Winter Flower Pest and Disease Prevention Methods and Edible Fungus Pest and Disease Control Techniques

As winter arrives, most flower pests and diseases gradually enter an overwintering state. During this period, various pests and diseases are basically inactive and have limited mobility, making it an ideal season for prevention and control. Practice has proven that if winter control measures are effective, the occurrence and severity of pests and diseases in the following year can be greatly reduced, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

1. Clean the garden: The pathogens (fungi) or overwintering eggs of most flower pests and diseases overwinter in dead branches, fallen leaves and weeds within the garden, and emerge when conditions are suitable the following year. Therefore, thoroughly clearing and destroying dead branches, fallen leaves and weeds in the garden during winter to improve sanitation can greatly reduce various sources of pests and diseases. This has a significant effect on controlling anthracnose, powdery mildew, rust, red spider mites and moths on flowers and trees such as roses, chrysanthemums, peonies, crabapple, as well as pagoda trees and willows.

2. Prune diseased branches: Winter pruning is one of the important aspects of garden management. Combined with winter pruning, focus on cutting off branches and leaves carrying pests and diseases. Such as eggs on flowers and trees like Jasminum nudiflorum and roses, and scale insects on pagoda trees, willows, poplars and shrubs. Pruned diseased branches and leaves should be promptly cleaned up and transported out of the garden for centralized disposal.

3. Winter plowing and deep turning: Winter plowing and deep turning can cause underground pests lurking in the soil, such as white grubs, cutworms, mole crickets and wireworms, to suffer mechanical damage, and after being exposed to the surface, they can be pecked and eaten by birds and other natural enemies. When necessary, manual capture and killing can also be employed.

4. Whitewashing for protection: Whitewashing trunks and branches can not only effectively prevent frost damage and sunscald of flowers and trees in winter and improve their disease resistance, but also destroy the overwintering sites of pests and diseases, serving the dual purpose of both freeze prevention and insect killing. It is especially effective against mites and scale insects that overwinter in tree bark.

The commonly used whitewash formula is: quicklime 5 kg, lime sulfur mixture stock solution 0.2 kg, salt 0.3 kg, lard (other animal or vegetable oils may also be used) 0.2 kg, water 17 kg.

Preparation method: First dissolve the quicklime and salt in water, then add the lard and lime sulfur mixture stock solution and stir thoroughly until evenly mixed.

Special note: The quicklime must be fully dissolved, otherwise it may cause burns after being applied to the branches and trunks of flowers and trees.

5. Chemical control: Since various pests and diseases are mostly in a dormant state during winter, chemical control measures in winter can be adopted for those pests and diseases that are difficult to control during their active season. For example, spraying with 50 to 100 times diluted mineral oil emulsion can control scale insects. Applying 800 times diluted omethoate at 4 kg per sq m as a soil drench can control chrysanthemum gall midge. Spraying 1% Bordeaux mixture 2 to 3 times in late winter can provide good control of various diseases such as pear-juniper rust and rose black spot.