IPM ladder (use in order)
- Culture: right plant, right place, airflow, sanitation, resistant cultivars.
- Physical: barriers, handpick, traps, row cover, fencing.
- Biological: predators, parasitoids, Bacillus products where labeled.
- Chemical (last): least-toxic first, evening applications, follow labels like a grown-up.
The local villains
| Problem | Signature | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Slugs / snails | Ragged holes, slime, overnight theft | Iron phosphate baits, beer traps (meh), copper barriers, evening hunts, reduce board hiding spots |
| Aphids | Curled tips, sticky honeydew | Blast with water, encourage lacewings, insecticidal soap if needed |
| Late blight / leaf spots | Rapid tomato/potato lesions in cool wet | Airflow, mulch, resistant types, remove infected tissue, avoid overhead water |
| Apple scab / pear scab | Olive lesions on leaves/fruit | Resistant cultivars, sanitation, timely sprays if you go that route |
| Fire blight (pears/apples) | Shepherd’s crook shoots, blackened | Prune 8–12" below symptoms in dry weather; sterilize tools; avoid heavy N |
| Deer | Cleanly browsed tips, hoof prints, despair | 8' fence is real; repellents are temporary theater |
| Voles / rodents | Girdled trunks, tunnels | Trunk guards, mow/mulch management, traps |
Failure mode
Neem is not holy water. Soap is not a personality. Read the label, protect bees, and stop spraying open blossoms like you’re fogging for dragons.