Nematodes are skinny, worm-like parasites that feeds on plant roots. Is your annual vegetable garden starting to look wilted and unhealthy even though you have watered it thoroughly? Does your new turf lawn looking stressed? Do your new veggies look like you are over or underwatering them? Is your new plant growth stagnant? Have you noticed browning, yellowing, wilting or thinning?
If so, you may have a nematode infestation.
- How do you know if you have nematodes damaging your garden?
- Galls (swollen-looking growths) on your plant roots will confirm the problem.
Organic pest control methods are the best way to control nematodes in your soil.
Monterey Nematode Control is OMRI Listed for organic gardening. It is a water-soluble botanical extract from the Quillaja saponaria tree (soapbark tree) native to Chile. This organic, bio-pesticide provides excellent control of the following nematodes: Dagger, Root-Knot, Ring, Root-Lesion, Spiral Sheath and Anguina Pacifica nematodes.
Monterey Nematode Control is labeled for residential use in home orchards, vineyards, vegetable gardens and on lawns and ornamental plants. 1 quart treats up to 4000 sq ft.
Application: Apply with a band or broadcast sprayer to the soil surface. Water-into the soil by drip or by sprinklers.
Helpful tips for fighting nematodes: Rotating crops so that a different plant grows on the same plot each year is a useful technique to prevent nematodes from taking over your soil. Tomatoes, peppers and lima beans are resistant to nematodes, so rotating these plants with your other crops is an effective preventive measure. Another practice to keep your soil healthy is to fertilize your soil with compost. This introduces microorganisms that are natural predators to nematodes.
