Clinton News-Record, 1985-4-17, Page 49•
innin
Controlling insects and diseases in your
vegetable garden is not a simple matter.
You must have an understanding of the
habits and behavior of insects and know
about the environmental influences on
diseases and a score of other details, says
Plant Pathologist Craig Hunter with the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food's
plant industry branch pest control section.
Simcoe Research Station, Simncoe, Ont.
"It's impossible to know and remember all
these different things so your best solution is
to keep a good source of reference handy," he
said.
An up-to-date copy of the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Food Publication 64,
"Insect and Disease Control in the Home
Garden", can help.
It is available free of charge from your local
agricultural office or from the Consumer
Information Centre, 801 Bay Street, Toronto,
Ont., M7A 2B2.
With this manual in hand, you'll find out
about timing, materials and methods of
application to help control garden pests.
"But there are many steps along the path
to successful gardening. Many seemingly
unrelated activities have an ultimate bearing
on the success or failure of your control
program," he said.
First, the garden soil should be well-
prepared and properly fertilized to give
plants optimum growing conditions.
Cold, wet or unprepared soil will not allow
plants to grow successfully; they will be left
weak and susceptible to disease and insect
attacks.
"Remember, a healthy plant can resist
these attacks much better than a weak one,'
he said.
It's also important to choose varieties
which are resistant to various diseases.
Avoid plant seeds collected from last year's
crop because these could be infected with
isp' disease.
Before planting seeds, protect them from
damping -off fungi in the soil by placing seeds
in a jar with a pinch of captan.
Shake well to give seeds a good protective
coating.
The soil you plant the seeds in could be
infested with wireworms, cutworms or white
grubs .- and be particularly cautious if your
site was grassy last year.•
Consult Publication 64 for suggested
chemicals to apply before you plant.
Tin or tarpaper cylinders, • placed around
the plant and partly sunken in the soil, can
protect crops such as tomatoes or cabbage
against cutworms.
Tarpaper collars,. 10 centimetres to 12
centimetres (four inches to five inches) in
diameter, will help prevent root maggot
injury to cabbage and broccoli. .
Collars must lie flat on the soil
snugly to the stem of the' plant.
Family
and fit
the garden
Other such non -chemical methods are
listed in Publication 64.
Planting distance varies for each crop
grown. Bear in mind that wider spacing is
preferable since it allows humid air, around
and under the crop canopy, to escape.
Dense plantings allow humidity to build
up, providing ideal conditions for many
diseases to develop.
Rows should also be spaced widely enough
to allow you to hoe and weed effectively
W eeds often attract insect pests which
damage adjacent vegetables. Weeds also
consume huge amounts of water, thus
robbing your crops. or certain
Plants need regular watering
physiological problems, such as blossom end
rot of tomato, may occur.
Heavy soakings, once every seven to 10
days is preferable to daily, light watering.
Light watering promotes only surface rooting
and is quickly lost to evaporation. Less
frequent, but heavy soakings promote deep
roots and lead to healthier plants in the long
run, he said.
During the
(Continued from Page 14 )
The Koskelas estimate the most time-
consuming work throughout the renovation
was the kitchen. The family, aided by their
daughter and her boyfriend, pretty much
had to tear the room apart and rebuild it.
Fust, they threw out the existing
cupboards and put in a new set. The new
cupboards were custom made affairs, with
white arborite doors. They chose white
cupboards to blend well with the grey tiled
counter -tops and blue wallpaper.
The family also sanded and refinished the
hardwood maple flooring throughout the
first floor of the house.
All that remains to be done now is some
work on the basement of the house, in
addition to a good deal of landscaping in the
front and back yards.
spring and summer months,
insects, sucbn as caterpillars, aphids and
beetles, will attack various plants in the
garden.
Chemical controls are listed for each crop
in Publication 64.
The same thing holds true for diseases,
such as leaf spots, mildews, and blights.
It is very important to read the label of
pesticide containers. Only spray if the crop is
listed on the label. Follow the rates exactly.
"Pesticides are designed to provide the
desired control. You can't kill an insect twice,
with twice the rate of material. You may also
be applying more than is safe to provide
harmless, residues at harvest. So play it safe
with pesticides and obey the label rates,"
Hunter said.
Many problems can be solved without
using pesticides.
Close observation on a frequent, regular
basis, allows you to prevent problems.
Pick off and kill beetles, such as the
Colorado Potato Beetle.
Pull out wilted and dead plants and dispose
of them with your garbage.
Be, careful not to touch other plants until
est war
you have washed your hands because this will
help prevent further spread of disease.
Avoid walldng through wet plants; bacter-
ial diseases spread very easily on boots and
pant legs, as well as on hoes and cultivators.
If you are aware of problems and stave
them off in advance, you have a better chance
of success, than if you wait for a full-fledged
outbreak," he said.
The harvest does not end your pest control
vigil.
Most vegetables are tender and must not
be squeezed or bruised in handling.
Various rots, which develop in storage,
result from that last day in the field - so take
time and care to wash and dry your produce
carefully.
Handle produce gently before you store it
and keep it in an appropriate storage location,
depending on the crop.
W hen everything is stored, do not neglect
your final chores. W ork in, or remove crop
debris.
Allow debris to compost or rot in the soil.
• Preparation next spring will be easier if you
work the soil after harvest.
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