One local business has been recognized for keeping plants and the people who tend them safe and healthy.
Tom and Susan Palomaki are the owners of Lucas Greenhouses in Fairport, which received an award for Excellence in IPM (integrated pest management) by Cornell University.
Long time gardeners, the Victor couple used took over the business in 2005. Since then, they have looked for ways to avoid using strong pesticides.
Susan explained that although spraying everything under a greenhouse roof with harsh chemicals may be quicker, it poses safety risks to people in the same environment.
“If you read the (pesticide) labels, you realize there’s got to be a better way,” said Susan. “It’s pretty scary.”
They found that using chemicals can not only creates dangerous fumes, but may also cause insects to develop a resistance to them, which makes them tougher to snuff out.
To find a safer alternative, the greenhouse owners hired the “invaluable” local plant pathologist Debbie Palumbo-Sanders, who helped research new bio control methods. They then decided to use a different method of IPM.
This method uses “good bugs” as natural predators to feed on harmful insects detected on plants’ target areas.
The bugs are shipped in cases of finely ground bran flakes that are then sprinkled on the plant leaves and soil. These microscopic predators can either be placed on the plant itself or jump from a “banker” plant growing next to it.
The Lucas team was nominated for its IPM award by the Cornell Cooperative Extension, and were honored at Cornell University’s Floriculture Field Day on July 24.
The IPM method doesn’t prohibit use of pesticides, but does mean spraying less often. And although IPM is a little more costly, Tom Palomaki said it’s completely worth it.
“We’ve really had a great response from customers who find out we spray as infrequently as possible,” he said.
One local business has been recognized for keeping plants and the people who tend them safe and healthy.
Tom and Susan Palomaki are the owners of Lucas Greenhouses in Fairport, which received an award for Excellence in IPM (integrated pest management) by Cornell University.
Long time gardeners, the Victor couple used took over the business in 2005. Since then, they have looked for ways to avoid using strong pesticides.
Susan explained that although spraying everything under a greenhouse roof with harsh chemicals may be quicker, it poses safety risks to people in the same environment.
“If you read the (pesticide) labels, you realize there’s got to be a better way,” said Susan. “It’s pretty scary.”
They found that using chemicals can not only creates dangerous fumes, but may also cause insects to develop a resistance to them, which makes them tougher to snuff out.
To find a safer alternative, the greenhouse owners hired the “invaluable” local plant pathologist Debbie Palumbo-Sanders, who helped research new bio control methods. They then decided to use a different method of IPM.
This method uses “good bugs” as natural predators to feed on harmful insects detected on plants’ target areas.
The bugs are shipped in cases of finely ground bran flakes that are then sprinkled on the plant leaves and soil. These microscopic predators can either be placed on the plant itself or jump from a “banker” plant growing next to it.
The Lucas team was nominated for its IPM award by the Cornell Cooperative Extension, and were honored at Cornell University’s Floriculture Field Day on July 24.
The IPM method doesn’t prohibit use of pesticides, but does mean spraying less often. And although IPM is a little more costly, Tom Palomaki said it’s completely worth it.
“We’ve really had a great response from customers who find out we spray as infrequently as possible,” he said.
