Nematode suppression

[Danny]

I happened across something of possible interest to anyone with nematode problems. Not only the mustard will suppress nematodes a lot, but brown millet does as well. Brown millet is a good grain crop for birds and hay ( people eat it also), grows quickly and is noted for suppressing nematodes in areas that grow tomatoes and peppers.

Just thinking of growing it in between plantings along with mustards as a cover crop to improve soil tilth and suppressing any nematodes. I know several have posted about the gardens being infested with nematodes, so hopefully the information may add a weapon to the fight against nematodes in some areas.

[GoDawgs]

Interesting! Thanks for posting that and I'll have to look into that. I rarely have an empty bed in spring/summer to devote to millet but it's good to know. I tried mustard one year but it was a mess to deal with. Apparently to have the full effect, the mustard has to be mature, tilled in to chop it up and watered well to help release the fumes emitted underground. Clogged tiller tines were frustrating.

I've read about research into the possible suppressive effect of brassicas in general, something exuded from the roots. I've been experimenting with planting the brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, etc) behind other veggies that have been attacked by nematodes. It seems to have a temporary suppressive effect but I can't prove it but I'll continue that crop rotation.

[bower]

I was reading about nematodes recently as well. They recommended rotation with small grains like winter wheat or rye. Then susceptible crops can be planted the following season.
It seemed like the whole grass family might be beneficial as long as there are no weeds for them to feed on, they stay away from it. They said if you make a new garden, an area that is converted from grass is least likely to have nematodes. Opposite to the situation with wireworms here. And they said you can move your garden by 2 ft and avoid the pest! At least temporarily.
Marigolds also help they said, and onion family are not susceptible.

[Danny]

I think it is the brown millet that has a very short turn around time, something like 45 to 60 days. I think. The mustard plants I would mow down very well and then till in the chopped plant. Ditto on the millet minus the seed heads, which chickens would get. Plus the organic matter would be good for the tilth.

Just was thinking almost anything is better than having to use something really bad in the ground.

[GoDawgs]

It's the mustard root balls that kept getting caught in the tiller times.

The garden is mapped to scale on an excel spreadsheet where one square equals one square foot. It seems that the nematodes are not in 100% of the soil but in spots here and there. When I find evidence of RKN damage, I plot that exact area on the garden map and then try to either use brassicas, marigolds or a nema-resistant something there to follow. It's like playing nema hopscotch or whack-a-mole. I wish I could leave some beds completely weedless and fallow for a year or two but there's no chance of that and the "garden stretcher" has increased the garden sizz to where it's not expandable any more.

A lot of mulch and pulling any weeds that make it through the mulch also helps starve the little buggers. It's war, I tell ya!

[bower]

I had similar issues with trying to incorporate brassica or other crop residues directly. Season isn't long enough and my garden fork isn't chopper enough.
It might be feasible to make a dedicated compost with the brassica/grain/marigold residues alone, let it break it down far enough to use and spread it back to the affected areas. IDK if that would help or be worth the effort.

[worth1]

What ever you do don't try to kill them with radiation.

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[Danny]

I had similar issues with trying to incorporate brassica or other crop residues directly. Season isn't long enough and my garden fork isn't chopper enough.
It might be feasible to make a dedicated compost with the brassica/grain/marigold residues alone, let it break it down far enough to use and spread it back to the affected areas. IDK if that would help or be worth the effort.

That is a thought to turn over and think about. May work well.

Another thought about the root balls, maybe mow the plants down and mulch them in the compost pile, the use a propane burner to get anything left above ground and not till, just plant something like tomato plants right in with the mustard root ball which should be decaying?? Do you think it may work? Would any residual mustard protection in the dying root balls add extra protection to the peppers or tomato plants?

[bower]

That's a good point, Danny! Do a no till approach. I think important points for that would be the standard approach, to spread your fresh compost and ferts on top and then mulch it. Pepper or tomato special ferts can go in the planting hole as well, but spread the (nematode-free!) amendments and mulch above, this ensures that the environment is right for the roots to rot in the spot and contribute their goodies to the ground. And since it's a warm climate and spring planting, you shouldn't have too much delay in that happening.
IDK if this would work for garlic planting in fall. The roots wouldn't start to break down until the following June here, and the garlic has to do a lot of growing by then.

[PlainJane]

I will confess right here that I consider Tremors to be one of the funniest movies ever. Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward were perfect together.

[GoDawgs]

Thank goodness RKNs don't mess with the alliums! I've not had any problems with garlic, scallions, onions or leeks.

