root knot nematodes

[ginger2778]

Scott, don't mean to hijack the thread, but is there a companion plant thet thwarts whitefly? Tremendously large problem here.
-Marsha

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Scott, don't mean to hijack the thread, but is there a companion plant thet thwarts whitefly? Tremendously large problem here.
-Marsha

Yes Marsha, there are several.

Whiteflies are not easy though, mostly because solving your own whitefly problem doesn't stop a neighbors whiteflies from spilling over anyway. They do fly after all.

The number one most effective whitefly companion plant is anything that attracts hummingbirds. So that means a whole host of potential flowering trees shrubs and annuals to make sure there is a favorite hummingbird flower blooming at all times. You also need hummingbird feeders and hummingbird nest sites. Best if you can turn it into a community project. If you can figure out a way to get a large concentrated healthy breeding population of hummingbirds in the neighborhood, your severe whitefly problem will be over. You will still have some of course, but not a plague like many places currently have. Zinnias are an annual that some hummingbirds like. There are many others and zinnias don't necessarily have to be right in the tomato patch, but they can be, they get along well with tomatoes.

The advantage is that nectar is energy rich but lacks full nutrients. It's a little known fact that hummingbirds are actually very adept hunters of small flying insects like gnats mosquitos fruitflies and their favorite? You guessed it....whiteflies. That's how they get the rest of their nutrition that nectar and pollen doesn't provide.

There are of course other types of whitefly predators like dragonflies too. They live in and around healthy ponds. But make sure any mosquito control methods used on the ponds are not poisoning the dragonfly population too.

Bats too after the sun goes down.

But of course whiteflies are not always flying around .... obviously. They like to hide on the underside of leaves. Ladybugs eat them there, just like they eat aphids.

Lots of things have whitefly on the menue, that's why whiteflies breed so fast.

Now for your own garden:
Cilantro, Borage, and Thyme repel whiteflies.

Borage is a companion plant to almost everything, but it does get pretty big sometimes and could shade out things if you let it get too big. I just try to keep mine well eaten! Good in salads.

Cilantro does get big but it changes to lacy foliage when it bolts, so it doesn't cause problems with shading. You can squeeze it right in close as you want. I still try to keep it well eaten but in my salsas I actually like how the lacy foliage provides some shade in the hot Oklahoma sun. I get fruit set a week or two longer before the heat gets just too much.

Thyme works as a companion plant for your brassicas like cabbage and broccoli better, so I dont plant it in the tomatoes. But it does repel whiteflies.


Last but not least is nasturtiums. They actually attract whiteflies (and aphids too). It is a companion crop technique to plant things that the whiteflies like better than your food crops in a place nearby but not directly in the same rows. This is called a trap crop. Your whiteflies will avoid the tomatoes due to all the repellent herbs planted there and attack the nasturtiums instead. But nasturtiums also attract hoards of predator insects too!

MUAHAHAHAHA

The thing about this whole technique of gardening is that most these things by themselves are only so so effective. No matter how repellent those herbs are, they don't kill whitefies, just deter them somewhat. They will still attack unless they have an easier target available as a trap. And attracting them to a trap crop wont do much unless there are predators around to kill them there. And hummingbirds and other insects are never going to eat all of them or even slow them down much, if they are not concentrated at a trap crop. And you won't have predators unless you care for their needs too. So that is why the quote in my signature. It sounds somewhat philosophical and even dogmatic, but in truth, it actually is practical real world advise. You really do have to look at the system as a whole.

And btw, lets say at first for a few seasons you haven't got enough predators to eat them. Then you can take extra safe measures to controll them at the trap crop yourself. Maybe buy a biological spray that is harmless to predators like Beauveria bassiana? Maybe even try to create a plague of disease yourself by capturing several with a fine butterfly net and fermenting them. Then spraying the homemade concoction on the trap crop? With a vaccuum even you can be the predator!

muahahaha Die Whiteflies!

Good Luck

PS Pesticide use is directly responcible for the whitefly plague. So avoid pesticides as much as humanly possible.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Yes Marsha, there are several.

Whiteflies are not easy though, mostly because solving your own whitefly problem doesn't stop a neighbors whiteflies from spilling over anyway. They do fly after all.

