Proper Pest Management

In a perfect world, we would all have a pristine, weed and pest-free blanket of green grass around our homes. There would be no brown spots, no straggly-looking crab grass encroaching - nothing but beautiful, healthy green grass - with minimal effort.

Of course, we don't live in that perfect world. There is no question that good cultural practices - correctly doing all of the basics like such as mowing, watering and fertilizing - are the best way to maintain a healthy, green lawn. Learn these basics and practice them without fail, and you will have a nice lawn.

Yet, bumps in the road do occur. Nobody plans for an invasion of grubs, or a noxious weed taking hold. That's where Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, comes in to play. IPM is the technique all of us should be using to manage our yards - lawn, flowers, trees, and everything else growing there. IPM takes the "least-risk approach" to preventing and responding to pest problems when they arise. It is not a process that relies on pulling out the insecticides and herbicides and dousing the yard when a problem occurs. Instead, it is a management approach for your yard that calls for careful and judicious use of herbicides and insecticides when necessary, but emphasizes lowering their use by using other controls first. In IPM, chemicals are the last resort.

Here is the basic IPM plan for managing a lawn with weeds and pests:

Prevention is the key. Good lawn care practices manage your lawn and soil to keep it healthy. Based on your turf's particular needs (type of grass, where you live) you will mow, water, fertilize, aerate and de-thatch at the right times.

Monitoring your yard. Be aware of "what's happening out there" by paying close attention to your lawn and yard when you are in it, especially when you are mowing and caring for the turf. Like anything else, the quicker you spot a problem, the quicker and less invasively you can cure it.

Diagnosing any problems. When problems arise, take the time to identify the cause. Check out articles like Problem Lawn? Take this Approach on this site, research other books and web sites and call or visit your county agricultural agent. However you do it, find the root of the problem is really a problem.

Correcting the problem. The final step is taking action to correct a problem. Ask yourself why the problem occurred. Did weeds encroach because you are mowing your lawn too short? If you are not fertilizing, your grass can't grow as thick and healthy as it could. You get the idea. Go back to your lawn care processes and be sure you are doing them correctly.

Next, is there a physical or mechanical means of dealing with the problem (such as pulling weeds)? Then you may want to consider which biological controls might be helpful. These can range from spreading corn gluten on your lawn for weed control to using predatory/parasitic insects to help control the problem. Biological pesticides such as neem oil, insecticidal soap and pyrethrins are also available.

Finally, selectively use chemical herbicides and pesticides and do so at times they can do the most good. For instance, the very best time to go after dandelions is not when they are blooming in your lawn, but in fall, when this perennial broadleaf weed is germinating.

Judicious use of chemicals can be very helpful in yard care. Just don't view them as the easy solution to a situation that can be cured with good lawn care practices.