Gardening
Managing Insects and Diseases in the Garden
Powdery mildew disease on phlox.
Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com
A bit of prevention goes a long way in minimizing insect and disease problems in the garden. Enlist a holistic approach known as Plant Health Care to manage your ornamental and edible gardens. It starts with proper plant selection and care and ends with using the most eco-friendly controls when problems do occur.
Start by selecting plants suited to the growing conditions. Match your plants to the light, soil, and other growing conditions in your yard. You'll have healthier plants that require less ongoing care and are less prone to pests, helping to increase your gardening success.
Look for and purchase the most pest-resistant plants available. Garden phlox and bee balm are frequently attacked by powdery mildew. Purchase mildew-resistant varieties like Backlight with white flowers, Glamour Girl with hot coral pink blossoms, and the Ka-Pow series that comes in a variety of colors. Look for mildew-resistant bee balm varieties like the Sugar Buzz series in shades of lavender, pink and red, and the compact Balmy series to reduce the risk of this disease.
Provide proper care throughout the growing season. Water thoroughly and only as needed to encourage a deep robust root system better able to absorb needed nutrients and water. Apply water directly to the soil and early in the morning to reduce the risk of disease and water loss to evaporation. Mulch the soil surface with shredded leaves and evergreen needles to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and improve the soil. This one task provides many benefits to you and your plants.
Avoid over-fertilization. Excess nitrogen promotes lush succulent growth that is more susceptible to insects and disease and may interfere with flowering and fruiting.
Check plants regularly and throughout the season for any signs of insects and disease. Look on the upper and lower surface of the leaves and along the stems. It is much easier to treat a small population of insects or pluck off a few diseased leaves than trying to control large pest populations.
Properly identify the pest. Most insects, over 97%, are good guys that pollinate our plants, eat insect pests, and help compost plant waste. Knowing the good from the bad and the harmful from those that are just annoying can save you time, money, and frustration. Consult your University Extension's website, local botanic gardens, and other horticulture professionals for help with diagnosing and treating problems.
And if control is needed, look for eco-friendly options. A thorough cleanup is often enough to reduce insect and disease problems to a tolerable level. Spraying plants with a strong blast of water to dislodge aphids and mites, knocking problem insects into a can of soapy water, or removing spotted leaves may be all that's needed.
Use barriers like floating row covers to prevent damage from cabbage worms and bean beetles. University research has found that with proper timing these products can also help reduce the risk of squash vine borer, squash bugs, and cucumber bacterial wilt.
If you opt for chemical control, look for an organic or the most eco-friendly product labeled for managing disease or insect pests. As always, read and follow label directions for the best and safest results.
Enlisting a holistic approach allows you to work with nature to grow a beautiful and productive garden.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Travels with Pets
Summer Road Trip with Your Pet?
What you need to know about pets and distracted driving
Summer is a season of travel. More people hit the road during the warmer months, whether to visit friends and family, explore new places, or go on outdoor adventures. And the good news is, many summer travelers are bringing their pets along. But are pet parents taking enough precautions to keep everyone in their car safe?
The perils of distracted driving
We often think nothing of adjusting our GPS system, changing our music, or petting our furry passenger while we drive, but the implications of taking our eyes off the road, our hands off the wheel, or our minds off of driving, can be very serious. According to the Center for Disease Control, or CDC, distracted driving and a failure to pay attention to road and traffic conditions cause 25 to 30 percent of police-reported traffic crashes, which add up to roughly 1.2 million crashes each year. In addition, the National Highway Traffic Administration, or NHTSA, notes that roughly 20 percent of car accident injuries involve distracted driving.
Distracted driving and pets
Diistracted driving is of most concern in summer, when it typically reaches its peak as more younger drivers take to the road, and more people in general take the opportunity to travel, explore, or visit family. Traveling with pets compounds this concern, as unrestrained pets can both cause distractions and make accidents more dangerous.
"Pets can easily take a driver's attention from the road, posing a serious risk not only to the pet but also to the passengers riding in the same vehicle," says Michael Leung, co-founder and lead product designer of Sleepypod, a manufacturer of premium pet carriers and pet restraint systems. "If there is nothing restraining a pet in a hard stop or car accident, the pet can become a projectile and potentially collide with fellow pets or human passengers."
Such a collision could be catastrophic, regardless of a pet's size. A 10-pound dog in a 50-mile-an-hour car crash exerts 500 pounds of force. Meanwhile, an 80-pound dog in a 30-mile-per-hour crash exerts 2,400 pounds of force.
Unrestrained pets may also fall or jump out of open windows or flee the car in fear after a crash, potentially becoming lost, injured, or worse.
Keeping pets safe with restraints
A quality, rigorously tested pet restraint can make all the difference in preventing distracted driving and keeping human and pet passengers safe during an accident. Interestingly, an American Automobile Association (AAA) survey found that, while more than 80 percent of drivers admitted that they recognize the dangers of driving with an unrestrained pet, only 16 percent used pet restraints.
"Hopefully, you'll never have to put a car restraint for your pet to the test," says Michael, "But taking an extra minute to properly secure a pet before heading on the road for summer adventures could offer peace of mind and reassurance."
Best practices for pet restraint
Michael spearheaded Sleepypod's rigorous advanced crash-testing program, which includes a large and growing family of crash test dummy dogs and cats featuring sensors and monitors that measure car crash and pet restraint data. In addition, he and his research and development team gather real-life accident data through Sleepypod's Crash Replacement Program, which offers customers who have used a pet safety restraint while in an accident replacement pet restraints or discounts on new pet restraints.
Michael offers the following tips for minimizing pet-related distractions and keeping pets safe during accidents:
- Pets should always be restrained in a back seat to prevent them from injury if an airbag is deployed.
- If you cannot restrain your pet with a reputable, tested car restraint, the next safest option is to place your pet in the footwell behind the front seat.
- Smaller pets are safer when fully contained in a restrained carrier, while larger dogs should ride in a car safety harness that does not connect the pet with an extension tether.
- Pets should be unable to slide forward far enough to "submarine," or drop off the seat, at any point during a collision.
About TripsWithPets
TripsWithPets is a leader in the pet travel industry - providing online reservations at pet-friendly hotels across the United States and Canada.
Pet parents go to TripsWithPets.com for all they need to find and book the perfect place to stay with their pets - including detailed, up-to-date information on hotel pet policies and pet amenities.
As passionate animal advocates, TripsWithPets supports local and national 501(c)(3) animal welfare organizations by raising much needed funds through their annual Partners for Animal Welfare Series (PAWS)