For Release May 2, 2000

Know Your Problem Before You Spray

AGRI-VIEWS
by Chuck Otte, Geary County Extension Agent

When you go to your doctor, you probably don’t say, "Doc, I don’t think I feel well. Prescribe me some medication." Even if you do, I’ll bet your doctor doesn’t just give you something. Your doctor asks you some questions, checks your vital statistics, and maybe even has some lab tests done. Only after your doctor knows what the problem is will you receive treatment.

Yet many times I receive calls from homeowners with unknown plant problems who want to know what to spray. Or worse yet, they bring in specimens of their plants for me to diagnose, and while I am examining the plant problem, they give me their litany of what they have already done. Before you make a single treatment, of any kind, you have to know what you are treating. You need to know what the plant is and you have to know what affliction it has.

Just as many of us have our own home remedies for the common cold or other unknown health condition, everyone seems to have their favorite treatment for a plant or yard that just doesn’t seem to be right. And just as taking two aspirin and waiting for the morning can be the worst thing you can do, so is the notion of, "Gee, that shrub doesn’t look right. I guess I’ll spray it with Sevin" can sometimes be the worst thing you can do.

First of all, plants aren’t people. When a plant gets a disease, you can’t cure it. You can stop it from spreading to other plants, sometimes, or you can keep it from getting worse. But a diseased leaf will not heal and become better. It will die. If an American Elm has Dutch Elm Disease or a Scots Pine contracts Pine Wilt disease, you can just forget it. There’s nothing you can do other than watch it die.

If a plant has an insect infestation it may need treatment or it may not. Sometimes Mother Nature takes care of things herself. Or sometimes the infestation may seem terrible, but for whatever reason, it isn’t worth spraying. And sometimes their are insect problems for which there aren’t any treatments.

Some problems are caused by soil problems or weather problems. Spraying all the pesticide in the world isn’t going to change that. And sometimes plants just up and die for reasons that we will never understand.

Identify your plant and your problem. You have to know what plant you have, because some treatments can’t be used on certain plants. You have to know your problem to know if there is a treatment and what it is. There are insecticides for killing bugs and fungicides for preventing diseases. Notice I said preventing, not curing, diseases. Sevin, Diazinon and Malathion are all examples of insecticides. They kill certain types of insects on certain plants. They do nothing towards disease prevention. Fungicides, like Bordeaux, Daconil, or anything labeled disease control, will prevent certain diseases. Fungicides are very specific on what they will and won’t control.

Before you spray a thing, identify your plant and your problem. Use the professionals that are available in the community to diagnose the problem. Then, if a treatment is needed, read the instructions on the label of the product you are using. Follow the directions. If it says to apply one ounce of product in a gallon of water, spraying every ten days, then do just that. Don’t mix two ounces and don’t spray more often. You may injure the plant or even reduce the degree of control. More, or more often, is not better. Many of those plant problems can be treated. But you need to get to the plant doctor first and find out the best treatment regimen.

-30-

Return to Agri-Views Home Page

Return to Ag Home Page