nematodes

[papayamon]

anyone here deal with nematodes? i just set out a tree that had root knot nematodes, though i can't remember which one it was now, since i've planted so many.

a little research and i'm coming to find that there is an incredibly diverse number and type of these creatures, some of which severely damage plants. in fact, i've read somewhere that 5% of all crops are destroyed by nematodes.

i think i'm going to make a solar oven to bake my potting soil and grow a container garden, especially for plants like kiwi that are very susceptable to them. in my area, they are especially prevalent in the sandy soils.

[MrFalafel]

When I had my allotment, the lady across the way always had the best produce of the holding. She had piles of wonderful potatoes and other plants when the rest of us would just be lucky to have a few tomatoes and half eaten onions. We asked her how she did it. Her answer: nematodes. She would buy nematodes and spread them on her allotment. http://www.unwins.co.uk/nemaslug-nematodes-slug-killer-40m2-pid1504.html?gclid=CMP_4fWDupwCFU0A4wod9k1knQ the ones she bought ate 'young slugs' before the slugs could eat her garden. She swore by them.

So, depending on your nematode, they could be bad or good depending....

[papayamon]

there are beneficial ones, and it's unfortunate that you cannot separate the good from the bad. i'm going to have to sterilize my soil in a solar oven, which is actually pretty easy to do. the problem is that people freak out if your plants have root knots and once you get a bad rep for that it's hard to overcome. i'm not to concerned for my personal garden, except the kiwis. i figure if the bugs eat some, it's not the end of the world, and i'm planning to use homemade measures like pepper spray to hold the damage down to an acceptable level.

the raccoons are another matter :). you've got to have electric fence for those guys or they will destroy your entire crop if they like what you're growing.

[Kyo]

I have no experience with nematodes but am thinking about someday growing taro and bananas among other things and being semi-self sufficient. Both of these plants are susceptible to nematodes. So I have done some research into nematodes and have learned that crop rotation (rotating susceptible crops with resistant crops) is a natural way to control them. There are even some crops that suppress nematodes. Sunnhemp looks especially attractive because it's also an excellent green manure and produces a large amount of biomass.

‘Tropic Sun’ Sunnhemp (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctahr.hawaii.edu%2Foc%2Ffreep ubs%2Fpdf%2FGreenManureCrops%2Fsunnhemp.pdf&ei=iF2RSt6wNZDgswPvjLwL&rct=j&q=SA-GM-11+manoa&usg=AFQjCNFsexXKe8_injSXw4Y79449KmCxpg)

Protecting Crops from Nematode Pests: Using Marigold as an Alternative to Chemical Nematicide
(http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctahr.hawaii.edu%2Foc%2Ffreep ubs%2Fpdf%2FPD-35.pdf&ei=QWGRSuuJN4L8sgOvx-AL&rct=j&q=pd-35++%22Using+Marigold+as+an+Alternative+to+Chemica l+Nematicides%22&usg=AFQjCNFCVVLC5xvWOWACc-ZfZx4Pk8Vk9g)

[papayamon]

no doubt crop rotation/tilling/etc is good, but those apply to annual plants. it's not so easy when you're talking perennial bushes/trees. there may not be much i can do about it for my own plants except let the ones that can't cut it die and replant with other varieties that are more resistant. as a practical matter, you cannot totally sterilize your ground soil. i figure if i can get my trees large enough before they get a serious infestation, they can limp along and i'll get some fruit, instead of no fruit :).

this is why most fruit trees are grafted in florida on nematode resistant root stocks, although even they are proving less affected than originally hoped.

my solution is to overplant for my personal needs (and boy have i already done that!) and manage the plants i'm selling with an iron fist to prevent infestation.

[Kyo]

How about interplanting perennials with plants that suppress nematodes. You could do that if you have sufficient space. I think it would help prevent nematodes from spreading from one plant to another.

[papayamon]

i think they're indigenous to the soil where i am, so spreading infection isn't much of an issue. it's more a matter of controlling it for acceptable results. if i weren't starting a nursery, i wouldn't be as concerned. it's clear to me i'm going to have to be very careful to keep things clean and i'll have to prepare well. i think i can do this without using any chemicals.