Root knot nematodes!

[SpookyShoe]

My house is 15.5 feet above sea level. The lot (and the lots of numerous other homes) were built up with SAND. Even with amending the soil in the flower and vegetable beds, the nematodes have the upper hand. Even so, this was my tomato haul today. It will all be over about the 2nd week in June. I have only eight plants, but I'll get a lot of fruit before the end.


Donna, Texas zone 9, Gulf Coast

[DonDuck]

My wife I are leaving in the morning to spend a few days in the mountains of New Mexico. I checked my garden a few minutes ago to make sure all the watering valves are open and the timers are working. I hate to get home from a trip and find half my garden dead from lack of water. My tomato plants are loaded and I will have some ripe tomatoes when we get home as well as a lot of cucumbers, squash, zucchinies and other stuff. My garden should produce into mid July and start again in the fall when it cools a little.

Your tomatoes are beautiful. I hope mine look as good.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by DonDuck

I have ten, twenty five gallon pots with Carbon variety tomato plants in each. The pots are sitting on concrete slabs with drain holes 3" up the sides of the pots. Of the ten plants, one looks very healthy, but only about 1/2 the size of the other nine. All growing conditions in the pots including drip irrigation on a timer are the same. I plan on examining the roots of the smaller plant at the end of the growing season or earlier if the plants production is much lower than the larger plants. Each pot is also growing cucumbers, onions, and some herbs. Everything is performing well except the single tomato plant.

I had two plants die early, side by side last year. They were in one of my raised beds. I didn't think much about it and I didn't look at the roots when I pulled them. I know they were open pollinated, but I don't remember the variety. After thinking about it during the winter, I decided to plant an OP Mortgage Lifter in one of the spots and a hybrid Big Beef in the other spot to see if either or both had any problems growing in the same spots. So far, both plants are growing very well and have small tomatoes on them.

You could also be experiencing fusarium wilt. I tried container growing for a few years and didn't have the best results mostly due to my inconsistent watering. I did however get fusarium in a few of my container plants but never RKN.

Bill

[DonDuck]

I'm still watching the single KBX plant which I am treating with vinegar (acetic acid), Epsom Salt (magnesium); and Miracle Grow (nutrients). It is doing very well having grown new leaves and small new stems.



I have a second plant in the same row of KBX plants which is exhibiting the same symptoms of root knot nemotodes as the first plant. It suddenly started wilting in the heat, leaves started turning yellow and entire branches died. Instead of pulling the plant and removing the infected roots, I decided to attempt to treat it in place by putting a sunscreen over it and soaking the roots with the same mixture that seems to have worked with the first plant. I also removed the dead branches and foliage. I don't really have any expectations of killing the nematodes long term, but simply making the environment around the plants uninviting and making the plants healthy enough to produce tomatoes. At some point, I want to add some sulfur either directly to the soil around the plants or add it to the mixture I am already using. My intent is to cause the nematodes to seek greener pastures by applying a noxious product to the soil a month or two after planting the seedlings. If it happens to kill them in the process without harming the plants, I will consider that a bonus.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by DonDuck

I'm still watching the single KBX plant which I am treating with vinegar (acetic acid), Epsom Salt (magnesium); and Miracle Grow (nutrients). It is doing very well having grown new leaves and small new stems.



I have a second plant in the same row of KBX plants which is exhibiting the same symptoms of root knot nemotodes as the first plant. It suddenly started wilting in the heat, leaves started turning yellow and entire branches died. Instead of pulling the plant and removing the infected roots, I decided to attempt to treat it in place by putting a sunscreen over it and soaking the roots with the same mixture that seems to have worked with the first plant. I also removed the dead branches and foliage. I don't really have any expectations of killing the nematodes long term, but simply making the environment around the plants uninviting and making the plants healthy enough to produce tomatoes. At some point, I want to add some sulfur either directly to the soil around the plants or add it to the mixture I am already using. My intent is to cause the nematodes to seek greener pastures by applying a noxious product to the soil a month or two after planting the seedlings. If it happens to kill them in the process without harming the plants, I will consider that a bonus.

Some of the symptoms you describe are symptoms of fusarium wilt. Especially yellowing and wilting of a whole stem. I'm not saying you don't also have RKN because they frequently work hand in glove to destroy a tomato plant.

Bill

[DonDuck]

Bill, You may be correct. I know I could see the damage from nematodes in the first plant because I pulled it and cut the infected roots off the main stem. I have not pulled the second plant and I won't pull it if it reacts favorably to the root soaking mixture. If both plants prosper from exposure to the mixture, I will guess it isn't fusarium wilt because I am not aware of any treatment for wilt.


My hope for the mixture to work is the strong cleansing effect of the vinegar and it's acidic nature. The Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate (magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen). It has the ability to extract water through cell walls as it does when humans use it as a laxative or muscle relaxant. Since nematodes tend to function at soil depths where moisture levels are optimum, the salts may function to make the nematodes lose moisture in their bodies possibly killing them or making them leave the premises. The Miracle Grow is only added as nutrients to strengthen the plant.


The truth is, I'm only playing. Whether the tomato plants die or thrive won't effect the output of my garden very much. It would be nice to find something I can use in the garden to repel nematodes and make my garden more healthy.

