If there are drainage holes in the pots, the worms can get in the pots if you place the pots on the ground.

Nematodes like soil, and I do mean the gray compressed podzolic Florida sand. If you're using the typical bagged potting soil mix that has very little sand in it your risk is minimal...having said that, nematodes also don't like organic material at all, if you have any concerns and you are putting your containers on the ground (not concrete), then put any mulch you want underneath the containers and you definitely won't have to worry about nematodes getting into your containers.

Tom

Thank you for that info. I have a large Pachira, Hybiscus and Ti plant. All pots have drain holes but the area does have wood chips as mulch. I have the pots sitting there.

I could sit them on cement blocks (patio block)on the mulch. There is also an area with white gravel. Is that safer?

I've had these plants for many years and managed to drive them down to Florida with me. They had quite an ordeal and I don't want anything to happen to them after all this.

What do these worms actually do? What are the symptoms?

I have various orchids also, but I have them either hanging or on plant stands.

Thanks again for the help,
Jane

Sit them on the patio pavers and they will be safe. Don't sit them on any cracks. The symptom is the roots get all knotty and swollen as the worms feed on them. When the roots are seriously impaired they don't work well and the plant gradually declines and maybe dies. The worms only harm certain plants.

They are called root-knot nematodes. See link below and this link:

http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/FYN.GardenNematodes.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: Root-Knot Nematodes

Thanks, the article was informative. Sounds a bit scary. It doesn't mention the type of plants affected except for tomatoes and peppers.

I assume shrubs and trees growing in Florida are immune. I notice people growing annuals and guess they are not affected.

How sad that the soil is so infected that putting plants on the ground is dangerous. Never thought twice about growing vegetables up North or putting my plants outside for the summer.

I guess gardening in Florida has quite a learning curve.

Thanks again.

Jane

"It doesn't mention the type of plants affected except for tomatoes and peppers."

I have found them on gardenias, hibiscus, roses and ixoras. Annuals can also be infected. If you search the internet, you can find the info on which ones are the most susceptible to root-knot nematode damage.

"I assume shrubs and trees growing in Florida are immune."

Not at all true. We plant things that aren't native here. In fact, shrubs like gardenias and roses have to be grafted onto special root stocks to even have a chance at growing here. But over time, they are fed on by the worms and decline.

"I notice people growing annuals and guess they are not affected."

No, not true. If you search the internet you can find the listings of those annuals most susceptible - see link below. What happens is that the annuals do fine at first but then decline. Or they fail to establish in the first place.

"How sad that the soil is so infected that putting plants on the ground is dangerous."

Well, others might say what is sad is that we are trying to grow plants that aren't adapted to this environment or worse, we import plants that aren't native and they become invasive and destroy the ecosystem here. Not to mention how we drain the swamps to build golf courses and condos and ruin the habitat of animals to the point of extinction - like the Florida panther.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nematode Management for Bedding Plants

Thanks for the article. Put my Hibiscus on a large saucer and some patio block under the Money Tree. Some large Christmas Cactus on a copper tray. My smaller plants and orchids are on benches or trees.

It appears compost helps and if we get our own place, I will get to work to improve the sandy soil. I can't imagine doing all my gardening in pots.

I just hope these creatures don't crawl over the saucers!

Thanks again,
Jane

Some plants can tolerate nematode damage, others seem resistant to them & some seem to be nematode magnets - even different varieties of the same type of plant can have varying levels of tolerance or resistance.

I've never found it to be a serious problem w/ most tropicals/ornamentals - more w/ edibles than anything else.

& yes, the more organic matter, the better for discouraging them, according to experts.

FWIW, HTH

Jane,
Carol is right - some plants are suseptible - I've lost butterfly bushes, hibiscus and a few others over the years.
However, I have probably 50 containers and they sit on the ground as well as on my decks. Never had nematodes in them.
You will learn about Florida gardening soon enough and part of it includes just losing plants through no fault of your own! Then you get to get more to replace....it's all part of the game.
BTW, I live in the Meadows (east from you) and if you ever want to see a garden, you are more than welcome.Or check out the pics I've posted.
I envy you being on the key - so beautiful...
Hester

What happens to the ornamentals is that they don't die, they just start looking crappy. They flower less, they get leggy and after pruning they don't rebound as quickly or as lushly and they don't respond with vigor to fertilization.

Then when you decide to replace them because they look so crappy, when you dig them up you see the root-knots and know that is the problem.

So if you have ornamentals that have been in the ground for awhile and are looking crappy and not flowering like they used to and they don't respond well to fertilizer and pruning, you know it is the root-knot nematodes and it is time to replace them.

I had nematodes in some of my pots previously (but not root-knot type).

First attempt I read online: put entire pot in a larger container and submerge in water. The nematodes will drown or all come out. NOT SO!

Second attempt came from a friends advice: take out the plant, then wash/scrub off all bugs. Wash out pot and the repot with all new soil. Worked wonderfully!

Thanks for the invite Hester. I might take you up on it. Hubby and I are staying with family who have a home on Siesta. Love it here but wouldn't be able to afford to buy a house here.

We drove around the Meadows today doing some drive-bys of a few homes. First time we saw the area. Seems very pretty but getting there from Siesta, we got stuck in so much traffic going through Sarasota. It took about 45mins. Felt it was too far and too much traffic. Maybe there's a better route.

