443052.1 Introduction
More species and cultivars of ornamental plants are grown in nurseries and in the landscape than all other kinds of cultivated crops combined. While this is a statement of pride among ornamental horticulturists, it is likewise true that an even greater number of pest species find these plants and use them as food, causing an expenditure of time and dollars in added maintenance costs.
Concise pesticide guidelines are given in this publication for managing more than 150 species of insects and mites on over 50 kinds of ornamental trees and shrubs which grow in the four plant zones of New York. Practical and effective control of insects and mites that attack ornamental trees and shrubs can be achieved by recognizing the pests, understanding their life histories, and using a skillfully planned integrated pest management (IPM) program.
IPM goes beyond the use of chemical pesticides and includes every means of pest control that may be applied under a given set of circumstances. Useful pest control techniques must be compatible, so IPM programs may vary from nursery to nursery or landscape to landscape and may require professional assistance to organize and maintain. What follows are but fragments of the IPM concept.