These are the elements needed by plants to maintain growth. Without them, the plant can't live. They are needed in small amounts and too much can cause toxicity. Examples are Iron, Copper, Zinc, Magnesium, Calcium, Sulfur, etc.

This is on the label under the chemical nomenclature. It tells you how concentrated the chemical in the percent of active ingredient The remainder is inert ingredients used as a carrier which could be water, solvents, clay, etc. The higher the percent active ingredient, the more concentrated the product. So it is a good comparison figure when you p [..]

Insects that eat or lay their eggs in other insects thereby controlling them.

Most pesticides are normally sold under 3 different names. The trade name is the one that is the best known and usually is the one which buying decisions are made. The other two are the generic name and the long chemical name (which is in the small print with the active ingredient). The generic name and chemical name are good names to use when comp [..]

Letting your spray get where you don't want it, usually because of wind or poor application technique.

This is how a chemical is produced and packaged. It is a carrier for the active ingredient. Dry formulations are WP (wettable powders) WDG (water dispersible granules) for mixing with water and dusts or granules for using as is. Liquid formulations are EC (emulsifiable concentrates), SC (soluble concentrates), flowables (suspensions) and AS (aqueou [..]

Product for control of weeds

Usually referred to with herbicide use, which means to mix into the soil.

The NOP is a regulatory program housed within the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. They are responsible for developing national standards for organically-produced agricultural products. These standards assure consumers that products with the USDA organic seal meet consistent, uniform standards. The NOP logo in for home gardeners is three green [..]

Refers to the period other material must be on the plant before a rainfall or irrigation to retain its effectiveness.