Nematode Wars Continued

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GoDawgs
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Nematode Wars Continued

#1

Post: # 6172Unread post GoDawgs
Sat Jan 11, 2020 1:28 pm

Today I pulled the first four spent cauliflower plants. Good news! The roots were clean as a whistle with no evidence of nematodes at all. It could be the result of a multitude of things. Maybe a bunch of them starved. Corn was there this past spring and nematodes don't mess with it, Fall '18 the bed was fallow, and cukes grew successfully there Spring 18 following a fallow Fall '17.

Still, I've read that brassicas are nematode supressors so that could be part of it too. Too many variables! Regardless, today I followed advice in that article and chopped up the leaves and stems of the cauliflower plants, turned them under and then mulched over the top with leaves. The incoming rain will water them in.

Image

There will be peas going in there mid February.

Notice the cauliflower plants in the other side of the bed. They are very small compared to the first four big ones (about a third or quarter of the size) although they are still heading up. The big ones I just dug were planted out Sep 18 while the second four went out Oct 11. It very well could be that getting them in just three weeks later set them back some. It will be interesting to see how big the second set of heads get.

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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#2

Post: # 6188Unread post MsCowpea
Sat Jan 11, 2020 4:12 pm

I think that is a super thing to do with that broccoli. I have also read that about brassicas and nematodes. Mustard is another deterrent crop but mustard is an aphid magnet so I gave up on growing it to eat as we didn’t like it all that much. And who wants to attract aphids?
"When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest we inherit their work."
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bower
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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#3

Post: # 6211Unread post bower
Sat Jan 11, 2020 9:27 pm

I never knew there were so many good rotations for nematodes until I found this:
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=149
If I lived in a warm place I would definitely try sesame - so pretty!
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#4

Post: # 6212Unread post MissS
Sat Jan 11, 2020 9:46 pm

Thanks Bower, that is a terrific article.
~ Patti ~

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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#5

Post: # 6228Unread post PlainJane
Sun Jan 12, 2020 6:37 am

Wonderful article. Thanks for sharing!
“Never try to outstubborn a cat.”
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GoDawgs
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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#6

Post: # 6248Unread post GoDawgs
Sun Jan 12, 2020 8:50 am

Thanks for posting that, Bower. I just finished reading the whole thing. Great information in there. It might have been that article where I read that about turning under brassica waste because when I went to bookmark it, it was already bookmarked!

I think I might pick up a pack of gaillardia seeds and include some here and there among various beds. Sesame will be next year as I'd have to put in a separate order now that all my seeds have arrived. I didn't see any at Baker Creek. :(

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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#7

Post: # 6267Unread post bower
Sun Jan 12, 2020 1:16 pm

I was looking at some Sesame seeds offered at West Coast Seeds here in Canada. 75 days from transplant, and they say do whatever you can to warm the soil and keep them dry, no watering. Apparently a real desert plant, I doubt they'd be too pleased here. :cry: :lol:
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
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GoDawgs
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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#8

Post: # 6280Unread post GoDawgs
Sun Jan 12, 2020 3:58 pm

No watering, eh? That's good to know and it might preclude good growth here where pop-up thunderstorms come and go during the summer and the occasional hurricane or tropical storm visits. Still, it would be interesting to try.

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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#9

Post: # 6506Unread post MsCowpea
Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:15 am

Be sure and check out articles that pertain to your climate as well. Some cover crops mentioned in articles are for northern gardens/farms. And some cover crops work best against sting nematodes but not root. etc.

Hairy vetch is always one mentioned to grow but it grows poorly in south Florida. I always check out Univ of Fla EDIS IFAS
“Stuff”.

I found this from Univ if Ga. . There may be more as well that pertains to home garden.

