Plants don't have to be Perfect

While it is not unreasonable or unexpected to want a plant to be in the best possible condition, it is important to realize that no biological entity is perfect. When we accept this, it is less stressful for us and it is much easier to move to a more reasonable means of controlling diseases and insects. In the past, it was not uncommon to spray everything in our landscapes with chemicals and, in the process, kill off almost all beneficial and negative insects alike. However, the negative insects inevitably bounce back in a short amount of time while the beneficials likely remain dead or return only in very low numbers. After losing the help of beneficial insects, things usually deteriorate into a strictly chemical battle that we, as gardeners, can’t always win, especially now with more bio-friendly pesticides. So what can we do? Well, there are new and accepted ways to manage pests in which some chemicals may be necessary, but their use is not as frequent or as widespread and usually the second choice. It is call integrated pest management (IPM). It helps us manage problems and realize that plants don’t have to be perfect.

The goal of IPM is to balance the economic and aesthetic interests of your plants with pest control. As an example, a few nicks in a few leaves on your trees is very insignificant and does not require any action on your part - - yet. If the problem becomes widespread, you should take action, but only when it becomes necessary.

When dealing with pest management, always consider the health of the plant
first. If the plant is basically healthy, the plant will look it, and minor blemishes are not cause for alarm or major use of chemicals. Steps need to be taken to protect your plants, though, and there are three basic types of controls. 1) Cultural controls encompass such things as plant and site selection, mulching, watering, fertilizing and weeding. These are thing you can do to make it harder for pests to get a foothold. Cultural controls also include what I call the natural cycle of things. Specific environmental conditions are necessary for diseases to take hold or insects to become troublesome. Be aware of what these conditions are (temperature, daylight hours, humidity, etc.) and know that it is not necessary for you to take action against disease or pests while nature is taking care of them. Also included in cultural controls are horticulturalists’ efforts to breed disease and insect resistant plants. It can pay to inquire about these things when making nursery purchases. In my opinion, better than half of all insect and disease problems can be controlled purely through cultural means. 2) Biological controls involve using beneficial, predatory insects and creating diseases of insects to eliminate undesirable insects. This, unfortunately, can be less effective than we would desire. 3) Chemical. In some cases, though, chemicals are necessary and should be used with confidence.

You simply need always to read the labels carefully and use the precise recommended materials and amounts at the right time in the insect pests or diseases life cycle. If you have questions about the products or usage, ask for help at a garden center. It is best to spray only the affected plants and only after cultural and biological controls have failed to keep the insect pests to an acceptable. However, when dealing with plant diseases, prevention is the primary control. Fungicides must be applied prior to infection or applied immediately after first notice to protect the rest of this plant’s tissues from further infections. This may seem like a lot of extra work on a plant-by-plant basis, but observations are easily done while mowing or walking in your yard and is much more responsible to our plants, our fellow man, and ourselves.

In a nutshell, then, IPM strives to use the least offensive method to get the most effective job done and helps us to save plants, money and the environment.