Dive into various pest and disease management strategies—from conventional treatments to organic and all-natural approaches—during this detailed and engaging course.
Learn the key components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and how to apply each step effectively in your home garden. Through hands-on practice, you’ll develop personalized pest and disease diagnostic resources and gain skills to identify plant symptoms, assess problems, and create tailored action plans for successful garden care far into the future.
Class Schedule
Tuesday, September 15-October 13, 2026
Lectures 1 & 5
5:00 to 8:00 pm
Lectures 2-4
5:00 to 7:00 pm
Location
The Grove Studios 104 & 105
Instructor
Jackie Ricotta, Ph.D.
Originally from Rochester, NY, Jackie Ricotta graduated from Cornell University and went on to receive a master’s degree from North Carolina State University and a doctorate from the University of Illinois, all in Horticulture. Her specialization was vegetable production and pest control.
Since 2000, Dr. Ricotta has been a professor of horticulture at Delaware Valley University where she teaches courses in Botany, Sustainable Agriculture, Organic Food & Fiber, Integrated Pest Management, Commercial Vegetable Production, and Marketing of Horticultural Products. She was instrumental in bringing certified organic to the DelVal farm and helped start the Organic Farming Certificate Program (partnering with the Rodale Institute) as well as the Sustainable Agriculture Systems major.
Dr. Ricotta received the DelVal distinguished faculty member award in 2012. She is the co-editor of the textbook Organic Food, Farming and Culture, which was published by Bloomsbury in 2019, and a certified Forest Therapy Guide. In addition to being on the board of NOFA-NJ and the Friends of Spannocchia, Dr. Ricotta is active with the American Society for Horticultural Science, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and the Bucks County Foodshed Alliance.