I like it because if you click on covercrop it gives a factsheet.

https://sustainagga.caes.uga.edu/manage ... crops.html
"When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest we inherit their work."
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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#10

Post: # 6507Unread post MsCowpea
Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:23 am

Cover crops for managing nematodes.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in892
"When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest we inherit their work."
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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#11

Post: # 6529Unread post Shule
Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:10 pm

[mention]GoDawgs[/mention] [mention]MsCowpea[/mention]
Speaking of mustard, I saw this article about Nemagon white mustard about 11 hours ago:
https://www.outsidepride.com/seed/herb- ... white.html

It's not in the Brassica genus, but it is a white mustard in the Cabbage family (brown and black mustard are in the Brassica genus, though). I'm not sure how effective it is compared to what you're talking about, nor how prone to aphids it is.

You're supposed to grow it as a cover crop, and till it in.

Then there's the Nematode Control Marigold. If marigolds are like calendula, though, they might not be the greatest to use if you're planting nitrogen-fixers.
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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#12

Post: # 6600Unread post GoDawgs
Thu Jan 16, 2020 9:07 am

I have stopped using cover crops because they need to be tilled in. My raised beds were built with removable ends so that the tiller can be taken through it. However, in order to prevent the spread of nematodes from bed to bed, the tiller tines would need to be thoroughly cleaned after tilling each bed. After doing it once, that's a pain I'm not going to do as it's time consuming.

Turning 4'x18' beds with a shovel sometimes happens but not often. The beds get broadforked as it is not as disruptive to the soil. That's an easy rinse with the hose and a spray of 10% bleach solution afterwards.

I have grown an anti-nematode marigold called 'Ground Control'. It gets pretty big and requires cutting it off with pruners and chopping it up or it gets all wound around the tiller tines. I now have a 5hp Troybilt (not used much anymore except for the non-bed areas) but even when I had a 7hp Troybilt, tilling the marigolds were a problem.

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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#13

Post: # 6609Unread post MsCowpea
Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:25 am

tilling the marigolds were a problem.
I agree they were like shrubs. Hard to deal with—maybe they should be chopped up when small? But I never get around to some chores until it is too late.

There is a method of growing where you don’t till in the cover crop, you crush it down and plant in it.

Or you use herbicides to kill it and then plant in it but that doesn’t appeal to me at all.

I no longer want to till in cover crops either. But I don’t mind cutting them for compost or mulch and leave the roots to hopefully repel the nematodes.
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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#14

Post: # 35641Unread post karstopography
Fri Dec 11, 2020 7:14 am

I have a couple of nematode control ideas. One, is to use a solution of ethanol and water. This is actually a thing done at scale and with things written about it, I just sort of thought it might work on my own and then back researched the idea. I’m not entirely clear on what the percentage water to ethanol should be, more research is necessary. I did do some research on home distilling ethanol, but that’s not exactly a kosher activity in most places, perhaps if I said it was an organic bug killer.

Another idea is to just dump boiling water, perhaps with a little ethanol in the mix, onto the raise beds and quickly fork it in. Read that nematodes die at 118 degrees. A big dose or several of this near boiling water into the raised beds should greatly hurt the nematode population.

Anyone tried either or a combination of these solutions? Seems like I had a major issue with these pests going into the summer and fall, if the roots and wilting plants are any indication. Cold soil sort of dampens or puts them off for a time, but I know come late in the spring or next summer they will be back.

Raised beds aren’t so big that something like a weak ethanol solution couldn’t be cost effective and hopefully actually effective. The ethanol is supposed to evaporate, but I’m not sure exactly how long that takes. I’ve got big pots and a big banjo propane burner so boiling water isn’t too much trouble either.
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”

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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#15

Post: # 35648Unread post GoDawgs
Fri Dec 11, 2020 9:01 am

Interesting ideas although I'm not sure about the ethanol. I would love to read the literature if you can post the links. However, I would think ethanol and the boiling water would also kill good microbes in the soil. It's kind of like solarizing the soil with plastic covering in the heat of summer. That method's kill zone is only about 8" and when you dig holes to plant stuff or turn the soil, it brings up live nematodes from below that kill zone. It only sets the population back. One thing I've read in all of the literature is that you can't kill them all but just set the population back to somewhat manageable levels so that's what I'm aiming for. I'm also wondering how fast the boiling water would cool down once it hit the soil.

