IPM Leads Way in Controlling Garden Pests!

Is your soil made up of clay or sand? Is it rocky with quick drainage, or does it hold water in a puddle? Some trees and shrubs can stand in poorly drained soil; others will become diseased and die.

Does the area fit the plant's requirement for sunlight? You can pick up information from master gardening clinics on choosing proper plants for trouble areas.

Using native plants in the landscape strongly curtails the disease and maintenance problems. Native plants such as salal, longleaf mahonia, swordfern, and vine maple are excellent choices for Puget Sound (Western Washington) yards. Our soil is acidic, so if acid-loving plants (such as rhododendrons) are chosen, they will require less care and will adapt better.

2. If solving step No. 1 does not reveal the ailment, try mechanical controls.

These include handpicking insects, pinching, washing with water, pruning, and mostly removing dead leaves and twigs. Keeping the beds clean and debris picked up will decrease diseases and infestation.

Disease spores over-winter in dead vegetative matter. In addition, plants need good air circulation and light. Pruning back our jungle of growth is sometimes necessary.

3. If you still have a problem, try biological controls.

These include improving the habitat for beneficial insects such as ladybugs, green lacewings, and nematodes.

There are many biological controls available to the homeowner through local nurseries and mail order. Nematodes can be introduced into the soil to combat the many harmful insects that chew and bore holes in shrubs.

Natural predators such as lady beetles also feed on aphids. One major disadvantage of using chemical pesticides is that in killing the pests, many types of beneficial insects are also killed.

When the beneficial population of insects declines, pests can return and gain an even greater foothold in your garden.

4. As a last resort only, implement chemical control.

The chemicals recommended as part of IPM are not the standard fare. Cultural oils, insecticidal soaps, neem seed extracts, and pyrethrum are possible organic chemicals that are to be used selectively.

Never use broad-spectrum chemicals. In other words, do not buy a spray that kills everything and spray it on everything. This practice has caused serious environmental damage in the past.

In addition to trouble-shooting problems, IPM sets guidelines for fertilizers. The improper use and overuse of fertilizers places our natural environment at risk.

It is easy to rationalize the lush, green lawn in terms of just one yard. Add hundreds and thousands to

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