I N _. y VIRGl1'flJ I.:.i.f.'!C..UTE BLACKSBURG, VIRGl1~IA f f\my.ely Control of '{~ Garden Diseases, and Insects Circular 605 Revised, January 1959 V. P. I. Agricultural Extension Service Blacksburg, Virginia
Dl1ea1e, Insect Control Prepared by the E:xtension Specialists In Plant Pathology and Entomology To most people the control of garden diseases and insects consists only of spraying and dusting. However, this is not entirely correct because the use of chemicals is but one of several methods of controlling these pests. GOOD GROWING CONDITIONS are necessary to help plants repel attacks by diseases and insects, and to enable them to recuperate rapidly after pest injury. This includes the destruction of old diseased plant refuse and the proper fertilization and cultivation of the garden. The destruction of plant refuse is important to reduce the carry-over of disease organisms and insects. Clean up and destroy such refuse as insect infested bean vines, diseased carrot tops, celery leaves, cull fruits, and vines of tomatoes, cucumbers and other crops. It is much more practical to add humus to the home garden in the fonn of barnyard manure than to plow under diseased garden refu!!le. It is of particular importance to gather and bum or otherwise destroy the leaves and fallen fruit of grapes, and the shriveled fruits or hrownrot mummies of peach and plum, and the leaves and heavily spotted canes of raspberry, etc. F:arly destruction of plant refuse is, of course, the most desirable. Follow a carefully planned rotation so that plants of the same family will not be grown in the same part of the garden in succeeding years. Many plant diseases attack all members of the same family; for example, cabbage, kale, collards, cauliflower, brussell sprouts, and radish belonp, to the same family. GOOD SEED AND PLANTS are essential to success. Buy garden seed from a reliable dealer. \1ost western grown bean seed are free of bacterial blight and anthracnose. Plant only "certified" lrieh potatoes.
RF.SISTA.~T VARIETIES will help solve many of your problems. There a.re many good cabbage varieties resistant to yellows. Rutgers and Homestead are excellent Fu sari um wilt-resistant tomatoes. Virginia Savoy and Old Dorr.inion are varieties of spinach resistant to blight. Yellow-skinned varieties of onions are usually more resistant to rot than are white onions. If plants are bought, be certain that they are disease-free end vigorous and do not show any dead or rotten spots. Home-grown plants are usually the safest to use. After you have done the things mentioned above, concentrate your efforts on chemical control measures, such as spraying and dusting. USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 46, end other material in the hands of your county Extension agents will give you further information on these plants. Spray or Dust Sprays are usually more effective and cheaper than dusts; however, dusting is more convenient and quicker to use. A good compressed-air sprayer or rotary-type hand duster is essential in the home garden. However, a plunger-type hand duster can be used in small gardens. \\omen may prefer the small aluminum crank duster. Applying pesticides by shaking the dust onto plants from a sack is not recommended. It wastes materials, does not give adequate coverage, and in general is ineffective in the control of certain insects and diseases. General Control Recommendations for Yewetable Diseases DI~EASE-FHEE-SOIL - '\1ost vegetable diseases over-winter in the soil. 1\1ove garden area every 3 to 5 years if possible. Don't plant the same crops in the same area each year. USF'. diseases live in or on seed. CERTIFIED sn:n - \1any vegetable Certified seec! is
comparatively free of diseases and particularly important in case of seed potatoes for the control of virus and wilt diseases. USF: TREATED SF:ED - Buy treated seed, or treat seed with Arasan or Spergon, to control damping-off, seed rot, and seedling blight. ADEQUATE FERTILITY - Vigorous plants withstand disease attacks better than weak plants. Follow the fertilizer recommendations. The Four R's of Effective Use of Pesticide Sprays and Dusts HIC,HT MATERIAL - All pesticides do not control all diseases and insects. Consult the most recent recommendations for disease and insect control on vegetables, or use a generalpurpose garden spray or clust. RIGHT AMOUNT - Don't use more or less than recommended. Apply spray or dust until all parti; of the plants are covered. HIGHT TIVE - Fungicides are preventives, not cures. Uon 't wait until diseases are present. Follow the recommended schedule. RIGHT \\ AY - Poor application and coverage will not control pests. All parts of the plant must be covered by a thorough application. Bemember, leaves have two sides! MATERIALS. Rotenone is still a good allaround in~ecticide for the home garden. As a dust, use rotenone at 3/43 concentration or if a spray is preferred, use 3 level tablespoonfuls of a 4 or 53 wettable rotenone powder to 1 gallon of water. A 4 or 53 malathion dust or a malathion spray should be used for the control of the II arlequin cabbage bug, squash bag, and green stinkbug. l\1alathion dust or spray is effective against many of the common garden insects (inclm::ing aphids). In most cases it is best to ui;e ready-prepared dusts. Follow directions on the label of hrand-named materials.
The new general-purpose dust mixture, methoxychlor-zineb or copper-rotenone, will effectively control leafspots and leaf blights and most of the common garden insects, except aphids. If bought in 50-pound lots, the material is much less expensive. DDT-copper dusts and sprays are effective and safe for use on Irish potatoes. Combination dusts of this kind are on the market. They should contain 33 DDT and 7% copper. For the control of aphids (plant lice), malathion as a spray or dust is best. tj icotine sulphate spray or dust is satisfactory. CUTWORMS. These pests can be controlled by a fairly heavy application of a 10% toxaphene, or 10% DDT dust applied to the surface of the ground underneath each plant immediately after trans planting. Cutworms may also be controlled by using paper collars around the stems of the plants at setting. About one inch of paper should be below the surface of the ground and from one to two inches above the surface. DISEASES. Apply sprays or dusts as a preventive before disease appears. Zineb, maneb, captan, or copper compounds are usually preferred for use on vegetables. Follow directions given by manufacturer of the product used. PRECAUTIONS. Insecticides and fungicides might cause health hazards in some cases if sprayed or clusted vegetables are eaten fresh without 1o1<ashing. Follow the directions which appear on the label of the container in which the pesticide was purchased. Re especially careful to observe "waiting periods" between applications and harvest.