181 Pesticide Safety Tips. Garden Time Savers.

Show Transcript

GB 181 TRANSCRIPT Using Pesticides Safely. Garden Time Savers

Farmer Fred  0:00  

Garden Basics with Farmer Fred is brought to you by Smart Pots, the original lightweight, long lasting fabric plant container. it's made in the USA. Visit SmartPots.com slash Fred for more information and a special discount, that's SmartPots.com/Fred. Welcome to the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. If you're just a beginning gardener or you want good gardening information, you've come to the right spot.  

Farmer Fred  0:29  

There are two very contemplative aisles that gardeners can encounter at big box stores or a well-stocked Garden Center…and that’s the drip irrigation parts aisle, and the garden pesticide aisle. Next time you go, check those aisles out. You’ll always find a gaggle of people, just staring at the products. Staring. Wondering. Considering. Contemplating. Today, Debbie Flower and I try to get you moving a little faster through the garden pesticide aisle. We have tips on what information to look for on the pesticide product labels, so that you make the right choice. Or, if you employ a pest control service, questions you should be asking them about the products that they are using. Want to free up enough time in the garden so you can actually go visit someone or someplace this year? You remember, it’s called traveling. Then keep in mind these four words: Automate, Elevate, Eliminate, and Delegate. We’ll explain how to implement these very effective garden time savers.  We’re podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory. It’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery. And we will do it all in under 30 minutes. Let’s go! 

Farmer Fred  1:59  

We like to answer your garden questions here on the garden basics podcast. Debbie Flower is here, our favorite retired college horticultural Professor. We get an email that was sent to Fred at farmerfred.com from Gar in Lodi, California. It just so happens I do write the weekly garden column for the Lodi News Sentinel. I've been doing that since 1991. And Gar says, "I enjoy reading your newspaper column. Recently, a pest control company came by to inject my birch trees with a chemical called imidacloprid. It supposedly helps prevent sticky droppings from landing on my driveway. This year they came by and also started injecting all the shrubs and also injected my plum tree and my lime tree. I asked why. And they said it was part of their new procedure. Well, I'm concerned that my limes and plums may not be safe to eat. Is this a worry? While I only make jam out of the plums, I do enjoy fresh lime juice." Whoa, Gar. 

Debbie Flower  2:55  

Yeah, yeah. Sounds like you need to have a discussion with that pest control company.

Farmer Fred  3:02  

Yeah, this is not uncommon.  But as we often say on this program, and it really is true, even if, especially if, you're applying the chemicals yourself, read and follow all label directions.  Because you can learn a lot if you get out the magnifying glass and read the fine print, or in this day and age, download the information, right from a website.

Debbie Flower  3:25  

Yes. So and if you're using a service, they have to be licensed to apply pesticides. And you have the right and responsibility to find out what they're going to apply and get a copy of the label from them. Because it needs to be the exact chemical that they are using. In this case, it's an injectable imidacloprid, which would be different from the Imidacloprids that you pour on the soil. And there are Imidacloprids that you spray directly on the plant, and those would all have different labels. So you need the label for the actual pesticide that's being used on your landscape. And you need to read that label. And there's lots of stuff in the beginning. And then it'll say directions for use, and needs to list the plant or host to which it's being applied. The label could say fruit trees or could specifically say plum and lime trees. And you need to have the pest that they're trying to control listed, as well. So there's another thing that needs to be researched. The pest control company should be able to tell you and show you the pest that is causing the problem. The symptom is not enough. That dripping on the driveway is not enough because several things can cause that. And imidacloprid is not labeled for use on all of those things. So you need to have the pest company identify that the pest that's causing the problem, and show you on the label and it's really should be their responsibility. But if if they won't do it, you can do it. The label that can be printed out that your plants and that pest are listed there, and then it's okay to use it. The other thing that it will show on an edible plant like a plum, or lime, if you're using a pesticide, something called Days to re-entry or days to harvest. In this case days to harvest would be applicable, and that you should not harvest any fruit off of those trees until that number of days has gone by, between the time they applied the chemical and the time you do the harvest. And that is because the research has been done that shows there is a non-dangerous level of the chemical in the fruit at that time.

