How can we get rid of nematodes in our garden?

Question

This insect is ruining our tomatoe plants. Does anyone know how to treat the soil?

Answer 1

Crop rotation is a must.  Anything in the nightshade family (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant) needs to be rotated out of that soil for at least 3 years so the soil can replenish it's self and all of those bad bugs and diseases will die off before you plant more nightshade.

Another great organic approach is beneficial nematodes which you can buy dehydrated (like sea monkeys), mix them in water and release.  They'll snack on those bad nematodes like they're popcorn.

Here's how: http://www.ehow.com/how_2262035_use-bene...

Answer 2

That's a tough question. There are no nematicides labeled for use in home gardens. You have three options.

Burn them: Till the soil well, remove all debris, moisten and cover with black plastic. The sun will bake the soil under the plastic and the pests will die.

Drown them: Some gardeners flood the area and as impractical as this sounds it may be feasible in areas that have a clay base just under the top soil. Don't try this in deep sandy soil.

Suffocate them: Grow a covercrop like burmudagrass over the infected area. They can't eat the grass roots and can't breath so at the end of the growing season they are history.  

Answer 3

lmfao i thought those things were from Spongebob.

Answer 4

You're pretty much dead in the water for this season. Next year you'll want to plant your tomatoes in a different location and find a variety of tomato that states resistance to nematodes. There are certain plants that these little worm dudes love and avoiding planting them in the same place year after year will help. Also, planting marigolds to the heavily infested nematode areas will help supress the population but this takes three or four months. a Fall cover crop of cerial rye is a good idea also but lets be realistic, who plants rye in their garden in the fall? If you decide to give up now, soil solarization might be the best non-chemical way to go. (Cover tilled soil with clear plastic for one month to dry out completely and kill whatever lives in there) That is if it is hot enough in your area for the soil to reach the temperature needed for solarization.

Answer 5

Nematodes are very difficult to control. Most nematicides are restricted use products which means a homeowner can't buy them or they are not labeled for such use. The most common form of limited control is to replace the soil.

I have attached a link from University of Florida with info on nematodes.

Answer 6

Yes there are solutions for Nematodes in the home garden.

One is a product made by Poulenger USA/Naex called dragonfire. It is an organic seed extract in liquid form.

Next is the use of Oriental Mustard - you can buy the ground seed (Spice) from many Oriental food stores. This has some enzymes in it that creates a gas called Isothiocyanate. This will kill the nematodes and also kill fungus in the ground. You can't use too much, because it will also kill your plants. But mix 2 tablespoons in a gallon of water, poke holes around the plants and pour in. Once mixed be sure to quickly pour it out. The gas starts immediately in water.

Ever had Wasabi? The heat you feel in your mouth is not actually like hot peppers, but a flash. This flash is the Isothiocyanate.