I would like to ask if Nematodes bother citrus? The house where we are staying has some beautiful Palms and other bushes which are lovely and appear healthy. They also have some lemon and orange trees which do not look too good. I guess, if we do move to Florida, we need to learn the native, resistant plants. But I would be disappointed to learn that citrus is affected by these worms.

Jane

Citrus has it's own nematode, the Burrowing Nematode. It is worse than the Rootknot nematode. It affects other fruit trees, as well as many ornamentals. Then there is the Sting nematode. These two don't cause root knots so you won't know if you have them. Welcome to Florida.

john

"Welcome to Florida."

You mean welcome to trying to force non-native plants to grow in an environment they are not well-adapted to!

Yum, we grow everything in NY, if not outside, inside. I have grown orchids indoors for many years and am looking forward to growing them where life should be a bit happier for them. They certainly are not native plants.

I also grow some bonsai which will most likely die in Fla as some need the cold to live on. Others will need some changes but should do well outdoors in pots.

I am confused by your negativity regarding growing plants which are not native to Florida.

If a plant poses no threat to the environment,such as an invasive species, why not try to grow what you like?

Are you concerned about the plant or the environment?

Jane

A lot of native plants are a host to RKN. duh! Otherwise they would not be here. Citrus is not a native, but it's been here since the Spanish landed in the 1500s. The Burrowing nematode, a major pest of citrus, wasn't fouud until the mid '50s. That's 1950s.

john

Don't want to speak for yum, but a lot of damage has been done to the environment from non-native species being introduced. It's only after they cause a problem that we learn they are problem. Also, some that aren't actually invasive require so much extra water, fertilizer, etc. that they harm the environment too.
That's wonderful that you were able to grow so well in NY. You will find lots to grow in Florida too. But it does have a special eco-system, that should be considered.
But there are plenty of non-natives, your orchids should be fine :), that are still Florida friendly. In my short experience here, I've found when planting in the ground I save myself a lot of work and headache by choosing natives that I like. But I've planted plenty of non-natives, but try to learn more and more, so that I don't get any invasives and choose plants that work well with Florida's climate and "soil" so that I don't have to introduce bad stuff. It's a learning process and through my reading, I find I come to have a deeper appreciation for this unique place.
Here's a great website that lists some common landscape plants and a similar, better Florida native.
http://www.abettersouthflorida.org/GoNative/index.htm

Well, you mention you had 'house plants' and wanted to put them outside here.... if they are 'house-plants' up north, that implies they were not native there, or they could go outside instead of having to be kept inside... they were prob. a Fla. native originally.... a lot of plants sold up north, kept inside, are from southern regions where they don't freeze..... you mention Orchids, well Fla. has lots of natives, and if you kept your Orchids inside, that meant they were not native there, or they could be left outside, as we do here, we leave our Orchids outside,.... lots of roses are native here yet I hear people say they are not 'native'....but here we grow our roses year-round whllst up north they have a ritual, covering them, etc. and then a lot are lost, frozen..... actually, I think there is more activity where folks are trying to grow things 'up north' that are certainly not 'native' there, rather than the other way around....sally

I'm just trying to figure out what I can grow here. My houseplants might be native to Florida but if they aren't, I'm not taking a chance of infecting them by putting them in the ground.

As far as roses, I've grown them for over 50 yrs up North without any winter protection. They are hardy as are many plants. We grow vegetables which are not native and have no problems getting fruits and vegetables. As far as I am aware, growing tomatoes in NY doesn't seem to concern anyone about infecting the environment.

I am not discounting invasive species which generally are not for sale.

It appears Florida has specific issues regarding growing anything which is not native. If nematodes infect almost any plant I might be interested in planting, I wouldn't want to waste my time or money trying to keep it alive.

There seems to be enough flowing shrubs growing which apparently are not affected by these worms. I will keep my houseplants in their pots and off the ground.

Thanks for the link and info,
Jane

Hi Jane!

Don't worry, you will find plenty of plants that will thrive here and be beautiful! Especially with your interest. I am in Sarasota also, and most yards here will have a combination of natives, Florida friendly plants and exotics that do well with a little TLC. Yes, we all have lost a few plants to nematodes, but all climates have some pest, cold, poor drainage, etc that causes loss of plants in the garden. I grow a lot of pentas (a perennial that is nematode-prone) in my garden and I expect them to decline eventually, but I am getting three years out of them and then I root them somewhere else before I pull them. I've learned to amend the soil so that they can withstand the nematodes longer.

Just like gardening in NY, you will learn tricks to gardening successfully here in Florida. In my opinion, it is a wonderful place to garden that will bring pleasure year-round.

Hester's garden is a wonderland. I definitely recommend you see her garden. You are welcome to see mine anytime also. Walking through may give you some ideas and you can pick our brains as we browse. I'm sure we will have some cuttings when you are ready, too!

Anyway, welcome to Florida, don't worry- you will have a beautiful garden and learn a lot about plants you only dreamed about in NY, and you will have so much fun. Hester and I will help when we can.

By the way, ti plants are common in gardens here, and if you know what they like, will do well here. I don't grow any hibiscus (except one planted this year) so I hope others will chime in, but I find that the ones around town that last the most (maybe a bit more resistant to nematodes)
are the single red, and a single pink called Seminole Pink. You can always grow a specimen in a pot. Pachira, I've never seen in the ground here, but maybe I just have failed to notice?

Anna