FORUM 



Biological Pest 

 Control 1 01 



"Creating a pesticide-free green- 

 Fiouse or garden can be one of the 

 most rewarding projects you will 

 ever taci^le. Being able to handle 

 plants or eat vegetables without 

 worrying about ingesting pesticides 

 is wonderful. 



We got into bio-control because 

 of our daughter We started bringing 

 her to the greenhouse as an infant. 

 I took care of her while my wife 

 worked out, taking her around in a 

 back pack carrier while I watered 

 and tended plants. As a baby, she 

 would naturally reach out to touch 

 the foliage, so then and there we 

 decided to go organic, pesticide-free 

 and all. We feel good about letting 

 our little girl help in the business 

 and that our employees are not ex- 

 posed to danger Customers come 

 here to buy because they want to 

 do their part for the environment. 



Before you get into bio-control, 

 however, there are a few rules you 

 must follow religiously. 



I Prepare yourself psychologically 

 for a long road. You must be pa- 

 tient in this process because it will 

 take time to establish an environ- 

 ment for beneficial insects. 



2. Thoroughly clean out your green- 

 house or garden. Detox the 

 benches, floor and the plastic on the 

 house. If you have used pesticides 

 for years, keep in mind that it will 

 take a long time before your area is 

 truly clean. Wooden benches and 

 frames hold toxins longer, so you 

 may not be able to use beneficials 

 such as the nocturnal green lacewing 

 right off because they hide in the 

 cracks of the wood during the day. 



3. Identify your pests— this is impor- 

 tant. When we first started, we went 

 out and purchased three or four in- 

 sect identification books. We then 

 begin contacting biological control 

 dealers for suggestions and informa- 

 tion regarding climate control, re- 

 lease directions, and which preda- 

 tors to use on specific pests. Before 



Aprils May 1995 



l^'V^ELCOME 

 NEW MEMBERS 



CHAKARIAN FARM 



GREENHOUSES, INC. 



I 14 Island Pond Road 



Derry, NH 03038 



FRENCH FARM GREENHOUSE 



27 French Road 



Henniker. NH 03242 



long, we had accumulated a great 

 deal of data on our own 



4. After you become familiar with 

 your pests and which beneficials to 

 use on them, you will need to keep 

 a journal of what you released, 

 when, and how much. This means 

 you will need to scout your green- 

 house or garden regularly to deter- 

 mine what insects are living in and 

 about. Prevention is the key to 

 keeping pests under control, so be 

 prepared to release predators on a 

 weekly or bi-weekly schedule 



Using beneficials will become easier 

 and more cost-effective over time. 

 What discourages many is trying to 

 get started in a greenhouse opera- 

 tion that has traditionally used pes- 

 ticides. Using beneficials is not an 

 instant fix and it takes a diligent 

 overseer to keep up with what is 



happening Regardless of the extra 

 time you may initially need to take, 

 the health and environmental ben- 

 efits far outweigh the hazards you do 

 in fact face when using toxic forms of 

 pest control ■■ 



Tom Heath is owner and operator of 

 Heath's Greenhouse & Nursery, RFD#I, 

 Box 168, Littleton, NH 03561. The phone 

 there is 603-823-8500. 



Inventory Request 



Are you growing lilacs for sale this 

 spring? 



The Governor's Lilac Commission 

 would like to have a list of varieties 

 being offered by commercial growers 

 in order to answer the question, 

 "Where can I get this lilac?". 



Any nursery wishing to publicize 

 its offerings can send a list to either 

 the chair of the commission, William 

 Nehring (116 Ridge Road, New 

 Durham, NH 03855) or Owen Rogers 

 (FAX 603-862-4757). 



Thanks to... 



Winter IVIeeting 



It was a full day: in the morning, af- 

 ter a brief annual meeting, speakers 

 included Rob Farquhar, head grower 

 at Pleasant View, explaining new 

 safety committee requirements and 

 how Pleasant View went about meet- 

 ing them; Bob Childs, Extension 

 Specialist, Entomology, UMass, 



CLASSIFIED 



SITUATION WANTED: I am currently a senior at Ohio State University 

 majoring in floriculture with a minor in Agricultural Business & Applied 

 Economics. I received an Associate of Arts degree from UNH and will 

 be graduating with a BS degree from OSU in |une, 1995. I plan to 

 move back to NH and am currently seeking employment in southern NH 

 in either greenhouse production or in an assistant management position 

 in a garden center. If interested, please call Glenn Carey at 

 614-294-8347 or e-mail me at carey.72@osu.edu. 



MANUFACTURERS REPRESENTATIVE WANTED Rapidly growing 

 manufacturer of mini-greenhouses designed for the consumer market 

 is seeking full-time representative to call on garden centers, hard- 

 ware stores, or any other retail market place selling garden prod- 

 ucts. Must be experienced in sales to the resale market. Please call 

 603-964-1115 and ask for Mike or Nan for more details or to ar- 

 range an interview. 



