IPM Basics

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the practice of prevention and suppression of pests. It uses a variety of tools, including regular scouting, planting resistant varieties, proper nutrition, and implementing sound cultural practices. Pesticides are only used when pest pressure reaches an unacceptable level, and even then, products are carefully chosen to be environmentally responsible. 

It is well known that plants grown under optimal conditions are less likely to experience pest problems. That’s why the first step in IPM is prevention. Ensuring your plants have what they need—proper nutrition, the right amount of light, suitable soil, and appropriate irrigation—can prevent many issues before they arise. However, even when all the conditions are ideal, pest problems can still occur. 

My rule of thumb is: “More is not better.” It’s tempting to give extra water or fertilizer, thinking it will boost plant growth—but too much can actually cause problems. Over-fertilizing may push plants to grow too quickly, reducing overall quality or even causing phytotoxicity. Rapid growth can also decrease the concentration of a plant’s natural protective chemicals.

In containerized production, soils don’t flush naturally like in the field, so nutrients and salts can accumulate over time. Regular soil and leaf tissue analyses are essential to identify nutritional imbalances and determine whether treatment is necessary.

Why does this matter for pest management? Stressed plants are more vulnerable to insect damage. Maintaining proper nutrition and balanced growth is a key step in preventing pest problems in commercial container production.

Treatment of Problems – You’ve done everything right: adequate light, proper watering, and good nutrition. Yet somehow, out of nowhere, “Poof!”—pests appear, often in high numbers, leaving you scratching your head asking, “How did they get here?”

It’s not magic. Pests can arrive on new plant material, in soil, or even from a neighboring plant that harbors them without showing damage. Insects and mites can also move on wind currents, clothing, animals, and tools. These are all potential sources of infestation.

This is why weekly scouting and keeping detailed records are essential. Tracking pest occurrences over time helps you anticipate when they may appear each year and evaluate whether your treatments are effective.