A totally pest-free garden, though seemingly desirable, would be expensive and unattainable. A more reasonable plan should be to keep pest populations within a tolerable level, a concept known as integrated pest management or IPM. A low level of pests must survive in order to maintain a population of their natural enemies.

Know the Garden

Do you know what is going on in your garden? Inspect the plants for insect and disease damage. Find out what is living on the underside of the leaves. What creatures can be found under the cover of darkness?

Many insects, such as ladybugs and praying mantises, are beneficial. Only a relatively small number of species are harmful. Plants can tolerate some insect damage without significant loss to yield or aesthetics.

Good gardening is based on understanding nature's interactions. At the first sight of an insect, weed or disease, stay calm. Do not run for the sprayer or duster. Find out if it actually is a pest (check with the Cooperative Extension System, a garden center or applicable reference). If so, use the least toxic method of control, e.g. pull the weed, remove the diseased leaf or squash the harmful insect. The more often garden chemicals are used, the greater the risk of endangering our health and the environment.

By looking at the pest problem realistically, it is possible to:

• save money by buying fewer pesticides,
• save money by addressing only what needs to be controlled, and
• help Long Island Sound and other water bodies by introducing fewer chemicals into the environment.

Sound Gardening Prevents Problems

Make the garden a healthy place for preferred plants and an undesirable place for pests.

• Select appropriate species or varieties that are insect and/or disease resistant.
• Provide proper moisture levels to maintain plant health and, thus, conserve water.
• Maintain proper fertility and pH levels by having the soil tested and applying only the nutrients needed. Soil amended with compost or other types of organic matter will help retain fertilizer.
• Rotate various groups of plants, where practical, to reduce insect and disease problems.
• Keep the garden free of debris (dead plants, discarded bricks or boards, and brush piles) to limit hiding places for insects and slugs.
• Time plantings to avoid known insects/pests.
• Encourage the buildup of beneficial insects and mites. Plant ornamentals.
• Properly identify the problem before control measures are activated.
• Estimate the potential damage and decide whether it is necessary to control insects and mites. If given a chance, perhaps natural predators will take over.
• Select the least toxic chemical approach to control the problem.
• Observe and record the results of any activity taken. Remember, a decision not to spray is an action taken.

Non-Toxic Control Measures

Insects

• Prune out heavily infested parts of the plant. This method is often used against localized infestations of scale insects.
• Cover crops with screening, floating or framed row covers, etc. to prevent insects from migrating from nearby areas. The covers must be removed when insect-pollinated crops come into flower.
• Insect traps can be used. Follow instructions for critical density per crop.
• Wash insects and mites off with a stream of water.
• Hand pick insects and slugs and squash egg masses.

Diseases

• Plant disease-resistant varieties.
• Rotate annual and vegetable plants, where practical, and avoid using plants especially prone to disease attacks.
• Space and prune plants to improve air circulation.
• Time overhead irrigation early enough in the day to allow the foliage to dry before nightfall.
• Avoid infecting other plants by pruning out diseased parts and discarding heavily diseased plants.

Slugs

• Use shallow containers of beer to monitor for slugs.
• Provide some hiding places (overturned pots, boards, burlap), check them frequently and kill slugs found there.

Weeds

• Use mulches to prevent weed germination.
• Hand weed and/or cultivate weekly.

Pesticides

Pesticides (insecticides, miticides, herbicides, etc.) are chemicals used to control pests. If used improperly, they can have an impact beyond their intended target. The continuous accumulation and combination of small amounts of toxic substances can create problems. If misused, small quantities of toxic chemicals can cause environmental disruption.

A pest population can become resistant to pesticides when only one or two products are used repeatedly against a specific pest. Synthetic chemical pesticides should be the last defense to control a pest after other forms of control have been exhausted.

If Pesticides Are Used
Chemical controls should be applied only when the pest is present or if weather conditions are favorable for the outbreak of a regularly occurring disease (e.g. scab on apple). Spraying should not be set by the calendar. Schedule treatments to be most effective and least disruptive to naturally existing pest predators. Be sure to use proper safety equipment and procedures as directed on the label.

Choose the Right Chemical
Seek good advice when in doubt about a problem. Choose the least toxic alternative: pyrethrins, insecticidal soap, horticultural oils, rotenone and the biologicals, Bacillus thuringeinsis (B.t.) and milky spore. Buy only what you need for one season. Some pest control products lose their effectiveness sitting on the shelf. Some will require specific storage conditions.

Check the Label
Reread the label each time you use the pesticide. Make sure the pest and plant or site is listed. Labels change and newer restrictions could have been added.

Mix Correctly
Do not guess when mixing. Measure and follow the label recommendations carefully, mixing only the amount that you will use that day. Do not add more than is required. It can damage the plant or harm people and the environment.

Prepare for Spills
Clean up spills right away. Your chemical storage area should have a non-porous floor to facilitate cleaning spills. It should not have a drain. Set up a barrier, such as cat litter, to contain spills. Do not flush spilled materials down a drain. Carefully sweep up spilled powders and dusts. Scrub wood, cement or tile surfaces with a small amount of water and activated charcoal. Place all contaminated material in a plastic bag, seal and dispose of properly on a household hazardous waste collection day or at a designated facility.

Apply Properly
Read and follow all safety precautions on the label. Do not apply pesticides when:

1. it is windy or raining
2. there is a possibility they will enter a stream lake or drain
3. the temperatures are above 85oF.

Leftover Pesticide Mix
Use it up as directed on the label. Never pour onto bare ground or down a drain.

Unused Pesticide Concentrate
Use the pesticides as directed on the label. Record how much was actually needed for future reference. Do not pour unused portions down a drain. It could end up in Long Island Sound. If the pesticide is no longer effective or wanted, call the town for information on household hazardous waste disposal programs in your area.

Safe Storage
Store all pesticides in their original properly labeled containers. Keep them on secure strong shelves in a locked cabinet away from heat and moisture. Always keep them away from children, pets and irresponsible adults.

Empty Container Disposal
Triple rinse empty containers and use the rinse water for the spray. Read and label for proper disposal instructions.

Remember

• Practicing "Sound Gardening" prevents pesticide misuse.
• Pest control choices can impact water quality.
• Good garden management is the best means of controlling pests.
• Many insects are not harmful to plants.

This Sound Gardening information was made possible through the combined efforts of the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties, 'Nassau County Soil Conservation Service and the Sea Grant Programs of New York and Connecticut.
Taken from: Hort Impact/August 1998 volume 98-8 pp. 5-7

This information was developed for conditions in the Northeast. Use in other geographical areas may be inappropriate.

The information in this material is for educational purposes. The recommendations contained are based on the best available knowledge at the time of printing. Any reference to commercial products, trade or brand names is for information only, and no endorsement or approval is intended. The Cooperative Extension system does not guarantee or warrant the standard of any product referenced or imply approval of the product to the exclusion of others which also may be available.All agrochemicals/pesticides listed are registered for suggested uses in accordance with federal and Connecticut state laws and regulations as of the date of printing. If the information does not agree with current labeling, follow the label instructions. The label is the law.Warning! Agrochemicals/pesticides are dangerous. Read and follow all instructions and safety precautions on labels. Carefully handle and store agrochemicals/pesticides in originally labeled containers immediately in a safe manner and place. Contact the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection for current regulations.The user of this information assumes all risks for personal injury or property damage.Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Kirklyn M. Kerr, Director, Cooperative Extension System, The University of Connecticut, Storrs. The Connecticut Cooperative Extension System offers its programs to persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability and is an equal opportunity employer.