LAGC News:
Mary Ann thanked Ellen Dvorsky (dessert) & Helen Dean (arrangement).
LAGC Plant Sale: May 18th, 9 a.m. – noon. Bring potted plants between 7:30-7:45 a.m. day of sale to Northmont Presbyterian Church. Identify plant, bloom color, height, and sun requirements. Joanne Fabrics has neon green shirts. WORD OF MOUTH is crucial for the success of sale; distribute flyers and outdoor signs. This is our only money maker.
Other plant sales: 5/4 Shaler Garden Club, 5/11 Ingomar Garden Club.
Raffle: Colleen won $9 and club netted $9.
Shaler Garden Club: Bill showed their yard art project ---a decorative teacup & saucer available for sale at their May 4th plant sale.
Discounts: Quality Gardens & Bluestone Gardens have discounts for LAGC members.
UPMC Passavant Chapel Garden: Volunteer sign-up coming soon. Will post seasonal photos.
Speaker: Pat Morgan, Penn State Master Gardener
Organic Pest Control
- Pat gave a lively and musical talk with slides to help us remember the information
- Believes in edible landscapes
- Fewer than 10% of insects are harmful, but many killed ‘cause we don’t know identity
- Practice IPM (integrated pest management): Basis is prevention, observation, intervention to outwit, outlast and outplay pests.
- Conventional pest control promotes a short term fix right now, organic thinks long term, including wait times for predators to appear
- Learn how to attract predators (examples blooms, water, etc.)
- If using any control product—READ AND FOLLOW THE LABEL to determine what is targeted pest, cautions, application time, etc.
- No standard definition for “natural” so read the label!
- Controls include barriers (cultural & physical). Can include traps, lures, netting, collars, row covers.
- Organic controls can include diatomaceous earth, oils, Bt: Read the Label
Websites of interest:
http://beyondpesticides.org
www.dougoster.com/
www.theorganicgardeners.com/
http://extension.psu.edu/allegheny link to PS Master Gardeners
www.extremelygreen.com
Printed Resources: Good Bug, Bad Bug, Jessica Walliser
Good Weed, Bad Weed, Nancy Gift
Grow Organic, Doug Oster & Jersica Walliser
The Truth About Organic Gardening and The Truth About Garden Remedies, Jeff Gillman
The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control, Barbara Ellis & Fern Marshall
What’s Wrong with My Vegetable Garden, David Deardorff & Kathryn Wadsworth
Lasagne Gardening and Lasagna Gardening With Herbs, Patricia Lanza
Hellebores form Helen’s garden: Denny and Linda: dessert by Ellen
Submitted by: Rosemary Highman
