Nematodes in Florida (and other) Soil (No Vapam) (long)

[EDUPSHAW]

Jim,

Root Knot Nematodes are a serious problem for us here in Florida. The soil never freezes so the little buggers just keep on producing.

These microscopic "eels" get into the roots of plants and form "galls" or "knots" that strangle the host plant. Nematodes mostly effect fruiting vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants. (For tomatoes, plant "VFN" resistant varieties.) Nematodes can also be a problem for cukes but it does not sound like that's your problem. Nematodes are disasterous to citrus! Please be careful about carrying contamination on tools on in soil to any orange trees.

As RogerX suggested, examine the roots of the plants you pull up for tiny knots. If you do find an abundance of knots, destroy infected rootstock, DO NOT COMPOST! Be careful about spreading them, wash your tools.

There are several things you can do to contol nematode infestation:

You can no longer use Vapam but you can solarize the soil for a couple of months, that helps.

You can try to flood them out. I have actually dug up infected beds and soaked the soil in 55 gal drums.

Add LOTS of organic material. There is some fungus found in compost that chokes the nematode. That fungus thrives in composted pine needles and, get this, crustacion shells like shrimp or crabs.

Add the product, "Nemagone." It's expensive and it is made from ground-up crab shells. "Chitten" (Or something like that.)

Add Sugar. That's a weird one from a Rodale book. Be sure to water the sugar thru prior to planting.

Plant Mexican Marigolds. They repell nematodes and other pest.

Water with Asparagus liquor. Yep, save the water when you cook asparagus and dump it on the plants.

Good luck,

Ed Upshaw

2)

[Gary]

Are you telling me that I can no longer put my 'juice', from asparagus, being steamed, into my soup? (rhetorical question!). :) I have heard that there are 'good' nematodes. If that is true how do we kill the bad ones only? Compost? I heard that adding lots of compost works wonders. I heard that the 'good' nematodes will actually eat the 'bad' nematodes. Is that right? And if so how do you know? Gary Fort Langley, BC Canada

[Jim Carlock]

Blue crabs and lobster? I guess the fungess is dead after cooking, heh? That kind of screws that idea up. Can still be used as compost material though, heh?

I see the suggestion about heavy mulching. I didn't attribute the mulching to helping with nematodes, but I'm exploring and what do I find from the University of Florida...

that page: "Heavy organic mulches lessen nematode damage."

Just throwing that in because you didn't explicitly mention that the mulch helps lessen nematode problems. There seems to be other places mentioning a "rich mulch" indicating healthy soil is one of the best ways to stop a nematode infestation.

The marigolds sound promising. I'll have to find some.

One particular website mentions 2kg of sugar to a bucket of water and drench the soil.

But anyways, I'm going to forget about the nematodes for the moment. I don't see any nematode damage.

The marigolds sound like a great idea. Not only for nematodes, but for other things like possibly the white flies.

I need to find some marigolds. Good stuff here. Thanks!

-- Jim Carlock Post replies to newsgroup.

"EDUPSHAW" also wrote: Jim,

Add LOTS of organic material.

Add Sugar. That's a weird one from a Rodale book. Be sure to water the sugar thru prior to planting.

Plant Mexican Marigolds. They repell nematodes and other pest.

Water with Asparagus liquor. Yep, save the water when you cook asparagus and dump it on the plants.

Good luck,

Ed Upshaw

[Dwayne]

I don't remember where, but I heard or read where burying some egg shells around the roots of your nematode bothered plants, will encourage something else to come around because they like to be around egg shells (to eat I presume) and when they get there they find and eat the nematode eggs instead. Kind of like preferring steak to liver. I tried it even though I had never seemed to have any problems before, and it didn't cause me any new problems.

It wont cost any thing to try it as long as you do it during planting, it wont take much extra time. Let us know.

Dwayne

[EDUPSHAW]

Eggshells? Reminds me of an adventure...

I once added eggshells to a garden. The work very well. Fresh shells leach out watersoluable nitrogen. (Rodale says their composition is 1.19, 0.38,

0.14.) I think that they help buffer the pH, disolving only when the organics make the soil sour. They obviously add calcium. They also areate the soil. All in all, they are very beneficial, IN MODERATION lol.

I once had a half-acre under cultivation next-door to my mother-in-laws. She went away for a week and I contacted a local egg processor about getting some of his shells. The next day a GARBAGE TRUCK shows up, 10 TONS of fresh eggshells dumped in my mother-in law's backyard! 10 tons of fresh eggshells in the hot Florida sun... I had to skip work for three days and run the ol' Troy-built from sun-up to sun-down. Made a great garden.

Ed

[EDUPSHAW]

Here is a quote from a nematode control link

nematode species can be significantly reduced by tilling in chitinous materials such as crushed shells of crustaceans (shrimp, crab, etc.). This is effective because several species of fungi that "feed" on chitin also attack chitin-containing nematode eggs and nematodes. Increasing the amount of chitin in the soil will also increase the population of these fungi. A shrimp-shell-based fertilizer called Eco Poly 21? Micro shrimp fertilizer is available from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply (13). At 2002 catalog prices, it would cost between $87 and $216 to treat an acre with this product (the suggested application rate is 20 to 50 lbs. per acre). Clandosan?, a nematicide made of crab shells and agricultural-grade urea, can be used as a pre-plant treatment (it should not be used on plants because the amount of urea in it can "burn" or kill them) (14).

I bet eggshells contain chitin-like material.

Ed

[John Savage]

Once you have them, let some blooms develop their seed and you'll never need to buy more seed. They set very viable seed, and it will come up next year. It is easy to harvest and plant.

[Katra]

Ah, so Mexican marigold is an annual?

[Tyler Hopper]

Maybe we're not talking about the same marigold. My Mexican Mint Marigold is perennial.

[Katra]

Looks like I need to do more research. ;-)

[Tony Watson]

[John Savage]

The minature marigolds I've grown are annuals and not that much different from Stinking Rogers, in both looks and perfume. :-( I don't know what a Mexican marigold is. Perhaps we don't have them here in Australia. Tougher customs, maybe?

[EDUPSHAW]

Burpee sells a "Nema-Gone" marigold, but it is "French."

The Burpee information page says that marigolds originated in Mexico where they are grown for honoring the dead. They also feed the blosoms to hens to darken the eggyoke color. (Try that one on "Jepardy.)

Ed