Root Knot Nematodes - doom?

General Gardening
#1

I found my melons infested by these this year, and apparently there’s no practical control for them in a home-sized garden, other than taking it out of production/solarizing.

A number of vegetables do have nematode-resistant varieties, but what I wonder is this: will the nematodes continue to infect these varieties and spread further through the soil, even if the crop is relatively unscathed?

#2

I’m in the same boat as you. Can’t believe my poor luck. I didn’t solarize, I planted Nemagone marigolds to see if they’d have any impact.

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#3

I’ve heard of those - probably too late to plant them now

When will you know if it worked?

#4

I have root knot nematodes, my worst affected vegetable is carrots. When I started gardening here it was almost impossible to grow any carrots. Now I can grow some, they are not ideal carrots, but good enough for home use. There are still some affected, but most are clear from knots, if they survived baby stage. What I did so far to fight them:

  1. Adding home made compost every year
  2. Try to keep soil weed free even when no vegetables growing on the bed(between late summer and spring)
  3. After summer crop is done, saw mustard seeds, let it grow till it starts to flower, then crash it with weed wacker and dig in the soil, water, cover with plastic. The mustard greens release gas that works as fumigator.
  4. Used beneficial nematodes ones (didn’t see much difference after it though)
    5)(didn’t try it yet, want to try this fall) Use mustard powder to make water solution and use it as fumigator.

Keep in mind, that nematodes can spread with tools.

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#5

I keep wondering if the beneficial nematodes I put down to control cucumber beetles might have carried some invasive species

Since my soil is hard clay, I grow carrots in their own raised bed, so that would be the last place the nematodes would take hold. My worse weed is purslane, which hosts them, alas

#6

Texas A & M recommends planting a cover crop of elbon rye (not ryegrass). The nematode gets trapped in the roots and dies. It also helps to kill some when the elbon rye is plowed under. It helps control them, does not eradicate them.

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#7

I wonder if that also works in more northerly climes

#8

I’m reading up on Actinovate and Serenade Soil… Has anyone used either of these products for RKN?

#9

I’ll check them out, thanks

Beginning to think I may have introduced the things into my garden with a questionable bagged soil that I used for potting-up

#10

I’m finding a number of products that claim to treat nematodes - Monterey has a nematode fighter - but they can’t be shipped to my state

Decided to plant the Mighty Mustard to till in come spring when it won’t have had time to go to seed - or so goes the plan

#11

I went with shrimp shells, Actinovate, and Elbon Rye, fwiw.

#12

Any results?

I noticed that the mustard where I suspected the nematodes were working was very puny and stunted - the rest is still green, tho I hope next week’s cold will kill it off

And I’m still peeved that they won’t allow me to buy real nematocides