Quote:
Originally Posted by AlittleSalt
Today after physically pushing myself way beyond what I can do in a week. I stopped to smell the roses - look at that plants still growing. RKN has taken over all but 3 tomato plants. I keep pushing this nerve disease and it's trying to kick my AZZ. I'm not going to let it - nor am I going to let RKN do it to my gardens either.
I wonder if RKN can live through a mixture of 1 gallon bleach to 4 gallons water? If so, can RKN live through a half gallon Muriatic acid to four gallons water?
I am so tired of watching promising plants dying to a microscopic organism. I know the easiest and probably most acceptable answer is to give up. That's just not who I am. I am going to grow tomatoes in-ground.
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I know your frustrations well; but don't give in a treat everything with bleach or acid. You will kill off all your good bacteria and the nematodes can move back in within a year even if the treatment works great. The reason I went to grafting was because fighting nematodes and fusarium wilt had become too much for me due to health problems and grafting was the least taxing way to fight back. I had no idea it would work as well as it has making my later gardening years so much easier both physically and mentally. It does take a bit of a learning curve but if you follow my detailed instructions you can eliminate most of the problems that arise in grafting. I do not have 100% success with each grafting experience but I have gotten my success rate up high enough that cost is not prohibitive nor is the work involved. The biggest problem is getting everything started early enough to have plants ready in time for the earliest planting dates here. Grafting can add up to a month to the process of getting plants started but usually only two to three weeks depending upon how well I do with the grafting. I take longer than most descriptions of grafting but get a much higher success rate due to the added steps and the longer hardening off process. This means starting in early November getting some of the things you will need ordered so you can start your seed in December and be ready to start grafting in January and early February. The slow growth of seedlings when it is too cold and the light is not good enough can delay getting them to the size needed to start grafting. Even if you are delayed and don't get your plants started and grafted early enough for the first planting date you will greatly benefit from the healthier plants that can take the heat so much better with healthy roots.
If you have any questions let me know and I'll be happy to answer them.
Bill