Farmer Fred  5:35  

Exactly. Imidacloprid works a bit differently than many insecticides that you might be familiar with. It is not a contact insecticide. It is a systemic insecticide, which means it's absorbed by the plant. And then, when the pest sucks or chews on parts of the plant, that's when they go kaboom. The problem is a lot of the good guys go kaboom, too, especially honey bees. So the timing of the Imidacloprid application has to be very careful. And it'll say this on the label as well, as far as not applying it when a honey bee presence is expected. Like, if the plant is about to go into bloom, that's when honey bees would normally arrive. You wouldn't want to spray right before then when honey bees would be most susceptible to it.

Debbie Flower  6:23  

And injectables need to be timed so that the chemical doesn't get to the flowers when the flowers open and the bees visit. It's complicated stuff, folks, which is why there are people who you can hire to put it on and there's lots of training. I had a pest control license for a while. There's lots of training and continuing education for people who apply pesticides. But you need to be aware that the label is the law, they can only apply it to the law. And the label must show your plant and your pest. And so you need for them to convince you that this pesticide is the correct one for what you have in your landscape.

Farmer Fred  7:01  

It isn't easy, that's for sure. And there are alternatives to using Imidacloprid in many cases, especially if it's an aphid or scale problem, which are two of the possibilities in the case of this dripping sap issue. Right. And you should explore that as well. Because good pest control companies now usually offer an integrated pest management component, meaning if there are less toxic alternatives available, start with those.

Debbie Flower  7:29  

For instance, I had scale on a hackberry tree in one of my landscapes. Scale is a sucking insect and it just lays down on usually the stem. It can be the back of the leaf, the main vein on the back of the leaf, but usually it's the stem, and the mother lays her eggs there and she just sucks all day long. She sucks sap out of the plant, and that's what nourishes her and allows her to have babies and there is a crawling stage etc. But most of what we see are these lumps on the stem of the plant. And they could be a variety of colors and a variety of shapes. Depending on which scale it is. I had it on my hackberry tree. I pruned my hackberry to open it up because there are beneficial insects that will come in and feed on the scale and get rid of the scale. There were ants that were visiting the scale to get some of that sap. When the sap comes out of the plant it comes out in pretty high pressure. And the sucking insect often gets more than they can consume. And so it just goes right through their body or leaks out. And that's something that the ants like. And so the ants will protect this sucking insect from the beneficials. So I put out ant traps. And those two things took care of my problem. If I had to take it a step further, there are much less toxics pesticides, including some of the horticultural oils that I could have used on the scale that would suffocate them. Insects breathe through their rear end, and so it would clog up their breathing pores. That would have been my next step. But I didn't need to do that. All I did was prune to open up the plant and control the ants.

Farmer Fred  9:06  

It's interesting that the excrement of aphids and scale has the rather pleasing name of honeydew, when in reality it's something that isn't that pretty and it's tough to remove from windshields.

Debbie Flower  9:20  

Yes. When you park under a tree and  come back and there's lots of dots on the windshield, there's a sucking insect in that tree that was over your vehicle.

Farmer Fred  9:27  

Of course blasts of water, we've talked about, for controlling aphids, yes knocking them off the plant with scale I've had scale on citrus trees where basically if if you can see where the cocoons are where their protective scale or shells are. A blast of water can knock them off or just just take a plastic scouring pad and scrub them right off.

Debbie Flower  9:49  

In interiorscaping, I have heard of people using just the baby wipes with some rubbing alcohol on them and just going up and down the stems and leaves of the plant. They do it to clean. Their goal is to clean. But if  these pests are there, they will be removed in the process.

Farmer Fred  10:07  

Alright, so integrated pest management is a wonderful thing. There are usually less toxic alternatives. And like I say, if you're dealing with a pest control company that does offer those alternatives, explore them before you go, shall we say, totally nuclear?

Debbie Flower  10:23  

If they're gonna use any kind of chemical on your plant, ask them what it's for. Have them show you the pests that it is going to control and get have them bring you a copy of the label and show you where on the label your plant and that pest is listed. Right.

Farmer Fred  10:38  

Exactly. Everything has to be there on the label.

Debbie Flower  10:40  

Right. if it's not,  they are breaking the law and you can report them. 

