Pest, Disease, and Plant Care

This unit teaches students how to protect and establish healthy organic gardens through integrated pest management, pesticide safety, vertebrate control, weed management, and hands-on planting techniques. It builds on earlier units about soil health and plant selection and prepares learners to monitor, maintain, and document garden health in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze common insect, disease, and vertebrate pest symptoms and life cycles to identify causal factors and select appropriate organic management options
• Apply integrated pest management (IPM) principles to develop and implement a site-specific pest control plan that prioritizes prevention, cultural and biological controls, and least-toxic interventions
• Demonstrate safe handling, storage, and application procedures for approved organic pesticides and the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE) according to labels and regulations
• Evaluate weed species and planting techniques to implement effective nonchemical weed control and proper planting/transplanting practices that promote long-term plant health