John T. Pietroski. (Photo courtesy Camden Garden Club)
The third session of the Camden Garden Club Winter Horticulture Series will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, at 9:30 a.m. The Camden Public Library will host the program on Zoom and anyone wishing to attend should email jpierce@librarycamden.org to request a Zoom link.
Dealing with Garden Pests: An Integrated Approach for the Home Gardener will be presented by John T. Pietroski, manager of Pesticide Programs, Master Gardener Pesticide Educator and manager of Pesticide Programs at the Maine Board of Pesticide Control in Augusta.
He will discuss the proper approach for home gardeners to apply when diagnosing plant pest problems and how to seek environmentally sound treatments for them. Chronic misuse of pesticides by homeowners and gardeners is a growing problem that affects the local environment. Proper use and application, storage, and disposal of pesticides, as well as other tactics to deter garden pests, such as cultivation practices, timing of planting, etc., will also be discussed as ways to minimize pesticide usage.