Your plant will survive a few pests. The more pests you can stand, the less pesticides you use. So cut out most preventative sprays, the ones called for by the calendar and not weather conditions. Know Your Options Sadof and other Purdue researchers are developing alternatives to chemical pest control, looking at natural enemies, pest-resistant plants and new plant management methods to frustrate insects, weeds and disease. Integrated Pest Management, which got its start in farm fields, uses all those tools.
Some strategies are blends of all four.
Cultural control refers to how you do things. It can mean selecting plants best suited for your yard conditions and the Indiana climate, since healthy plants are their own best defense. Cultural controls also include mechanical methods such as tilling the soil to disrupt weeds. Spending a little thought, time and money up front to head off problems later is the rationale behind these strategies. The European white birch is a beautiful tree and a popular choice for many homes.