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tomatoe root knot nematode+neem oil or other suggestions
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Posted by mensplace 7 (My Page) on Tue, Nov 10, 09 at 20:07
| My yellowed plants and withered roots were diagnosed as root knot nematode. No commercial or home remidies other than organic approaches. Apparently common here. Told to try neem oil and/or neem cake. Any other organic ideas? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: tomatoe root knot nematode+neem oil or other suggestions
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| First order of business is to select resistant cultivars - there's a pretty good choice of tomato varieties for home gardeners that are resistant to this pest. Rotate planting areas. And try interplanting with French marigolds, Tagetes patula - they are known to repel root nematodes. Other choices are soil solarization or a biological nematicide called Clandosan 618. It is primarily chitin, derived from the ground shells of shrimp and crabs and apparently creates an attractive breeding ground/feed source for beneficial soil organisms that will overwhelm and devour the nematodes. I have not heard or read of neem as a control agent for this problem and cannot speak to its effectiveness. |
RE: tomatoe root knot nematode+neem oil or other suggestions
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- Posted by jean001 z8aPortland, OR (My Page) on
Wed, Nov 11, 09 at 0:53
| Interplanting marigolds won't do anything. Instead, you have to plant the entire area for an entire season. The result is fewer nemas than at the beginning of the season because they don't multiply on the marigolds. Soil solarization has a very limited effect. If you have 6 weeks of absolutely full sun, you might get a good effect to 6 inches. But tomato roots go deeper than that. You could use Clandosan. Even if you do, also mix in lots of compost - at least two inches -- and use transplants of tomatoes said to be resistant. "Resistance" is NOT 100%. But the plants last longer than if not labeled as such. Jean,
who coped w/nemas for nearly all of the 30-some years she gardened in SoCal. |
RE: tomatoe root knot nematode+neem oil or other suggestions
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| I can't imagine the reason for recommending Neem for root-knot nematodes, unless the person had a quota for sales that day. As above, use a VFN tomato or do in containers - I've never used Clandosan so can't speak to it. Go to the container forum to see the numerous possibilities in containers. Dan |
RE: tomatoe root knot nematode+neem oil or other suggestions
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| Controlling root-knot nematodes organically has been of great interest to me since moving south. Many experiments over the years. The following two methods do work: 1. Grow in containers elevated above the ground on bricks or pot feet. 2. Sugar. Copious amounts of sugar worked into the soil and planting holes. You cannot use too much. The least inexpensive way to do this is buying dried molasses available at farm/feed stores in 40# bags. For small growing areas granulated sugar may also be used. The sugar application is renewed every month during the growing season. Try the following when planting your tomatoes. Dig the planting hole, stir in two handfuls of sugar and a handful of coffee grounds, uncooked straight from the bag. Plant tomatoes and spread more sugar around each tomato plant on soil surface. My thanks to those who have been willing to try this experiment over the years and found it to be effective. |
RE: tomatoe root knot nematode+neem oil or other suggestions
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RE: tomatoe root knot nematode+neem oil or other suggestions
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| There are good nematodes and there are bad nematodes and usually the good ones, in a good healthy soil, will control the bad ones. What is your soil like? How much organic matter is in the soil? The more OM in your soil the more active will be your Soil food Web which can help control these soil dwelling pests. |
RE: tomatoe root knot nematode+neem oil or other suggestions
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| Crab, lobster, and shrimp meal all contain chitin and promote the growth of chitin eating bacteria in the soil. Nematodes are primarily chitin, so when the bacteria run out of shell fish they move on to the nematodes. Apparently the lower jaw of japanese beetles are also chitin so the bacteria will kill these as well. Shell fish meal is high in calcium, which tomatoes like and shrimp meal has an npk of 5-8-0 . It takes about a year for the bacteria to start making a real dent in the nematode population. Winter rye, when tilled in, gives off chemicals toxic to nematodes as it decomposes. These products can also affect the crop following so it is best to allow 2-3 months rest in between. |
RE: tomatoe root knot nematode+neem oil or other suggestions
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| Check out this video - 14 minutes long, but does address nematodes and other pathogens. |
Here is a link that might be useful: (formerly Inoculaid) - Quantum Growth
RE: tomatoe root knot nematode+neem oil or other suggestions
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Hi,
The best way to repell these nematodes and at the same time not to poiston your environement or kill the beneficial soil born organisms is using Neem seed cake as basal (soil) application. Neem is proved to control the soil born nematodes. Even the gold cyst nematodes has been sucessfully repelled by Neem.
More information in the site www.natureneem.com |
Here is a link that might be useful: Neem against nematodes
RE: tomatoe root knot nematode+neem oil or other suggestions
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| Neem oil is just a natural chemical. It does not differentiate parasitic nematodes from beneficial nematodes. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Beneficial Nematodes
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