Transcript Plant Health Care

Plant Health Care
Category E Turf and Ornamental
Pesticide Applicator Training Manual
Chapter 2
Terms
• Cultural practices—methods of controlling a plant
and the environment the plant grows in: tilling,
fertilizing, mowing, pruning, watering.
• Resistant varieties—plant varieties that are
normally resistant to pest attack.
• Mechanical control—pest control by mechanical
means such as mulching, tilling, weed pulling,
removing bugs by hand
• Biological control— pest control by introducing
natural predators or parasites of the target pest
e.g. ladybugs.
Terms
• Soil test—an evaluation of certain specific soil
qualities most commonly the ph (acidity/alkalinity
of the soil)
• Low maintenance/high maintenance— level of
time and money the landscape requires. Low
maintenance landscape will retain vigor and
beauty with low investment e.g. daylilies and
hostas.
Successful Pest Control Programs
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Prevention
Early detection
Diagnosis
Responsible pest control action
Plant Health Care (PHC)
• PHC includes:
– Resistant varieties
– Proper cultural practices
– Mechanical control
– Chemical control
– biological control
• Use of these measures has also been called
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Landscape Design and PHC
• Assess all your client’s needs
• Utilize your knowledge of plant growth and
culture to assess the design and how it will grow
and be maintained
• Does it meet your customer’s requirements for
low or high maintenance?
Cultural Practices the Promote
Plant Health---General Guidelines
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Resistant varieties
Avoid injury when digging and handling
Avoid crowding
Well-drained soils
Avoid dense planting in shade unlesws the plants
are suited to those conditions
• Remove and destroy infected plants
• Mulch
Cultural Practices that Promote
Plant Health---General Guidelines
• Control weeds
• Use insecticides to control insects that carry plant
diseases
• Rotate pesticides with different modes of action
Pruning
• Pruning the removal of branches or portions of
the plant to maintain vigor, improve plant health,
structure, and enhance flower/fruit development
– Encourage natural form of young plants
– Maintain appearance of older plants---in some case
rejuvenation
Pruning
• Pruning principles
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Do not leave stubs
Do not cut into the branch collar
Wound dressing does not promote healing
Best time to prune is during the dormant season or in
early spring before growth begins
– If constant pruning is required the plant is probably not
appropriate.
Turf
• Perform soil test before planting
– Nutrient status
– pH
• In MN the best time to plant a lawn is between
August 15th and September 10th (2nd best time is
early spring)----takes 6-12 weeks to establish
• Water newly planted areas 2-3 times/day
• When new lawn grows to 3-4 inches mow to 3
inches
Turf Considerations
• Fertilizer
– Avoid excess fertilizer
– Use scheduled applications or slow release
– No more than 1 pound actual nitrogen/1000
square feet
– Low maintenance lawn will require 2 applications
late August or early November.
– If 3 applications are made add mid-May
Turf Considerations
• Water
– Low maintenance lawns in MN usually do not
require watering---can go dormant
– High maintenance lawns require regular
watering---but let it dry out between waterings
– More frequent watering may be needed for
newly sodded/seeded of stressed lawns
Turf Considerations
• Mowing
– Determine mowing schedule based on the ratew
that the lawn is growing
– Mow frequently enough so that no more than
1/3 of the vertical height is cut
– Low maintenance lawns are best mowed at 3
inches maintenance lawns can be mowed to 2
inches)
Turf Considerations
• Aerification
– Aerifiers removes plugs of soil from the lawn--help reverse soil compaction
– Best time to aerify August 20-September 20
• Thatch
– Thatch is build-up of grass stems and roots
– Thatch layer is natural but should not exceed ½
thick
– To avoid thatch avoid soil compaction, low pH,
excess fertilizer, improper watering, keep
mowing height between 2-3 inches
Perennials
• Sandy loam is ideal
• Top soil needs to be 14-18 inches deep
• Test for soil nutrients (can apply 10·10·10 if
deficient ) and pH
• Organic matter
• Require 1 inch of water per week during growing
season
Groundcovers
• Perform soil test correct deficiencies
• Plant most groundcovers 18-24 inches apart but
planting distance varies from 6 inches to 3-5 feet
depending on the species of groundcover
• Control weeds with mulches or by hand weedin g
• Watch for aphids and spider mites
Roses
• Roses prefer well-drained soil
• Tender and hardy roses need a minimum of 6
hours of direct sun per day
• Containerized roses can be planted in the spring
after the danger of frost has passed
Roses
• Fertilizer
– Apply well-rotted manure to rose beds in
spring---other meals and manures decompose
quickly
– Keep manure 6 inches away from canes
– Fertilize once a month until August---follow
label
Roses
• Pest Control
– Control weeds by hand hoeing or shallow
cultivation
– Summer mulch conserves moisture and reduces
need for cultivation
– Mulch 2-3 inches deep
– Spray or dust every 6-10 days
Roses
• Seasonal care
– ‘Tipping’
• Mid-October make trench from base of bush
large enough to accommodate plant
• Spray bushes with fungicide and apply rodent
bait
• Tie canes together
• Loosen soil around the base of the plant
• Gently tip the bush to the trench
• Cover with soil
• Cover with 3-5 inches of leaves in early
November
• Mark location
• About April 1 begin removing the leaves and
soil as it thaws
Roses
• Spring Pruning
– Shape and cut back tall canes---cut about ¼
inch above an emerging bud with 45 degree
angle cut
Annuals
• Test soil---apply 1 ½ to 2.0 pounds of 10·10 ·10
fertilizer per 100 square feet
• If annual are started indoors ‘harden’ them for 710 days before planting
• Avoid over-watering, poor light, excess fertility to
avoid ‘damping off’
Indoor Plantscapes
• Basic media mix for flowering plants
– 1 part vermiculite, 2 parts sphagnum peat, and 1 part
sand or perlite
• Foliage plants mix
– 50% organic material ½ of which should be peat
• Fertilizer
– Established plants every 4-6 weeks
– Do not fertilize dormant plants
• Watering
• Do not over-water!
Indoor Plantscapes
• Light requirements vary---flowering plants require
higher light levels than foliage plants
• Repotting
– Repot only when the top has outgrown the size of the
root ball
– Pot up to the next size pot with 2 inches more diameter
than the old pot
• Fluoride damage
– Plants in lily family susceptible e.g Dracaena
– Raise pH or use superphosphate to overcome damage
Indoor Plantscapes
• Pest problems
– Discard severely infested plants
– Insect pests include aphids, white flies, red spiders
(spider mites), soft brown scale, and mealybugs
When is a Pest a Pest Problem?
• Considerations
– Pest population level
– Geographic location
– Plant variety
– Plant growth stage
– Cost of control
– Value of the plant or commodity
• Economic injury level
– The population level of the insect at which the pest
causes a reduction in the value of the crop greater than
the cost to apply control measures
• Economic threshold
– Point at which pest control measures should be applied
Diagnosing Pest Problems
1) Inspect all above-ground plant parts for
symptoms of disease or insects
2) Study to insure proper cultural methods were
followed
3) Examine root system (white roots are usually
healthier)
4) Examine microclimate e.g. soil type and
drainage
5) Test soil if nutritional problems are suspected
Evaluating Symptoms
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If injury first appears at bottom and/or internal parts look
for soil problems or vascular diseases
If injury first appears at top and/or external parts look for
environmental factors e.g spray, insect
Presence of an insect is not necessarily the cause
Absence of an insect or disease does not exclude them
as the cause e.g. feeding damage then migration
Damage on 1 side of the plant/s/ suggests spray drift
Always check the growth rate e.g. check previous
historymay indicate cultural problems