Step Five: Control
Once you have identified the pest or disease and decided that you want to treat it, you have to choose how to control it.
The Four Methods of Control
To manage weeds, insect and bug pests, animals, and plant diseases, there are four methods of control.
Treatments are deployed in increasing levels of attack. Ideally, you will find a balance of all four, with chemical being the last and least used.
Method One: Cultural
Cultural controls refer to the environment your plants live in. If your plant’s roots are waterlogged and the roots start rotting, the plant can’t properly circulate nutrients and it will become stressed and quite possibly die. This can also be considered step one, prevention.
The Soil
Healthy soil with the proper balance of nutrients and drainage is critical. Soil that becomes compacted or depleted of nutrients will not produce healthy plants. Improve growing conditions first if they aren’t meeting the plant’s basic needs. Refer to A Plant’s Basic Needs for an overview. Learn more about soil and soilless media here.
The Plant
Planting a disease resistant cultivar is another way to circumvent future problems.
Crop Rotation
For vegetable gardens, crop rotation is an important method of controlling pests and disease. Crop rotation should follow at least a four year cycle. When planning your crop rotation, remember that some bugs and diseases prefer many different plants in a plant family and sometimes multiple families.
Companion Planting
Some plants will repel bugs and animals. Marigolds, nasturtium, and onions are all used as natural repellents.
Symbiotic planting combinations help repel bugs and strengthen plants.
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Method Two: Mechanical or Physical
Mechanical controls are the physical removal of pests or damaged and affected plant parts. Often this is sufficient to control the pest.
Barriers
Install barriers like fences, sticky traps, floating row covers, and netting to stop the pest from getting at the plant.
Barriers
Removal
Remove the plant. Pull weeds before they set seed. Remove the affected plant. Some diseases, such as cedar-apple rust, require two hosts and the removal of one of the hosts stops the disease.
Method Three: Biological
Biological controls implement natural predators, and parasites to help remove or deter pests.
Predators
Encouraging birds in your yard will help control caterpillars and other insects, but it may also lead to damage to your garden plants. Some biological controls aren’t too reliable – ladybugs fly off or parasitic wasps don’t appear when needed. But they are a natural solution that can be tried.
For example, nematodes can be used to control white grubs, black vine weevils, cutworms and sod webworms.
Method Four: Chemical
Chemical controls are the last method that is used to control pests. They are the easiest, and often first control people reach for. While easy is great, consider the effect on the environment, especially the good bugs, and weigh that against the need to treat the issue.
Organic, non-toxic pesticides are the best place to start. Severe infestations may require a faster, stronger response with harsher sprays and powders. Just be sure to use a targeted approach.
Summary
Integrated Pest Management’s Five Steps
- Prevention
- Inspection
- Identification
- Tolerance
- Control
Healthy plants with physical barriers and natural garden predators will control most pest problems. Regular inspection will keep it that way. Try to develop a level of tolerance for some pests rather than using damaging chemicals that cause long term environmental damage.
Four Types of Controls
Apply these in increasing levels of strength to do the least harm.
- Cultural
- Physical
- Biological
- Chemical
