The 2011 ASHS Annual Conference

Master Gardeners (MGs) are sometimes asked questions related to pest control for both landscape plants and edible gardens.  Master Gardener Coordinators have MGs follow university recommendations when making any pest control recommendation, but not all MGs are familiar with pesticides.  In Miami-Dade County, Florida, the Commercial Vegetable Agent teaches the portion of the training class that deals with using pesticides correctly.  She uses labels from commonly used products, showing where to find relevant information on the label and about basic safety when using pesticides.  Topics include: Directions for Use, which includes plants on which the different pesticides can be used; Personal Protective Equipment; the importance of observing pre-harvest intervals for any edible plants in a garden and why this is important; and the need to follow time to planting restrictions for a very commonly used herbicide.  This talk will give specific examples from actual labels and survey results of local Master Gardener knowledge on this topic.