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Show Insect control made easy Insect and plant disease can quickly quick-ly take the fun out of home gardening. Happily, there's much you can do to control these problems. Insects are by far the biggest headache. They can eat up all the efforts ef-forts of planting, fertilizing and watering. water-ing. Look for telltale signs ragged leaf edges, holes in fruits or vegetables and curled or browning leaves. A good spraying program will not only control insects but can prevent many problems they cause, as well as preserve the value of your increasingly increasing-ly expensive ornamental plantings. If you're not sure which product to use, consult a lawn and garden center, state university extension service or county agent. They can help you identify iden-tify pests and advise the best spray material. Always read and follow all directions and precautions on labels and repeat applications as needed. Some spray materials shouldn't be used just prior to harvest. Get a sprayer or duster based on the size of the jobs to be done. Compressed Compress-ed air sprayers with one to four gallon tanks are suitable for most home gardens, suggest the experts at the National Sprayer and Duster Association. Associa-tion. Their curved hose extensions allows you to apply spray from above, in from the side up and from below, catching many insects and plant diseases right where they start under the leaves. For large plantings, power sprayers might be a good choice. Options include in-clude gasoline or electric motors and tank capacities of ten gallons or more. Dusters are another tool available for the battle. The most popular models are plunger types which have extensions and adjustable nozzles. They make it easy to apply the pesticide right where the problem lies. Good gardening practices are important, im-portant, too. Keep garden areas free of weeds and debris. Many insects winter over in weeds and move into the garden in the spring. Weeds also compete com-pete for needed water and soil nutrients. |