Quote:
Originally Posted by ssi912
had the same problem few years back. after growing season, i added 40 pounds of very small pine bark chips. my box is about 70 square foot. i mulched the plants growing that year with hay or straw. i tilled in hay and pine bark with exsisting soil. i then watered it in real good. bed is empty by the way, no plants. i then covered the bed with thick construction grade plastic. my bed is about 24 inches high. i then cut the plastic to fit the bed . stapled plastic to wood bed. soil and top of bed was totally covered by plastic. did this mid july and didnt remove plastic until mid sept. dirt got very hot under plastic. 6-7 hours of full summer sun. it gets very hot here during those months. removed the plastic in september. did not do anything to the bed until next mid march, when i planted tomato seedlings. best tomatoes i ever had. i have not seen any signs of nematodes on the roots of the plants i removed last year. if they pop up, same treatment. any questions dont hesitate to ask. good luck
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Yes that technique is referred to as solarizing and it works very well. Some worry that it also kills the beneficials living in the soil.
-Marsha