BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — When you're having problems with your plants the first step is to identify that problem. From there, the treatment varies.
Different diseases require different treatments, as do different pests.
"There's some insecticides that are good on sucking insects, some are good on chewing insects", says Kathy Robinson of Robby's Nursery, "so there's a lot of difference in what you use to get rid of the bugs."
For chewing insects, like leaf miners, an organic spray will usually take care of the problem. Sucking insects can be harder to kill and will often need a different treatment.
"Sometimes we have to go above and beyond the organics, and I like to use Malathion", says Robinson, "It's still safe on vegetables, but for spider mites, white flies, which are very hard to kill insects, this one's going to do a better job."
Organic fungicides will treat basic diseases too, like mildew. For more serious diseases, especially on larger plants, a systemic fungicide like Garden Phos can be used.
"Let's say you want to treat your tree. You can pour this around the base of the tree and it'll help treat the whole tree. It's real good on phytophthora or root rot", says Robinson.
