• Blog
  • Events
  • Gardening Videos
  • Resources
    • Gardening Guide
    • Online Resources
  • Garden Helpline
    • Collecting Samples of Plants and Insects
  • The Learning Garden
    • Plant of the Month in The Learning Garden
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • The Association
    • Contact Us
    • Speakers Bureau
    • Sponsors
      • Sponsors: 2019 Garden Tour
      • Sponsors: 2019 WNC Gardening Symposium
  • Donate
Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County
Blog / Pest Management / Integrated Pest Management (IPM) / This is the time of year to be putting your IPM into gear. But what is IPM anyway?

This is the time of year to be putting your IPM into gear. But what is IPM anyway?

May 12, 2015

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an economical, environmentally sensitive and effective way of dealing with pests in our gardens, whether they are bugs, blights or other bad news.

According to Penn State University, the very first farmers didn’t “control” pests, but instead allowed their presence by planting enough for them to eat too. (That gives new meaning to the term “share cropping!)

Around 2500 B.C., things like sulfur, tobacco, soap, arsenic or copper sulfate compounds, and all kinds of voodoo-like materials were used to combat pests, generally by killing them. That went on up until modern times though there were a few folks who recognized alternatives. An example:

“The agriculture journals have presented various recipes, as preventive of the attacks, or destructive to the life, of the “curculio,” the “apple-moth,” the “squash-bug,” etc. These decoctions and washes are as useless in application as they are ridiculous in composition, and if the work of destroying insects is to be accomplished satisfactorily, we feel it will have to be the result of no chemical preparations, but of simple means, directed by a knowledge of the history and habits of the depredators.” In other words, there were alternatives to chemicals. (The Practical Entomologist (October 30 1856)

Then came Rachel Carson whose Silent Spring brought the issue of pesticide safety to the attention of the public. She pointed to the adverse effects of things like DDT on wildlife, water quality, and human health. And, in the early 1950’s, that led to the beginning of serious research concerning integrating various approaches of managing pest control to find the least toxic, most effective options. We now know this as Integrated Pest Management or IPM.

Leafminer,bugwood.org
Leafminer,bugwood.org

As a home gardener I see our IPM consisting of:

-A garden planned following the “right plant, right place” concept, whether it be ornamental or vegetable—considering sun, shade, soil pH, moisture, etc.

– Regular inspection tours to identify changes, problems-in-the-making in our gardens.

– Resources that are available to help us identify the culprit and our most appropriate alternative.

-Chosen pesticides applied according to the label…

-maintained records so that next year we have a “heads-up!” to help guide our plant choices and our surveys. When should we watch for what?

Debbie Green will soon be posting a list of useful on-line references. From time to time during the growing season our BLOG will be issuing IPM ALERTS—what to look for and what to do if you see it. Stay tuned!

Article written by Glenn Palmer, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Categories Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Tags IPM, pest control, pests

NC Cooperative Extension; Empowering People, Providing Solutions

Blog posts written and published by Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers in Buncombe County.

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to our blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 3,239 other subscribers

Recent Posts

  • The Garden Helpline Is OPEN. Master Gardeners Continue to Work Remotely to Answer Your Questions.
  • Gardening Video: Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Indoors
  • Online Seminar: Gardening in EarthBoxes®, February 27
  • Garden Planning: Think Small!
  • Gardening Video: Winter Sowing

Categories

  • Events
    • Extension in Buncombe County
    • Extension Master Gardener Info Table
    • Gardening Videos
    • Lectures & Seminars
    • School Garden Grants
  • Flowers
    • Bulbs
    • Perennials & Biennials
    • Roses
    • Wildflowers
  • Gardening for Children
  • General Gardening
    • Installation & Planting
    • Mulch
    • Native Plants
    • Propagation
    • Seasonal Chores
    • Soils & Fertilizers
  • Houseplants
  • Landscaping
    • Firewise Landscaping
    • Landscape Design
    • Site Conditions
    • Water Management
  • Lawns
  • Pest Management
    • Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
    • Invasive Plants
    • Pesticides
    • Weeds
  • Plant Diseases
  • Plant Insects
    • Beneficial Insects
    • Insect Pests
    • Invasive Insects
  • Shrubs
  • Special Gardens
    • Container Gardens
    • Herb Gardens
    • Pollinator Gardens
    • Rain Gardens
    • Shade Gardens
  • Trees
  • Vegetables & Fruits
  • Wildlife

Contact Us

Buncombe County Extension Office
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Helpline 828-255-5522

Events

Keep up with our events by subscribing to the blog or checking our Events Calendar.

Explore the Archives

Back to Top

Copyright © 2021 Extension Master Gardeners of Buncombe County. Privacy Policy.