NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/rec/gardens/9263

Text File | 1993-01-28 | 3.2 KB | 63 lines

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Path: sparky!uunet!indetech!daver!quack!pharvey
From: [e-mail] (Paul Harvey)
Subject: Re: Root-knot Nematode in Florida
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Organization: The Duck Pond public unix: [phone], log in as 'guest'.
References: <[e-mail]>
Date: 28 Jan 1993 18:34:29 UTC
Lines: 52

In article <[e-mail]>
[e-mail] writes:
>I recently pulled the last of my tomato plants and noticed that the
>roots were very badly knotted.  I believe the cause may be the
>infamous root-knot nematode.  A popular method for reducing the
>damage caused by this pest is to use Vapam.  A friend told me
>that his garden supplier indicated that Vapam is no longer on
>the market.
>I have not used Vapam in a couple of years, and have instead used
>the "clear plastic heating in the hot sun" method which is certainly
>more environmentally sound than Vapam.  It appears to me that the
>pest has been building up over the last years, and that the clear
>plastic may not be working completely.
>Can anyone offer a solution, ideally one that I can live with
>environmentally?  Thanks in advance.

1. Sounds like nematodes and the Solanaceae family are very sensitive to
them, but the question is the yield loss. If you notice no drop in yield
of fruit or the loss is acceptable to you, it is ok, for now. But if
you've noticed yield loss from year to year, it is probably due to
nematodes and it will probably increase until the plants won't yield at
all.

2. Solarization should work, particulary in Florida, the Sunshine State.
The plastic must be sealed by making sure there are no rips or exposed
seams and covering the edges with dirt. 60 days straight in June and
July should do the trick in Florida, but perhaps 90 days should be tried
as an emergency measure to eliminate the nematodes. Solarization in
winter takes two to three times as long because of the lower sun and
lower air and soil temps.

3. Rotate to non Solanaceae family crops. Make two growing areas, one
for tomatoes and one for beans and reverse them every other year. Try to
incorporate a green manure crop into the rotation, for example clovers,
vetches, bell beans, or buckwheat.

4. Grow marigolds. From Seeds of Change, 1364 Rufina Circle #5, Sante
Fe, New Mexico, 87501, 505-438-8080:
Marigolds, Nematocidal #114
Tagetes minuta - A rare marigold that has not been available until now.
It's interesting to note that in the Mexican gardens, marigolds are
critical companion plants to maintain the health of the garden, so this
one is planted as hedges around the garden and in the gardens because it
effectively deters nematodes in the soils, and nematodes in the soils
gives you poor vegetables. So if you interplant your garden with this
marigold, you will improve the quality of your plants, particularly
radishes, carrots and broccoli. They also smell very fragrant and hence
support a set of beneficial insects that like their ambience. They grow
up to 10-12 feet tall, depending on the length of the season and the
amount of feeding, and are called minuta because they have small,
tubular yellow flowers that come on very late, 6-7 months after you put
them out into the garden.