The number one most effective whitefly companion plant is anything that attracts hummingbirds. So that means a whole host of potential flowering trees shrubs and annuals to make sure there is a favorite hummingbird flower blooming at all times. You also need hummingbird feeders and hummingbird nest sites. Best if you can turn it into a community project. If you can figure out a way to get a large concentrated healthy breeding population of hummingbirds in the neighborhood, your severe whitefly problem will be over. You will still have some of course, but not a plague like many places currently have. Zinnias are an annual that some hummingbirds like. There are many others and zinnias don't necessarily have to be right in the tomato patch, but they can be, they get along well with tomatoes.

The advantage is that nectar is energy rich but lacks full nutrients. It's a little known fact that hummingbirds are actually very adept hunters of small flying insects like gnats mosquitos fruitflies and their favorite? You guessed it....whiteflies. That's how they get the rest of their nutrition that nectar and pollen doesn't provide.

There are of course other types of whitefly predators like dragonflies too. They live in and around healthy ponds. But make sure any mosquito control methods used on the ponds are not poisoning the dragonfly population too.

Bats too after the sun goes down.

But of course whiteflies are not always flying around .... obviously. They like to hide on the underside of leaves. Ladybugs eat them there, just like they eat aphids.

Lots of things have whitefly on the menue, that's why whiteflies breed so fast.

Now for your own garden:
Cilantro, Borage, and Thyme repel whiteflies.

Borage is a companion plant to almost everything, but it does get pretty big sometimes and could shade out things if you let it get too big. I just try to keep mine well eaten! Good in salads.

Cilantro does get big but it changes to lacy foliage when it bolts, so it doesn't cause problems with shading. You can squeeze it right in close as you want. I still try to keep it well eaten but in my salsas I actually like how the lacy foliage provides some shade in the hot Oklahoma sun. I get fruit set a week or two longer before the heat gets just too much.

Thyme works as a companion plant for your brassicas like cabbage and broccoli better, so I dont plant it in the tomatoes. But it does repel whiteflies.


Last but not least is nasturtiums. They actually attract whiteflies (and aphids too). It is a companion crop technique to plant things that the whiteflies like better than your food crops in a place nearby but not directly in the same rows. This is called a trap crop. Your whiteflies will avoid the tomatoes due to all the repellent herbs planted there and attack the nasturtiums instead. But nasturtiums also attract hoards of predator insects too!

MUAHAHAHAHA

The thing about this whole technique of gardening is that most these things by themselves are only so so effective. No matter how repellent those herbs are, they don't kill whitefies, just deter them somewhat. They will still attack unless they have an easier target available as a trap. And attracting them to a trap crop wont do much unless there are predators around to kill them there. And hummingbirds and other insects are never going to eat all of them or even slow them down much, if they are not concentrated at a trap crop. And you won't have predators unless you care for their needs too. So that is why the quote in my signature. It sounds somewhat philosophical and even dogmatic, but in truth, it actually is practical real world advise. You really do have to look at the system as a whole.

And btw, lets say at first for a few seasons you haven't got enough predators to eat them. Then you can take extra safe measures to controll them at the trap crop yourself. Maybe buy a biological spray that is harmless to predators like Beauveria bassiana? Maybe even try to create a plague of disease yourself by capturing several with a fine butterfly net and fermenting them. Then spraying the homemade concoction on the trap crop? With a vaccuum even you can be the predator!

muahahaha Die Whiteflies!

Good Luck

PS Pesticide use is directly responcible for the whitefly plague. So avoid pesticides as much as humanly possible.

Wow Scott, thats great stuff. I went to the local HD today, and got 4 types of Nasturtiums seeds, and some zinnia seeds. It's a start. I don't think I can use the spray of fungus because it will be killed with anything that is antifungal, and with the torrential 2 day rains we get here, an antifungal better be a strong approach. Even neem is antifungal.
I have to read this post about 2 more times I think. Very good info, very thoughtfully written.
Thank you for taking so much time and detail,
-Marsha

[awsumth]

I have tried nematodes and adding lots of organic matter. Throughout the year I have incorportated old potting mix from my plants into my native soil. My yard now holds a lot of moisture and my grass and plants have never looked greener!

Marigolds do get rid of some of the nematodes, but with my experience they really don't do much for my soil. Rather than inoculating the soil, save some sweat and either graft your tomatoes onto a stronger rootstock (I'm going to try Maxifort rootstock next season) or grow in containers. You can grow a lot of things in the ground with nematodes in your soil, but tomato plants are just so sensitive... I even had a grow bag rip on the bottom and the nematodes knotted my tomatoes in the soilless mix I had them planted in.

