Root Knot Nematode Photo

12 years ago

Hi all,

If your veggies look thirsty and you think they are getting plenty of water, you may have Root Knot Nematodes. This is what the roots of the plants will look like if you dig them up. These are pattypan squash roots:

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All of the beds in my lovely little four-year-old potager are now infested with this tiny beast, and there is no way to eliminate them (legally, anyway). They favor the same plants I favor: heirloom tomatoes, squash, cukes, eggplants.

I highly recommend growing these vegetables from seed rather than taking the risk of importing them with nursery starts. There are nematode-resistant varieties of tomato and pepper, and Tomatomania reports their first success with grafted tomato plants, so that may be an option in the future if you prefer the taste of the heirlooms. Keep in mind that nematode-resistant does not mean nematode-immune. There are winter veggies that are resistant as well. Good gardening luck to all of you!

Renee

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Comments (5)

sautesmom Sacramento
12 years ago
Also, I have noticed a VAST improvement in all plants if you mulch heavily. I have noticed squash leaves are easily 2 to 3 TIMES bigger simply because you have mulched all the soil around the plant, keeping it cooler and encouraging healthy soil. The less stress on the roots, the better they can deal with being compromised by nematodes!

I first put down my drip hoses, then I put newspaper or cardboard, then six inches (at least) of oat straw or organic grass clippings (if getting donated clippings, make SURE your neighbors do not use any lawn supplements other than manure. Many people don't realize "weed n feed" consists of pesticides/herbicides, and you don't want your tomatoes or YOU to be eating herbicides!)

Try mulching on one plant and one plant without--you will be amazed at the difference, especially if you have nematodes!

Carla in Sac
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jean001a
12 years ago
When your beds are infested with nematodes, the key is to use tolerant plants as has been suggested.

Further, install sizable transplants rather than seed directly into the beds. The younger the plant when it is when first attacked, the shorter its lifespan will be.

Jean
who gardened in nematode-infested beds in SoCal thanks to a free tomato transplant obtained at a garden club meeting.
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Thanks, I was hoping for a reply like yours :). I hope I haven't shocked the root system too much by opening it up. Upon re-potting, do you recommend putting some soil at the bottom or just filling with soil from the top?
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LOL! It is pretty hideous. That cuke was planted in a spot that I know has sandy soil. In one of the mulched area's areound one of my trees, so not a garden spot, just extra space. I wish the picture was clearer, but yeah, it is pretty horrible. My neighbors whom I planted cukes for as well received the same damage, but NO WHERE near as bad as this monster. Now I know tis Poinsette 76 Cuke has ZERO resistance to nematodes.
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Jo, I don't think they could have traveled from your soil to the styrofoam cups unless you flooded a bed with irrigation water AND the water ran over to the cookie sheet AND the water found its way up into the cups AND so on and so forth. So, please stop blaming yourself and relax, OK? I agree with PHJ and Dodie that it is likely she already had nematodes in her soil too. Root knot nematodes are incredibly common in southern parts of the country that have soil with a high sand content. In parts of Florida the RKN's are so bad that you have to raise tomatoes in containers elevated well above the ground so that the RKNs cannot travel via rainwater up throught the pots' drainage holes. Most photos I've seen from Florida posted by people who are fighting nematodes show their pots raised at least a foot above the ground and sitting on stone or cinder block walls, decks, etc. Y'all know, too, that the nematode-resistant varieties of toms can sometimes outlast the RKNs, right? So that explains why you'll often see them hit some plants but not all plants. Some plants resist or tolerate them well and others don't. Dodie, you're a real sweetheart and Jo's so lucky to have you for a friend! Dawn
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You don't have to test for nematodes. You have them. We all have them. They will eventually kill your roses if they aren't grafted, and even roses grafted onto the best rootstocks will die eventually. This is a technique for planting that will hold them off for awhile, but not forever. It really is best to plant Fortuniana grafted roses in FL, though, and even they don't live forever. Your own-root roses have about 5 years before they will die. I hate to be harsh, but that's my experience and that of many northerners who move down here and plant their favorite northern roses on their own roots. Dig a hole 3x the diameter of the pot you're transplanting from, or about 20 inches for bare roots. Dig it 3 inches deeper than you want the plant to sit. Fill the bottom three inches with straight organic peat, put your rose in and add peat until you get it to the right height, then fill the entire rest of the hole with organic peat. (Organic peat is not the same as peat moss). Nematodes hate organic matter, so this will keep them away from the roots, but not forever. It will stave them off for a few years, though, until the organic peat breaks down. I don't know any more about growing roses, just this. I'm sure someone will come along and help you who knows more. I do know some OGRs (Old Garden Roses) will grow on their own roots here.
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hosenemesis
Original Author
12 years ago
Jean, how fast did the infestation spread? Did it affect your ornamental plants as well?

Good advice, Carla. I got a dozen squash before the poor thing expired, and it was probably because of the mulch. I only got a few Mortgage Lifter tomatoes, and Stupice is just now showing signs of stress, and I have been eating them for about a month.

Renee
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socal23
12 years ago
Root knot nematodes don't spread very fast if at all naturally. Almost all spread is due to poor sanitation (spread by gardening implements and infected materials).

Additionally, there are plants that produce root exudates that are toxic to root knot nematodes (broccoli) and many species that they simply won't use. 2 - 3 years of toxic/ unpalatable plants will effectively eliminate them - but remember to control weeds - alternate food source.

Ryan
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jean001a
12 years ago
As socal says, they spread very little on their own.

My infestation spread quite rapidly because I was making new beds from old but didn't yet know I had a problem. Ack!

Yes, they affect ornamentals. But just as with veggies, not all.

Once you know you have nemas, it wise to be extremely careful about what you do & how you do it.

Some suggestions:
- deal with infested sites as the last task of the day
- and if possible with their own set of tools
- clean your shoes/boots well after you leave an infested area.
- never, ever, move plants from an infested area to another site, even though their roots look fine because the nemas are in the soil around the roots.
- never set a pot on infested soil, then move it to clean soil -- the nemas can hitch-hike
- perhaps have a separate hose for the infested area rather than drag the soil to clean areas.

And each season, mix in lots of compost, 3 inches or so. The compost aids the populations of beneficial soil organisms which help limit the nasty nemas.
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Root Knot Nematode Photo

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sautesmom Sacramento

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Root Knot Nematode Photo

Comments (5)

sautesmom Sacramento

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hosenemesis
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