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Are Beneficial Nematodes the way to go?

surfgirl
13 years ago

Okay, so I'm a second season backyard gardener. We put in two 4x6 beds last year and had bumper crops, including one plot of only heirloom tomatoes. We put in the same this year, early April, and had fantastic growth with our Cherokee Purples, Brandywines, and three different Black Russian varieties. Until recently...when suddenly all the lower leaves started dying out, then the tops toppled over, blah blah blah, long story short, at the insistence of the local nursery I pulled out one tomato plant today and voila, it has nematode roots. The nursery tells me I cannot plant tomatoes in that plot for TWO years. TWO YEARS?

So I've looked online, and searched this site about this topic and all the posts look at least a year old. The other thing I notices was that I only saw posts about remedies like soil solarization and various home remedies like mustard powder and sugar water. What I did not see, was any posts regarding beneficial nematodes, which is what my nursery recommends.

Another thing I don't understand is this - if I use solarization or beneficial nemotodes, why can't I re plant tomatoes in that plot next Spring, provided I don't plant similar plants between now and then? Wont all the "bad" nematodes be gone then? I'm so bummed out because the only reason we put in the garden was to grow tomatoes...and they grow so well here. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. I'm going to pick all the remaining fruit tomorrow and then pull and bag the plants for the garbage. So I'm considering doing the beneficial nematode treatment on Sunday...unless anyone here has other suggestions...thanks!

Comments (10)

  • jean001
    13 years ago

    My soil in Long Beach had nematodes. I planted every year, using sturdy transplants from 4 inch pots. I always made certain the kind of tomato I chose had nematode resistance -- when you look at labels, certain capital letters will follow the tomato's name. If they're all present, you would see VFFNT -- You need a kind with the N.

    Even though nothing is 100% resistant, you can get a good crop.

    Other keys to success are these:
    1. Mix in at least 2 inches of compost every time you plant the tomatoes.
    2. Be certain you keep up with adequate water; if not, the impaired roots won't be able to keep up with the tops.
    3. at the end up the season, dig up the rootball, immediately wrap and trash it.

    Don't drag it to the trash can because you'll leave a trail of contaminated soil behind you. And that's a very bad thing.

    Oh yes, always work in your infested bed the last thing, then clean your tools thoroughly before putting them away. Or perhaps reserve a 2nd set of tools to use only for the contaminated bed.

    Yes, solarization has been tried. But that effect goes only so deep, not enough to protect a vigorous root system of a tomato.

    I don't have any experience w/nematodes. But I doubt the effect is 100%. Nothing is.

  • surfgirl
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks for sharing your experiences Joan. So did you do anything to your soil other than mixing in new compost each year? Cleaning tools, I need to do that too.

  • Kimmsr
    13 years ago

    There are nematodes that are parasitic and there are nematodes that predate those parasitic, but generally the best way to minimize damage from the parasitic nematodes is to increase the amount of organic matter in the soil which seems to also help increase the population of predatory nematodes saving you the cost of purchasing any.
    Planting Mairigolds has been one very long time method of helping to control the population of nematodes in garden soils. Be sure those Mairgolds are not one of the hybrids that seem to have that property bred out of them.

    Here is a link that might be useful: UCDavis on parasitic nematodes

  • jean001
    13 years ago

    Aha! the marigold fix!

    Please pay close attention to the statements at the UC site:
    "The effect of marigolds is greatest when you grow them as a solid planting for an entire season. When grown along with annual vegetables or beneath trees or vines (intercropping), nematode control usually isnÂt very good."

    In other words -- Only good as when the only plant present and when grown for the entire season.

    If you are lucky enough to have space to have fallow beds, try it.

    I didn't.
    So I went the heavy compost addition route. As was said, that helps build the population of beneficial nematodes & other critters that help limit the bad nemas.

    Oh yes, another tip. Never seed into the infested soil because the younger the plant is when affected, the shorter life it has. (With beans, essentially none) but transplants will produce, even though alive & healthy for a shorter time than if in "clean" soil.

  • surfgirl
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks kim and jean...

    I looked at the UCI site, thanks kim. When looking up nematodes there, they seem to focis on solarization and fallowing options, no mention of putting benefical nemas into the soil though. Weird. Though if you search for benefical nemas they do have info on how best to apply, etc.

    As for the marigold option, we could pull everything today, and plant wall to wall French Marigolds right now, then perhaps treat the area with beneficial Nemas before planting in the Spring. For that matter, we could do solarization now, then marigolds in winter, then beneficial nemas in Spring and plant. Does anyone have experience in combo approaches or do you typically just select one approach and go with that alone? Thanks...

  • sandy12450
    9 years ago

    I would like to know if the beneficial nematodes work on lawns with grubs or should I stick to lime and milky spore? What are the effect on the ground water and other vegetation, and pets?

  • Kimmsr
    9 years ago

    People do sell beneficial nematodes that are reported to aide in control of grubs somewhat better, I'm told, then the Milky Spore Disease, Bacillus popliieae, which is more passive then the nematodes.
    I have no idea what lime is supposed to do to control any insect, unless something like Hydrated Lime made direct contact with them. Beneficial nematode would have no adverse affect on ground water, other vegetation, or pets.

  • sandy12450
    9 years ago

    thank you kimmsr, I will pass on the information to my neighbor.

  • zzackey
    9 years ago

    As far as I know there is only one variety of marigolds that repels nematodes. Sorry the name slips my mind. Please google crop rotation. You can plant just marigolds in a major abundance in that garden one year to get rid of the nematodes. You have to turn them into the soil at the end of the summer.

  • Kimmsr
    9 years ago

    The French and African, non hybrid, marigolds both have the properties to aid in control of parasitic nematodes and the roots of the plants are where those properties are so it is not necessary to turn in the whole. Did that one year, a long time ago, and had marigolds growing everywhere.
    The F1 and on hybrids seem to have that property bred out of them.

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