Before You
Decide to Spray
Identify
-
- the pest problem. Is it a disease,
weed or insect? Different pesticides are needed to control different pests.
Insecticides control insects, herbicides control weeds and fungicides control
fungal diseases. They are all pesticides. You should always identify the pest problem before you use a
pesticide. If there are no obvious signs of a pest, have the soil tested to
ensure that the problem is not because of a nutrient deficiency or low soil
pH.
Do you have a problem?
- Sometimes
pesticide applications are not practical or effective. Sometimes the
problem may be too much or too little water, winter kill, frost damage, wind
damage, or even a lack of sunlight. There is a tendency to reach
for the sprayer first and ask questions later, especially with insect pests.
Determine first, if the number of pests warrant using a pesticide. There are
many beneficial insects that do not harm plants and some that actually feed on
pest insects. These should be preserved in the garden. Many diseases are
caused by poor nutrition rather than pests. |