[DonDuck]

Bill,


I think your advice to graft common tomato varieties to disease and pest resistant root stocks is the very best answer for many garden problems. I investigated it many years ago, but since I germinate my seedlings under lights, I would need to double the space of my light table to produce the same number of plantable seedlings. When I investigated the cost of the seeds for the tomato plants with resistant roots for use as root stock, they seemed ridiculously expensive. I decided to simply fight on by trying to use available methods and plant many varieties like Big Beef with proven resistance.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by DonDuck

Bill,


I think your advice to graft common tomato varieties to disease and pest resistant root stocks is the very best answer for many garden problems. I investigated it many years ago, but since I germinate my seedlings under lights, I would need to double the space of my light table to produce the same number of plantable seedlings. When I investigated the cost of the seeds for the tomato plants with resistant roots for use as root stock, they seemed ridiculously expensive. I decided to simply fight on by trying to use available methods and plant many varieties like Big Beef with proven resistance.

I felt the same way for years. Seed cost for true root stock seed have come down significantly, particularly when bought in larger amounts from the right places. The seed are good for at least a couple of years and longer if kept properly. The biggest obstacles are learning how and timing seed planting to allow for the recovery after grafting.

Big Beef was my insurance tomato for many years until my soil ended up with all three races of fusarium wilt. Once that happened Big Beef was not a whole lot better than some heirlooms. I was pretty much forced to try grafting and my only regret is that I didn’t start grafting much sooner.

Bill

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by DonDuck

My hope for the mixture to work is the strong cleansing effect of the vinegar and it's acidic nature. The Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate (magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen). It has the ability to extract water through cell walls as it does when humans use it as a laxative or muscle relaxant. Since nematodes tend to function at soil depths where moisture levels are optimum, the salts may function to make the nematodes lose moisture in their bodies possibly killing them or making them leave the premises.

I am really interested i the outcome of your "playing" as I have RKN problems too.

So far we've been blessed this season with lots of rain and thus cooler than normal temps and the neemies haven't gotten into the swing of it yet. But it's fixin' to get hot and dry and so we'll see. I've read about and tried umpty different methods to deal with them so if yours even helps a bit, that will be great! Vinegar is cheap. Good luck with your project!

[b54red]

Originally Posted by GoDawgs

I am really interested i the outcome of your "playing" as I have RKN problems too.

So far we've been blessed this season with lots of rain and thus cooler than normal temps and the neemies haven't gotten into the swing of it yet. But it's fixin' to get hot and dry and so we'll see. I've read about and tried umpty different methods to deal with them so if yours even helps a bit, that will be great! Vinegar is cheap. Good luck with your project!

If it does work then maybe it will work on the nematodes that attack okra and cucumbers.

Bill

[DonDuck]

While it is easy to recognize plants with problems, it is more difficult to recognize and document the recovery of the same plants. Even if they recover, it will be difficult to say they recovered due to any action I took. I take it as a good sign that the plants I have treated seem to be doing well, but I won't really know much until the end of the growing season when they can be examined from stem to stern. Even if they survive and grow, I'm not sure what has been proven that makes my effort worthwhile. The treated plants have been stunted in their growth and have little hope of catching up to the other plants in production. Hot, summer weather has arrived and very little tomato blossom pollination will occur before the weather cools in the fall. I'm thinking of what I am doing as a potential solution for pretreating planting holes in the spring instead of trying to save plants after they are planted. Even if my method works, is it any better than spending the money and buying some Actinovate which is both a fungicide, which may control some soil born fungus problems; and prevent the root knot nemotodes.


I'm not sure the cost savings with my method are real. I've used about four gallons of vinegar plus some Miracle Grow, plus some Epsom salt. Premium brand vinegar costs more than $4.00 per gallon. Store brand vinegar costs a little over $2.00 per gallon. I have no idea how much of each will be required by seasons end.

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by DonDuck

The treated plants have been stunted in their growth and have little hope of catching up to the other plants in production...I'm thinking of what I am doing as a potential solution for pretreating planting holes in the spring instead of trying to save plants after they are planted.

I can't imagine what the soil pH level is now around the treated plants with all that vinegar. I'd feel a little stunted too!

[b54red]

Originally Posted by GoDawgs

I can't imagine what the soil pH level is now around the treated plants with all that vinegar. I'd feel a little stunted too!

From everything I have heard and read the PH level brought down by vinegar will not last too long.

Bill

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by GoDawgs

I can't imagine what the soil pH level is now around the treated plants with all that vinegar. I'd feel a little stunted too!

Originally Posted by b54red

From everything I have heard and read the PH level brought down by vinegar will not last too long.

Bill

It depends greatly on the ability for the soil to drain as to how long it will last.

I also see not reason to spend good money on organic vinegar to do this.
I read in another place where someone asked about using sulfuric acid.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by Worth1

It depends greatly on the ability for the soil to drain as to how long it will last.

I also see not reason to spend good money on organic vinegar to do this.
I read in another place where someone asked about using sulfuric acid.

I thought about using muriatic acid followed by a full month of a blazing hot fire over the whole garden. While I wasn't being serious - I could make it happen, and it would look better around here if I did.
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I will be waking up the thread I started about RKN and the Fusarium one very soon. I am waiting on results, and they are showing their signs.

Marsha has told you about container gardening, and Bill has told you about grafting. Both will work.