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Old January 22, 2013   #5
jerryinfla
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Central Florida
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I interplanted Burpee's Nema-Gone Marigolds with heirloom tomatoes this past season and still had serious RKN problems with the tomatoes. Also, the Nema-Gones grew quite large for marigolds -- almost as high as the tomatoes. I won't be interplanting them with anything soon but might plant them as a cover crop someday. This past year I planted Dwarf Essex Rape during the fall/winter and Sunn Hemp during the summer for cover crops -- both are supposed to suppress RKNs. I have not used marigolds, rape or hemp long enough to judge whether any is effective in controlling RKNs; however, I do like the looks of the soil after I turn the rape and hemp under plus they don't go to seed too soon like marigolds do. Thus I will continue to use them as cover crops in beds where I see RKN problems. I believe the best way to get RKNs under control is to develop healthy soil containing lots of organic matter and refrain from planting things that attract them (like heirloom tomatoes, okra, squash and cucumbers) until I get the little buggers under control which I expect will take a while.
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