The best way to beat nematodes and still grow heirlooms with success is to graft onto a good nematode resistant root stock. The second best way is to plant hybrids that are resistant but then you have to deal with the frequently lousy taste and texture of the tomatoes. The third best option is a long slow one that requires a lot of work and constant maintenance and that is building up the soil with lots and lots of organic matter. Nematodes love sandy soil. For some reason fresh horse manure tilled into the soil in the fall seems to greatly reduce the nematode population.
I went with the third option for years and was quite successful at growing heirlooms despite soil that had originally been full of RKN. It took some years of work but I had a more insidious problem with the persistent fusarium problems and they only got worse as the years went on until I finally ended up with all three races of fusarium in my soil and few plants lasted more than three months before dying from it.
I finally took the advice from this site from someone who told me to start grafting and I finally did and it has been wonderful. I can now grow any variety that I can successfully graft onto my FFF resistant root stock and it is also resistant to RKN and Bacterial Wilt. So, now three problems solved with just one action. The downside is you have to start earlier than normal and you have to learn to graft. Both can be problems as I certainly ran into many trying to learn to graft successfully. Now that I am halfway decent at grafting I just wish I had started many years sooner.
Bill
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