The Gardener's Guide to Common-Sense Pest Control

It’s a dilemma. Many people are concerned about exposure to pesticides in food and the environment, but at the same time gardeners feel they can’t get a good crop (or any crop at all) unless they spray their plants with “laboratory-synthesized materials.” While in certain situations the use of a pesticide may be the only cost- and labor-effective solution, in most cases there are less-toxic alternatives.In this revision of the 1995 original, the authors provide updated information on the control of all pests (insects and diseases) that can afflict lawns, food and ornamental gardens, and shade trees. For each pest, treatments are offered ranging from indirect strategies (such as pruning), through direct physical and biological controls, to least-toxic chemical controls. Easy-to-access finding guides make it a snap to find out what’s bugging your plant.

PART 1: The Basics

Chap. 1: Natural Pest Controls

Chap. 2: Introduction to Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Chap. 3: Pest-Treatment Strategies and Tactics

Chap. 4: Meet “the Beneficials”

Chap. 5: Choosing the Right Chemical and Microbial Tools

Chap. 6: Some Useful Inorganics, Organics, and Botanicals

Chap. 7: New Frontiers: Microbials, Pheromones, and Insect Growth Regulators

 PART 2: Pests in the Garden

Chap. 8: Garden Design and Maintenance

Chap. 9: Meet the Weeds

Chap. 10: Safe and Sane Weed Management

Chap. 11: Preventing Lawn Pests

Chap. 12: Least-Toxic Lawn Pest Management

Chap. 13: Pests of Food and Ornamental Gardens

Chap. 14: Pests of Shade Trees

 Resource Appendix

Index