Plant%20Health%20Care

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Plant Health Care

• Category E Turf and Ornamental
• Pesticide Applicator Training Manual Chapter 2

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Terms

• Cultural practicesmethods of controlling a plant
  and the environment the plant grows in tilling,
  fertilizing, mowing, pruning, watering.
• Resistant varietiesplant varieties that are
  normally resistant to pest attack.
• Mechanical controlpest 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.

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Terms

• Soil testan 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.

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Successful Pest Control Programs

• Prevention
• Early detection
• Diagnosis
• Responsible pest control action

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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)

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Landscape Design and PHC

• Assess all your clients 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 customers requirements for low
  or high maintenance?

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Cultural Practices the Promote Plant
Health---General Guidelines

• 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

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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

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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

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Pruning

• Pruning principles
• 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.

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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Perennials

• Sandy loam is ideal
• Top soil needs to be 14-18 inches deep
• Test for soil nutrients (can apply 101010 if
  deficient ) and pH
• Organic matter
• Require 1 inch of water per week during growing
  season

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Roses

• Spring Pruning
• Shape and cut back tall canes---cut about ¼ inch
  above an emerging bud with 45 degree angle cut

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Annuals

• Test soil---apply 1 ½ to 2.0 pounds of 1010 10
  fertilizer per 100 square feet
• If annual are started indoors harden them for
  7-10 days before planting
• Avoid over-watering, poor light, excess fertility
  to avoid damping off

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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!

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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

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Indoor Plantscapes

• Pest problems
• Discard severely infested plants
• Insect pests include aphids, white flies, red
  spiders (spider mites), soft brown scale, and
  mealybugs

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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

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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

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Evaluating Symptoms

1. If injury first appears at bottom and/or internal
   parts look for soil problems or vascular diseases
2. If injury first appears at top and/or external
   parts look for environmental factors e.g spray,
   insect
3. Presence of an insect is not necessarily the
   cause
4. Absence of an insect or disease does not exclude
   them as the cause e.g. feeding damage then
   migration
5. Damage on 1 side of the plant/s/ suggests spray
   drift
6. Always check the growth rate e.g. check previous
   history?may indicate cultural problems