"The Geranium Specialists" 



Wholesale Qrowers 



2 1/2" Geraniums (year round) 



4" Pre-finished Geraniums 



2 1/2" Ivy Geraniums & Fuchsia 



Martha Washington Geraniums 



Spring Hanging Baskets, Lilies/Bulbs 



Azaleas, Cyclamen, Poinsettias, Foliage 



J.B. CARPENTER & SON, INC. 



603/659-3391 

 220 SOUTH MAIN STREET 

 NEWMARKET, NH 03857 



THE GREEN SPOT 



Things to Consider 



If you're about to set up a biocontrol program, 

 you should know many things and be prepared 

 with a full IPM arsenal. Scouting is a necessary re- 

 quirement — so start doing it now. Moreover, take the 

 following steps into consideration: 



I. Stop using chemicals with long-term residual 

 effects. Products such as Marathon, a popular sys- 

 temic, last a long time in the soil and, thus, in the 

 plant's tissue. Some of these systemic chemicals 

 don't bother beneficials directly, but they do poi- 

 son their food — the pests. Other chemicals can last 

 a long time on surfaces (plants, benches, floor, 

 etc.). Orthene is an example. This product can last 

 up to 84 days in the greenhouse. It doesn't typi- 

 cally provide pest mortality for such a period (due 

 to resistance, perhaps), but it does affect the more 

 sensitive beneficials. Switch to short-term killers 

 such as soap, oil, Beauveria bassiana (BotaniGard, 

 Naturalis-O, etc.), or IGRs (insect growth regula- 

 tors) such as Azatin XL and Enstar II. These prod- 

 ucts will fill the gap between using the long-term 

 products and the use of beneficials. 



i. Know your space. Your biocontrol supplier 

 will want (and need) to know the specs of your 

 growing area: square footage, actual growing portion 

 thereof, and density of plants — including height. Com- 

 mon sense dictates that a 3000-square foot green- 

 house used for single layer plug production does 

 not have the same amount of treatment area as a 

 3000-square foot greenhouse used for tomatoes 

 with twelve-foot stems. 



3. Be familiar with your problems. Pest knowl- 

 edge can help your supplier make a proper recom- 

 mendation. Pest species and density are both neces- 

 sary to know for proper evaluation of the problem 

 at hand. If your supplier doesn't address these fac- 

 tors or feels they're not necessary information, you 

 may be using the wrong supplier. Case in point: 

 one United States company suggests using one tea- 

 spoon of carrier — containing mites — for every mite 

 infested plant in an indoor site. Remember — it's 

 important to know what pest mites you have, their 

 density, and the size of the infested plants. 



4. Don't be afraid. We wouldn't ride bicycles, 

 learn to swim, or flirt with the opposite sex in 

 junior high school if we let fear of the unknown 

 stop us from doing stuff. Try it. You may like it. 



Mike Cherim, president of The Green Spot, Ltd,, De- 

 partment of Bio-Ingenuity, 95 Priest Road, Nottingham, NH 

 0^290-6204, can be reached by phone at 603-942-892$. 



FEBRUARY / MARQl 1999 



