Last night on Landscape Live!, Barry Draycott of Tech Terra Environmental discussed the recent history of the treatment of tree, shrub and lawns for pests and how the process has evolved. It first began as a “cover sprays on calendar days” program, which was an “all in” system of just spraying wherever a pest might live.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) was a sensible start, which included focusing on proper pruning; watering, including setting irrigation systems correctly; and for the health of the plants, planting the right plants in the right place in terms of shade tolerance, sun tolerance, etc. However, IPM still focused more on pest management and dealing with problems after they occur, as opposed to being preventative in order to limit damage.
Over the past few years, Plant Health Care (PHC) has become the logical next step. It looks at the overall viability and health of the plant and utilizes proper treatment of soil and care of the plant. A healthy tree or lawn starts with the root system and intake of nutrients, which prevents many of the pest issues that occur. Similar to a healthy person who is less prone to illness and disease and recovers quicker, so does a healthy plant or turf avoid illness, disease and pests.
Show: Profitable Plant Health Care Systems for Turf and Woody Ornamentals
Guest: Barry Draycott, of Tech Terra Environmental, Mt. Laurel, N.J.
Date: Jan. 1, 2014
