Gardening: Beneficial bugs and right plants part of pest management
The garden season is in full swing and that means one thing: The bugs, weeds and plant diseases will be out in force.
Fortunately, the era of reaching for the can of spray at the first sight of imperfection is no longer an acceptable way to deal with pest issues. Rather, pest management has evolved into a more integrated process that relies on good plant and garden management techniques, beneficial insects and, lastly, chemicals.
Called integrated pest management, this method first uses good cultural practices to reduce the potential for problems. Cultural techniques include mowing the lawn at the right height, properly fertilizing and watering plants and lawns, and growing the right plants in the right place. Mechanical techniques include applying mulch to control weeds, reseeding bare areas with desirable plants, handpicking insects off of plants and tolerating a certain amount of damage when it does occur.
Encouraging beneficial insects to set up shop in your garden puts lady bugs and their larvae, lace wings, damsel flies, and a variety of beetles and wasps to work 24/7 and eating their own weight in insects each day. Plant a mix of annuals, perennials and shrubs that provide the insects with nectar, pollen, water, a place to breed and shelter from the elements and their enemies. Don’t have room? Slip beneficial insect gardens into those messy, underused corners of the garden you don’t know what to do with.
Lastly, there are times when chemicals are necessary. Either the population of bad guys is overwhelming or the insects are a threat to agricultural crops around us. Whether you use organic or conventional chemicals, you need to follow the directions on how to properly mix, use, store and dispose of chemicals. First research the problem; get weeds and insects identified accurately before you bring out the spray. The WSU Master Gardener Plant Clinic has trained volunteers and technical experts to help with identification and recommended chemical for control.
When you buy your chemicals, read the label carefully. It is the law on how to handle and apply the chemical and you can be liable for damages caused by misuse. The label will tell you what plants you can use it on and which ones you can’t; some chemicals like glyphosate (Roundup) will kill everything while others can damage desirable plants that are sensitive to the chemical. It will tell you the recommended amount of chemical to use. The philosophy of “more is better” doesn’t apply here; you can do more damage than good. Mix chemicals in small batches and use it up on your project.
Clean your sprayer after each use; leaving mix in the tank can corrode parts and in a week, you won’t remember what chemical you put in the tank. Been there, done that, and have the brown patches to prove it. Lastly, triple rinse empty bottles and throw them in the trash, not the recycling.