Melinda's Garden Moment Radio Tips

Melinda Myers

Nationally known gardening expert, TV/Radio host, author & columnist with over 30 years of horticulture experience and tons of gardening information to share! www.melindamyers.com

Melinda's Garden Moment videos will help you create that beautiful landscape you’ve always wanted. Each week throughout the growing season, a new gardening video will be added right here, so be sure to stop back. You can also watch Melinda’s Garden Moments on your local network TV station affiliate.

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Always evaluate the need to treat before applying any pesticide, organic or synthetic. Plus, needlessly applying chemicals can harm the good insects that help manage garden pests.

This strategy applies to scale insects as well. Their hard-shell coverings can hang on branches for many seasons after they’ve died. Use a sewing needle to flip over the waxy coating and a hand lens for a closer look. Living scale are plump and round and often bleed when uncovered. 

Check at least 25 scale insects. Multiple the number of live scale insects found in every 25 checked by 4 to calculate the percentage of live insects.

If the percent of live scale is low, a dormant oil spray applied to plants when dormant or insecticidal soap when the crawlers are active will usually provide sufficient control.

A bit more information: Consider testing scale on several parts of the plant. This provides a more accurate assessment of the live population.  Treating only when necessary allows the natural enemies to help keep these pest populations under control.