As for whiteflies, try something that ladybugs like. I planted milkweed one year and the milkweed was covered in aphids one day, and the next day it looked like a swarm of ladybugs moved into my yard. Even though I attracted one pest, I attracted enough ladybugs to eat every aphid and whitefly in my yard!

[Tonio]

I found Nemastop
http://www.americanatural.com/testim.../nemastop.html store

Here's the actual corp site- still no info http://www.soiltechcorp.com/index.html

says its plant based, but their site is rather lame with no product information- though has a testimonial from a extension plant pathologist from Mississippi State U. "Reduced, and suppressed " nematode damage may be a key word??

[Tonio]

Also, I heard sesame oil and meal works
http://poulenger.com/products/dragonfire_cpp

Poulenger also makes Teracure- appears to be geared towards lawns.
http://poulenger.com/products/teracure

[ChrisK]

Cereal Rye (Elbon, not the annual rye used to overseed a lawn) is reported to work as an off season cover crop as the RKN cannot complete its life cycle in the roots. Even if it doesn't, it provides the benefits of a cover crop.

I've read mixed reports of marigold efficacy and some varieties work better than others from what I remember. Some swear by it. If nothing else they add color!

I have this recollection that an Israeli (?) company was working on a biological control...maybe a bacteria? Not finding it quickly on google though.

I may try grafting one of these days. RKN are pretty bad here.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

Cereal Rye (Elbon, not the annual rye used to overseed a lawn) is reported to work as an off season cover crop as the RKN cannot complete its life cycle in the roots. Even if it doesn't, it provides the benefits of a cover crop.

I've read mixed reports of marigold efficacy and some varieties work better than others from what I remember. Some swear by it. If nothing else they add color!

I have this recollection that an Israeli (?) company was working on a biological control...maybe a bacteria? Not finding it quickly on google though.

I may try grafting one of these days. RKN are pretty bad here.

http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intro...tNematode.aspx

[ChrisK]

Nice link...good info for people not familiar with nematode biology and such.

Originally Posted by Redbaron

http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intro...tNematode.aspx

[FreyaFL]

I'm most intrigued by the use of fungi in controlling nematodes. I saw a video on it once, several years ago, and remember thinking, "Good! This problem is now taken care of." Of course, I can't find it now or the company that sells the inoculate for it. (There had been one as I looked it up when I saw the show/video.) Oh, well.

[ChrisK]

Ran across this today. Not exactly a top tier journal but interesting nonetheless.

[DKelly]

Certis sells a product called melocon that is comprised of paecilomyces lilancus a naturally occurring soil fungus that dissolves the chitin that nematodes are made from. In trials in Hawaii it outperformed vydate a seriously nasty chemie.

[hoefarmer]

If you grow brassica (mustard greens), rototill them into the soil, seal the bed by rolling or cover with plastic, it should reduce your nematode population significantly.

[ChrisK]

I did some reading on this this afternoon. Reported efficacy is mixed. Not surprising since biological interactions are complex and we know little about interactions in the rhizosphere. If it's reasonably priced and available I'd try it. RKN is bad here.

As with all pesticides be they "organic" or "natural" or "synthetic" the biggest risk is to the applicator who handles the concentrated solutions not the end consumer exposed to miniscule trace amounts.

The species in Melocon is an opportunistic human pathogen. Imagine the outcry if Monsa...oh nevermind...

Originally Posted by DKelly

Certis sells a product called melocon that is comprised of paecilomyces lilancus a naturally occurring soil fungus that dissolves the chitin that nematodes are made from. In trials in Hawaii it outperformed vydate a seriously nasty chemie.

[Ms. Jitomate]

I too have nematodes in my 8'x4' bed. I know because of the knobby roots of the vegetable when I pulled out 3 eggplants, 2 tomato plants, and a squash last summer and the disappointing production. So far I have:

1. Planted Naughty Marigolds every 7 inches where I pulled out the affected plants.
2. I have saved my shrimp shells -- after rinsing, boiling, drying, and crushing them. I will add these to the bed.
3. I have snipped my cauliflower leaves and added them to the bed to decompose in the bed. It's not mustard, so I hope this is a good substitute.

What I can't find is clear plastic to solarize the bed coming of summer. Can I use 2 mil plastic sheeting normally used as tarp? The box says it's clear but it is opaque. Any other suggestions to help my bed?

I'm hoping to do this immediately after I harvest my garlic and onions in June. I don't even know if these nematodes will affect the onions and garlic. I also hope to add my compost as well.