Farmer Fred  10:44  

We do live in a capitalistic society and you just got to be your own boss. All right, Debbie Flower. Thank you so much.

Debbie Flower  10:54  

Good information, Fred.

Farmer Fred  11:00  

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Farmer Fred  12:50  

You want to start the backyard fruit and nut orchard of your dreams? But you don’t know where to begin? Or, maybe you’re currently growing fruit and nut trees, and you have a million questions… such as what are the tastiest fruits to grow, where can I go to buy some of these delectable fruits and nuts you’ve been reading about…and, how do I care for all these fruit and nut trees, including planting, pruning and harvesting? I have one online stop in mind, where all these questions you might have will get answered: It’s dave wilson dot com, That's Dave Wilson Nursery, the nation's largest wholesale grower of fruit and nut trees for the backyard garden. They have planting tips, taste test results, and links to nurseries in your area that carry Dave Wilson fruit trees. Click on the Home Garden tab at dave wilson dot com for all these links, including a link to their years of informative videos about growing fruit and nut trees that they’ve posted on the Dave Wilson Nursery You Tube Channel. Start the backyard orchard of your dreams at Dave Wilson Dot Com!

Farmer Fred  13:59  

Homeowner surveys that ask the question, “How long do you want to spend doing lawn and garden chores each week?” consistently come back with the same answer among the majority of respondents: less than an hour a week. Some tips to not only bring you closer to that elusive goal, but also ways to free up your spare time for other pursuits as you get older:    • Automate. Provide your garden with an automatic watering system.  The efficiency of an automated sprinkler or drip irrigation system protects your plants from the summertime heat when you're away from home. And, a good drip system reduces water usage, unwanted weed growth and plant diseases. Replace your old irrigation control system with a model that can control more valves with more flexibility. For example, there are irrigation control systems that automatically adjust water run times based on the season and the weather. And it will automatically turn off your sprinklers if it senses rain. While on vacation, you might notice a hot spell coming back home and want to water your container plants. Many irrigation control systems can now be turned on via your smartphone. Soil moisture sensors, now commonly used on farms, are becoming more available and more reliable for home use.   Consider installing battery operated water timers at distant faucets to control the watering of garden beds. The better ones not only turn the water on and off, but offer extended run times (perfect for drip irrigation) as well as multiple cycles per day (perfect for watering container plants on hot summer days). Many offer multiple outlets for watering several drip or hose-connected areas of your yard.   • Elevate. Build raised beds for your annuals, perennials and vegetables. Not only do raised beds reduce the amount of stooping and kneeling that are a necessary part of gardening, raised beds provide a planting area containing better soil with better drainage for plants that don't like "wet feet". Built of wood, concrete or brick, a raised bed, 18-24 inches high, gives you a place to sit while weeding, pruning or harvesting. Make the raised beds any length you desire; but keep the width less than four feet across for ease of reaching into the middle of the bed. And lining the bottom of these beds with quarter-inch mesh hardware cloth will keep gophers from sampling the fruits of your labor.   Large containers, such as half-barrels, also can serve as homes for fruit trees. Be sure to drill several 3/4”-1” holes in the bottom. Elevate the base of the barrel by an inch or so to assure good drainage.     • De-Elevate. Practice backyard orchard culture with all your newly planted fruit trees. Keep the overall height of fruit trees at six to seven feet. Limiting the height means you don’t have to get on a ladder to harvest fruit. Also, the trees are easier to cover with bird netting. Nip back the branches of deciduous fruit trees to the desired height twice a year: as the fruit is forming (March-April) and after harvest (June-August). Thin out crossing or rubbing branches in the middle of the canopy to improve sunlight and air flow through the tree.   • Eliminate. LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO PUT UP WITH A PROBLEM PLANT. Why waste time fretting over a habitually under-performing perennial, shrub or tree? Why tolerate tree litter or plant roots that are upheaving concrete? If it is growing awkwardly or is consistently pest infested despite your best efforts, get rid of it. Purchase another plant better suited to the area and your needs.   Although the attempt to totally eradicate weeds is an exercise in futility, adding three or four inches of mulch, such as a walk-on bark, can dramatically reduce the amount of time you spend pulling weeds.   If you really want to cut down on a monotonous garden chore, save money and time...get rid of the lawn! Or, at least dramatically reduce the turf area. Mowing, edging, weeding a lawn can average an hour a week. Replace that ongoing chore with a garden area that is beautiful, uses much less water (with the right plants), and eliminates most weeding (thanks to several inches of mulch). Consider soil solarization in the summer or sheet mulching anytime of the year to remove the lawn area.   • Delegate. Somewhere in your neighborhood, there is the teenager looking to pick up some spending money doing yard chores (I know, that's like searching for the Holy Grail!); but there may also be the neighborhood guy or gal who has that tractor, front loader, chipper-shredder, backhoe or whatever that could accomplish in a fraction of the time what you are attempting to do with a shovel, small mower or saw. Ask your neighbors for recommendations for professional landscapers and arborists. Check their credentials online...and then seek them out. Parceling out yard work to others is tough for gardeners; but grit your teeth, open your wallet to save your back…and your time.          

