Abstract

POWELL, C.C. 1984. Success in coordinating disease control depends on finding common elements. Am. Nurseryman 159(2): 75-77.

To coordinate programs for turf and ornamental disease control, we must first find the common denominators of the diseases that affect these two plant types. Few, if any, turf diseases, however, also affect trees and shrubs. Thus what are some common denominators? There are three parts of plant health management. First, there are cultivar, or plant selection, decisions that lead to good health. Next are considerations of stresses in the environment and how to best manage them as the plant grows. Finally, there are decisions regarding the kind of pesticides to use and how and when to apply them. With ornamentals, the plant material may be more diverse than turf, but the variations in the timing patterns are fewer. There are four patterns or scenarios concerning the application of fungicides to ornamentals: the bud break sprays or the very early spring sprays; the post-bloom sprays or the later spring, early summer group; the wet-weather sprays; and the sprays during cool weather, especially cool nights followed by warmer days. Nurserymen should try to fit information on ornamental diseases into a scheme to clarify their thinking and programming abilities.

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