Product Description

The unrivaled practical handbook for the identification, treatment and prevention of plant problems.

Guidance from the experts in the Identification, treatment, and prevention of plant pests, diseases, and disorders. Whether you need to identify a pest, want to know how to prevent plant problems, or are looking for alternatives to pesticides, you will find the answers in AHS Pests & Diseases. How do you know if an insect is beneficial or destructive? AHS Pests & Diseases identifies valuable insects and pest predators as well as the troublemakers. Can you identify a problem if you don't know the name of a plant? The illustrated catalog of plant problems is grouped according to whether leaves, stems, flowers, roots, or fruits are attacked. Simply compare the photographs with the affected part of your plant to find out what is wrong. Is a particular plant susceptible to disease? The A-Z, plant-by-plant listing tells you which particular ailments individual plants are most likely to suffer from. Are pesticides always necessary? Many common problems can be controlled by good gardening practice and simple preventive measures. AHS Pests and Diseases provides authoritative advice on pesticide-free solutions wherever appropriate. AHS Pests & Diseases is the practical handbook gardeners have been waiting for.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #569718 in Books
• Published on: 2000-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Amazon.com Review
Is your garden troubled by cutworms or aphids? Need to know the best method for preventing the spread of viruses among your houseplants? Look no further than Pests and Diseases, the informative guide to the downside of gardening. Sooner or later, everyone's roses are troubled by black spot. Or maybe you haven't been having success treating known problems with chemical solutions. Pests and Diseases will answer all your questions, from prevention methods to lasting damage repair.

The close-up photos in the "identifying" area are certainly helpful, but are not for the squeamish. And it's not just the creepy crawlies that are a little discomforting--shots of full-blown bacterial infections on tree trunks aren't exactly a welcome sight, either. But to ensure healthy lives for their plants, responsible gardeners need to be as familiar with ladybug larvae as they are with lavender. It's better to recognize these problems in the early stages. Treatments discussed focus on organic and biological methods whenever possible. Beer-traps, barriers, and beneficial bugs are all explained in detail, along with reminders that regular weeding and cleanliness aren't just for looks, but for health as well. When chemical solutions are recommended, proper care is emphasized--not just for you, but for the other plants and animals in your garden. Proper techniques for preparation, treatment, storage, and disposal are gone over at length, as well as stern advice to only use these in moderation, and correctly--if they won't solve the problem thoroughly, then they're not worth the risks involved. Thorough and straightforwardly technical, even beginning gardeners will find it possible to tackle tough problems with this intelligent aid. --Jill Lightner

About the Author
Pippa Greenwood is widely recognized as an authority on plant problems and gardening. She regularly appears on television and radio programs and frequently contributes to gardening magazines. She is the author of Dorling Kindersley Publishing's The New Gardener, The Flower Gardener, and Gardening Hints and Tips.

Customer Reviews

GOOD & GROSS!
First off, if you can not stand the sight of a bug, this is not for you. I am a horticulture student who loves plants but hates pests! I got this book for a class and it is great! All gardeners shoud have this book close by at all times! It is an indespensible refrence for anyone who wants to have a happy healthy garden. I love the way the book is organized by a "Gallery of Symptoms" in the begining. This is a section of close up pictures of leafs, fruits, nuts, vegetables and flowers with all the pest (disese and bug)problems I ever (never) wanted to see. It is so disgusting that my friends will not go near the book! However, I am excited to try the various non-chemical controls the book readily provides. A holostic aproach seems to be the theme of the A-Z directory in the second half which gives me comfort in gardening... not just for me but the birds, bees and other GOOD critters in the garden. Happy hunting! (Slugs here in the N.W.)

Invaluable resource
While this book is not the type most people curl up to read on a cold winter's night, I found it to be a very worthwhile resource for any garden. You can research any problem by either plant or by symptom. Each section is color coded along the page edge for easy use. The pages on Individual Plant Problems are separated into sections like "Garden Trees" or "Bulbs", and then alphabetically listed by common name and the name of the problem. The Gallery of Symptoms allows you to look at general problems with a particular part of the plant, such as leaves, stems, or fruits. Full color photographs accompany each symptom or pest, as well as a listing of types of plants affected and the season of affect. A short description follows with the page number for a full description and the recommended treatment.

A Good Supplemental Guide for Gardeners
The organizational structure of this guide to identifying and treating plant problems makes navigating the many causes of damage easy. The first section contains thumbnail photographs of specific problems, arranged by plant parts affected: leaf problems; stem and bud problems; flower problems; fruit, berry, nut, and vegetable problems; soil, root, tuber, and bulb problems; and lawn problems. The book then follows the problems with a brief photographic section of beneficial insects so gardeners do not kill off the bugs that help maintain environmental balance. Good gardening habits, including soil and nutrient analysis and pest/disease control, are given adequate space. The bulk of the book, however, is the A to Z guide which describes symptoms, cause, and control of just about every garden problem. Readers are expected to first identify the problem using the photographs in the beginning section and then turn to more information in the A to Z guide. The problem is, different plants with the same disease may not appear anything like the chosen (and small) photograph. Diagnosis is sometimes difficult. The index to individual plant problems is somewhat of a help to rule out similar problems that don't affect the plant in question, but I found myself wishing that this guide were a little more complete.

Recommended treatment is most often organic -- removing pests by hand, using insecticidal soap, introducing beneficial insects, or removing all affected plants. My favorite suggestion for wasp control is to vacuum them from their nests, seal the vacuum bag, and stick it in the freezer to kill the wasps. I'm sure my family would just love to have dying wasps next to the ice cream. Fortunately, most suggestions are not as impractical; they maintain a regard for both plant and human health. When true pesticides are the only recourse, the books refers to them as "labeled insecticides" without specifying which kind would be effective. (For pesticide users, try an Ortho book instead.)

I found that this book makes a good supplement to my other gardening books. Very few books are dedicated to pests and diseases, making this a valuable resource for the gardener. I recommend pairing this book with Princeton University Press's Garden Insects of North America.