diseases of plants Herbicide Weed preventers or killers.

Nematicide To kill nematodes, tiny microscopic round worms, that live mostly in the soil.

Rodenticide To control rodents.

Pesticides can be purchased in dry or liquid form, and are usually applied as dusts, sprays, or granules. They are formulated to contain a percentage of the active chemical ingredient. This percentage is shown on the label, such as 50WP. The amount of a chemical recommendation always refers to a particular formulation of the chemical, and it is as important to have the correct formulation as the correct chemical.

Dusts and sprays are practical for small applications. Dusts are applied in the form as purchased, while spray material is diluted with water before applying. You should make an even, thorough application, forcing the material into foliage so that it coats all sides of the leaves, stems, and fruits.

Pesticides used improperly can be injurious to man, animals, and plants. Follow all label directions, and read the cautions for handling. Do not use the same sprayer for herbicides (weed killers) and insecticides and fungicides, as minute traces of weed killers can kill garden plants.

Pesticides should be your "ace in the hole" when other methods may not work or have not worked. They will control a large number of pests, but will not eradicate all insects or eliminate all diseases. Timely application is critical for reasonable insect control. Diseases can rarely be cured, they must be prevented. The following measures can help create conditions in and around your garden which will control many pest problems and reduce the need for chemicals.