I'm now closely watching the effect brassicas have on subduing crops that follow them in the same bed. The literature I've found indicates that it's something in their roots that deters and knocks back nematode populations. Nematodes become inactive at soil temps below 65F (18C) anyway so between natural nematode resistance and cooler soil temps, the fall brassicas have no 'tode problems. It's spring and the warming of the soil that can get tricky for other plants.

Rotation is now being used to take advantage of the brassica effect. Green peas are being planted behind the fall brassicas. And they go in early enough that the soil temps are below 'tode activity range. But by the time the peas are being picked mid May, the soil has warmed up and the 'todes are awake. This past spring when I planted peas in the two beds where the fall brassicas had been, I noticed a lot less nematode damage and what effect there was happened a lot later in the growth cycle. Production didn't seem to suffer as much. Field peas planted after the spring brassicas were pulled out did just fine in that bed. Coincidence or real effect? More notes to be taken this year.

One other thing I'm watching is the effect of early planting (when possible) in delaying onset of nematode damage. I'm wondering if plants can get to a certain age before the 'todes really get going so that the roots will be mature and tough enough to slow down the 'tode invasion somewhat. It's a theory in progress. Early planting is tricky to do because of weather fluctuations in early spring. Some plants do not like soil temps below 70F ( 21C) for germination (legumes) or good growth (cucurbits). You can't really warm the soil with plastic or Wall o' Waters because that might wake up the 'todes and defeat the purpose.

Normally I direct-seed cucumbers. This past spring, on April 17 I was able to set out cuke plants I grew from seed. First picking from that two week head start was June 7. By July 6 when the 'todes had messed up the plants and plants were pulled, we had all the cukes and more that we needed for pickling. A subsequent small planting in a non-infected bed provided fresh eating. Again, coincidence or real effect? More notes to be taken this year.

Last year I played with a molasses drench I read about but the "experiment" had way too many variables to notice any differences. The molasses drench supposedly has a two-fold effect. One is big activation of good soil microbes and the other is nematode deterrence. This year I will try it again on summer squash plants if I can keep the vine borers away! I guess the squash plants will be doing double experimental duty as I'm also going to paint the stems with a heavy kaolin slurry and see if it helps keep the SVB's at bay. I know for sure that last year's staking of summer squash plants to a post kept them a lot more healthy and productive so that was one successful experiment.

So in summary, I'm working on a) planting very susceptible things behind fall and spring brassica plantings, b) trying to get things planted as early as possible and c) checking out a molasses drench. Needless to say I'm also trying to use nematode resistant varieties wherever possible.

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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#16

Post: # 35670Unread post karstopography
Fri Dec 11, 2020 12:00 pm

https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... t_diseases
Just an abstract, but this link suggests Ethanol as a treatment for nematodes in soil.
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”

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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#17

Post: # 35671Unread post karstopography
Fri Dec 11, 2020 12:02 pm

Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”

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Re: Nematode Wars Continued

#18

Post: # 35709Unread post GoDawgs
Fri Dec 11, 2020 4:34 pm

[mention]karstopography[/mention] , thank you for those links! Interesting stuff. One of the two also mentioned molasses briefly in passing. And although the second link is mainly about cyst nematodes, there are good references to rootknots as well. I thought the mention of enough ethanol in sugarcane stillage (guessing the leftover mash from making rum?) to incorporate into the soil was pretty cool. That brings to mind the quandry of where to buy pure ethanol other than finding a moonshiner who would be willing to sell some uncut shine. Pretty expensive stuff, that. LOL! But I wouldn't doubt that someone somewhere is cooking off some sugarcane out back. ;)

I've bookmarked both of these.

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