A couple years ago the big tiller died so I now have a Mantis. It does a great job on spot tilling but takes way too long tilling an entire 4x18 bed so tilling in mustard and marigolds is pretty much out, especially since there are sixteen of these beds. Then there's the hassle of cleaning and disinfecting the tines every time I need to take it to another bed. Cleaning the broadfork is a lot easier. I'm going to continue rotating the brassicas to previously identified nema spots and see what happens over time.

[Danny]

I don't know if nematodes will be a problem at the new place, but thinking real hard to not only growing marigolds in with the tomato plants, and basil, too, but using mustard as a cover crop after the season is done. Then just doing a no till in that area and plant hole by hole, and see what happens.

[Rockporter]

In updating my new garden area we had taken down my big raised beds because termites and carpenter ants had eaten them. But the biggest reason I quit gardening was because after the hurricane we had all fences down and the church behind me has this huge lot to mow. Their person was sandblasting my garden, shed, and our travel trailer, etc while mowing. He had the shoot open on his huge tractor and when I walked past the shed to ask him to close it I was pummeled with sand too. We have RKN here and that is one of the reasons I garden in raised beds, but also because of my arthritis, I cannot get down on the ground and garden. So, my garden beds, and containers all had sand blown into them. It angered me, and it deflated me from even wanting to garden. So, I let it lay fallow in hopes it would kill off anything that might have landed on top of my pots. So, that mix sat since 2017, then when we took the beds apart all mix from the garden went into clear bags to solarize it, except the top 3" layer, it went into the yard instead. Then a few weeks later it all went into large mineral tubs with lids. I don't know if I was successful making sure there aren't any RKN in my mixes or not, but I decided to make the new 8 foot long trellis only for that mix in the containers so I can do a controlled trial and see what happens. I did mix into each container 1/3 new mix as well to give it a start of nutrients and also amended each one with bone meal, blood meal, worm castings, and some ferts. Hopefully it is a good start.

I have three tall mineral buckets on each outside portion of the trellis and four short ones on each inside portion to grow anything and everything I can to get the mix under control. I had french marigolds growing very well before the freeze, with some starting to dry up their flowers and the freeze took them all out. When I pulled them I thought I had more seeds but realized I did not when I went looking for them. I couldn't find any seeds locally and thought I might have to buy them online. One day I was in the garden sometime in January and I found a teeny tiny seedling growing in the weed cloth while I was pulling weeds. It was right at the bottom of a container in the moisture there and I picked it, it had roots, and then I planted it, lol. It is doing very well now and even has flowers on it. I then noticed about three weeks ago there were many little seedlings growing in the two original pots I had them growing in so I was fortunate those seeded themselves for me. I have already taken 24 seedlings from these pots and put them in the RKN pots and other pots in the garden. I will definitely be saving seeds this time so I know I have them.

I have three tomatoes that are RKN resistant(Some old Atkinson seeds, Bush Beefsteak and Mortgage lifter). I planted each kind in the tall containers, and I planted other kinds of tomatoes too. I figure whatever gives me a crop out of there great, but whatever doesn't that is okay too because when I see the root galls I will treat that specific area to a new resistant plant, and a marigold seed. Hopefully it works. I need to make a sign to hang on the trellis that says, "RKN come to die here".

[MissS]

@Rockporter, the church. I had forgotten about that church. Is there a new fence up?

[Rockporter]

I ordered some beneficial nematodes today and they are sending them two day shipping for free. Woot!

[Rockporter]

@Rockporter, the church. I had forgotten about that church. Is there a new fence up?

Oh yes, everyone has fences now. That was the first thing my husband did after we cleaned up was to build the fences.

[Rockporter]

Here is RKN Zone!

I already have something germinating, I will have to look up what I planted but I got all the seeding done with different things in there. Test is on.

Garden-2023-8 Foot Cattle Panel Trellis Used as RKN containers.jpg

[Greenvillian]

I have also seen an uptick in RKN in my garden, so end of last season I ordered beneficial nematodes from NaturesGoodGuys. We will see this season if it helped. I have also ordered crab meal to plant with tomatoes.

[Rockporter]

Zuchinni, butternut squash, and swiss chard are germinated.

Next walk in the RKN garden area has bush beefsteak and ace 55 tomatoes germinated.

Oh, and now I can see for sure I have mortgage lifter, and abe lincoln germinated in RKN garden area.

All these tomato seeds are old from 2017 and I wasn't sure they would do anything.

[GoDawgs]

I have also seen an uptick in RKN in my garden, so end of last season I ordered beneficial nematodes from NaturesGoodGuys. We will see this season if it helped. I have also ordered crab meal to plant with tomatoes.

Keep us updated on how this works out!