Farmer Fred  20:22  

The Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast has a lot of information posted at each episode in the show notes. Maybe you’d rather read than listen? Not a problem, a complete transcript is posted, and you can find that link in the show notes or on our new homepage, gardenbasics.net, where you can find that link as well as all the previous episodes of the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast. There, you can leave a message or link up with our social media pages, including our You Tube video page. And at garden basics dot net. click on the tab at the top of the page to read the Garden Basics “Beyond Basics” newsletter, which usually has a bonus podcast attached to it. Plus, in the show notes, there are links to any products or books mentioned during the show, and other helpful links for even more information. Plus, you can listen to just the portions of the show that interest you, it’s been divided into easily accessible chapters.  Want to leave us a question? Again, check the links at garden basics.net. Also, when you click on any episode at garden basics.net, you’ll find a link to Speakpipe, where you can leave us an audio question without a making a phone call. Or, go to them directly: speak pipe dot com slash garden basics. You want to call us? We have that number posted at garden basics dot net. Spoiler alert: it’s 916-292-8964, 916-292-8964. Email? Sure! Send it, along with your pictures to fred@farmerfred.com. Or again, go to garden basics dot net and get that link. And if you send us a question, be sure to tell us where you’re gardening, because all gardening is local. Find it all at garden basics dot net.      

Farmer Fred  22:14  

Coming up in Friday’s Garden Basics with Farmer Fred Newsletter, Beyond the Basics, we pay a visit to the Luther Burbank home and gardens in Santa Rosa, California, That’s where the famed horticulturist made his home for more than 50 years. It was here that he conducted plant-breeding experiments that brought him world fame. During his career, Burbank introduced more than 800 new varieties of plants — including over 200 varieties of fruits, many vegetables, nuts and grains, and hundreds of ornamental flowers.  All about the Luther Burbank gardens. It’s in the edition of the newsletter that comes out Friday, April 1. We conducted the interview more than a decade ago, but it has stood the test of time. And the docent who we interviewed there was a very knowledgeable, well-spoken and modest individual. At the time, he never told us about his achievements in the world of horticulture. In fact many people there knew little about this gentleman, until his obituary was published over eight years ago. In Friday’s Beyond Basics newsletter, you’ll find out not only a lot about Luther Burbank, but also about the person we chatted with - a docent, Jack Hadley. Chances are, you have one of his inventions in your garden shed or garage. And, of course, you probably have one of Luther Burbank’s horticultural inventions in your kitchen right now, perhaps his Russet potato.  Take a stroll through the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred newsletter, Beyond the Basics. Find a link in the podcast show notes; or, at garden basics dot net. Click on the tab at the top of that page.  Think of it as your garden resource that goes beyond the basics. It’s the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred newsletter. And it’s free. Please subscribe and share it with your gardening friends and family. The Garden Basics with Farmer Fred newsletter, Beyond the Basics. And thank you for listening.

Farmer Fred  24:13  

Garden Basics comes out every Tuesday and Friday. It's brought to you by Smart Pots. Garden Basics is available wherever podcasts are handed out. And that includes Apple, Iheart, Stitcher, Spotify, Overcast, Google, Podcast Addict, Cast Box, and Pocket Casts. Thank you for listening, subscribing and leaving comments. We appreciate it.