Name the pest first, then reach for the gentlest thing that works.

How we stock it at Green Zone

Pest control lives on one shelf in our store: sprays, oils and soaps, fungicides and sticky traps, organic options first. Live ladybugs are kept in the fridge in small batches, and the beneficial nematodes are kept cold too.

Most people ask what to spray. We'd rather answer "what is it" first. A product only works on the pests and plants its label names, and the label is the law: read it before you spray. Our job is to match the bug to the bottle, start soft, and keep the stronger options for when you need them.

What IPM means, in one paragraph

IPM stands for integrated pest management. The EPA describes it in four steps: decide how much damage is worth acting on, watch and identify what you have, prevent problems first, and when you do act, start with the method that works with the least risk. Not every insect on a plant needs control. For a few plants at home, our view is simple: a sticky card and a close look before a sprayer, and a soap or a biological before anything stronger.

The lineup

Yellow sticky traps

Catching and counting flying adults. Fungus gnat adults are drawn to yellow; the cards don't touch the larvae in the soil.

Where it fits: Every grow, before and after you spray

Lost Coast Plant Therapy

A contact insecticide, fungicide and miticide made with soy oil, peppermint oil and citric acid. The maker lists spider mites, aphids, thrips, whiteflies, mealybugs, russet mites and fungus gnats, plus powdery mildew and botrytis.

Where it fits: Foliar spray or soil drench, up to the day of harvest

Athena IPM

A broad-spectrum fungicide and insecticide spray for spider mites, aphids, fungus gnats and powdery mildew. It kills on contact.

Where it fits: Regular prevention or an outbreak

Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap

Potassium salts of fatty acids, which break down a soft-bodied insect's outer shell. Labeled for aphids, mealybugs, mites, whiteflies, soft scales and more on houseplants, vegetables, fruit and flowers. OMRI Listed.

Where it fits: Contact only; up to the day of harvest

Doctor Zymes Eliminator

An insecticide and fungicide with no oils. The maker lists mites, russet mites, thrips, aphids and fungus gnats, plus molds and powdery mildew. OMRI Listed.

Where it fits: Spray, or drench the soil for gnats; up to and on the day of harvest

AzaMax

A botanical insecticide, miticide and nematicide. It stops pests feeding and growing, and the maker says to start early, while they're young. Lists mites, aphids, thrips, whiteflies, fungus gnats and root aphids. OMRI listed.

Where it fits: Foliar spray or root drench, soil or hydro; crops are on the label

Monterey B.t.

A biological insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, for caterpillars and worm-type insects only. They have to eat it. OMRI Listed.

Where it fits: Vegetables, fruit, flowers and trees in the home garden; up to and on the day of harvest

SaferGro Mildew Cure

A botanical contact fungicide for powdery mildew, made from cottonseed, corn and garlic oils.

Where it fits: Not on seedlings or very young plants

Safer Brand Garden Fungicide

A sulfur spray that prevents and controls powdery mildew, black spot, leaf spot and rust on roses, flowers, foliage plants, fruit and vegetables. OMRI Listed.

Where it fits: At the first sign of disease; until the day before harvest

One bottle on this shelf is not for food plants. Bonide Systemic Insect Control is labeled for roses, flowers, ornamentals, shrubs and shade trees, outdoors only. Its label says not to use it on plants grown for food, and Bonide's page says it is not for herbs, vegetables or fruit plants. The label also warns it is highly toxic to bees that touch the spray or its residue on blooming plants. Indoors, or anything you plan to eat: this isn't your bottle.

The supporting cast: live beneficials

Ladybugs. Orcon's ladybugs are convergent lady beetles, and Orcon says they prefer aphids. Release them after dark, since they fly only in daylight, onto plants that were just watered, in small groups at the base of the plants with aphids. We keep them in the fridge in small batches, so call before you drive.

Fungus Gnat Control. This is Orcon's beneficial nematode, Steinernema feltiae, for fungus gnat larvae in the potting mix. It goes into the soil or potting mix, and never out in direct sunlight. Colorado State lists S. feltiae as a soil drench for gnat larvae. Keep the unmixed pack cold; once it's mixed with water, use it all. It works on the larvae in the pot. The adults flying around are what the sticky cards are for.

How it fits your grow, in 3 steps

Step 1. Look, catch, and name it.

Turn the leaves over, hang a yellow card at the pots, and bring us a leaf or a photo of both sides. A couple of fading leaves at the bottom isn't a pest: 1 to 3 of the oldest, lowest leaves fading over several days is routine.

Step 2. Fix what invited it.

Fungus gnat adults are drawn to moist mix, and Colorado State calls letting the top 1 to 2 inches dry between waterings the most important step. Lift the pot, water when it's noticeably lighter, then let it dry back. For mold on dense flowers late in the grow, the risk is humidity in the high 60s or above that holds for hours, or water sitting on surfaces. A short spike isn't it.

Step 3. Start soft, match the label, then judge.

Pick one product whose label names your pest and your plant. Contact sprays only work where they land, so cover the undersides of leaves, and plan on more than one round. Repeat on the label's schedule, not sooner. Move one knob.

Who it's for, and who it's not for

A good fit if

• You grow houseplants, vegetables or flowers and have a pest you can see or name.

• You want organic options first and don't mind spraying more than once.

• You grow food and want products that can go on close to harvest. Several labels here say so.

Not the right fit if

• You want one spray that fixes everything for good. Contact products only work on what they touch.

• Your leaves are yellowing and there's no bug in sight. That's usually water or food, not pests; start with our yellow leaves answer.

Common mistakes we help people avoid

Spraying in heat or bright light. Safer says not to spray its soap when the sun is highest or above 90°F, or leaves can wilt or brown. Doctor Zymes says to spray in the evening below 80°F, and indoors during the dark period.

Pouring two products into one sprayer. Doctor Zymes says not to combine Eliminator with other pesticides or nutrients. Only mix when both labels say you can.

Oiling a seedling. SaferGro says Mildew Cure doesn't go on seedlings or very young plants, not more often than every 7 days, and to test a small area first.

Using B.t. on the wrong bug. Monterey B.t. works only on caterpillars that eat treated leaves, so spray while they're small. It isn't for mites or aphids.

Letting ladybugs go at noon. They fly in daylight. Release after dark.

Frequently asked questions

What do I reach for first for spider mites?

Confirm it under a leaf, then pick a contact spray whose label lists mites: Lost Coast, Athena IPM, Safer soap and Doctor Zymes all do. Cover the undersides and repeat on the label's schedule.

What about fungus gnats?

Let the top of the mix dry, catch adults on yellow cards, then treat the larvae. Lost Coast, Doctor Zymes and AzaMax each list a soil drench and name fungus gnats, and Fungus Gnat Control is the live option.

Can I use these on vegetables I'm going to eat?

Read the harvest line. Lost Coast, Safer soap, Monterey B.t. and Doctor Zymes say up to the day of harvest; Safer Garden Fungicide says until the day before. Bonide Systemic is not for food plants at all.

Is everything on this shelf organic?

No. We stock organic options first. Safer soap, Safer Garden Fungicide, Monterey B.t., AzaMax and Doctor Zymes say OMRI Listed; Lost Coast says CCOF Organic Approved. Athena says IPM is exempt from EPA registration as a minimum-risk product.

Will ladybugs clear spider mites?

Orcon says its ladybugs prefer aphids. For mites, start with a spray whose label lists them.

Do you carry every size?

Not every size of every product is in at once. Call (508) 459-9609 to check before you drive.

Keep going

• Departments: Pest & plant protection · Climate, air & controls · Houseplants

• Grower answers: Bud Rot Survival Guide · What humidity should I run, and what if I can't hit it? · Yellow leaves: is it a deficiency, and is this too much? · How often should I water, and why is she drooping?

• Browse online, buy in store: Doctor Zymes Eliminator

• More deep dives: Athena · General Hydroponics · The microbe shelf: mycorrhizae, enzymes and humics

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