Root-Knot Nematodes in the Vegetable Garden

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Have you ever pulled up a plant and discovered knotted roots? If you did, you may have had root-knot nematodes. Plant-parasitic nematodes are microscopic, unsegmented roundworms which can destroy a plant's root system. Root-knot nematodes which are easily common for many crops causes knots or galls due to the hormones the worms inject. You can manage nematodes by planting resistant varieties, cover cropping, soil solarization, adding compost, removing infested plants, tilling, or planting in containers.

[@PeggyLeeSebeni]

Thank you Dr. Denise DeBusk. I planted over 15 tomato plants in 3 different garden spaces this year. Not one of them produced a single fruit many died after getting to 12" high. Others were spindly & grayish in color. Onion, Bush Beans & Strawberries planted in those same beds produced prolifically. Thanks for solving this mystery for me. I'm a long time Gardener. Been growing on this land nearly 60 years. Yes, I was my dad's right hand girl at age 8. I inherited his love for "playing in the dirt" and his green thumb 👍. This season was a real puzzle for me. I'll plant some Marigolds & maybe even Sunflowers 🌻 to make sure that I haven't inadvertently polluted my soil with a contaminated commercial compost. I'll be finishing my raised bed & beefing up my Composting program.

[@rescuemyplant]

Did you take any photos?

[@VeganDoris]

I’m worried that if I pull up a sickly looking plant to examine the roots, I will kill the plant and it might not have had nematodes and there might have been a completely different problem.☹️

[@learningbeing7608]

thank you ms.denise❤

[@Chris-op7yt]

argh, just pulled up tomatoes, which struggled this year, as did eggplants. cucumbers and carrots also showed knots on roots, when pulled them up, but crop was fine. we had one big rain at start of summer, which made veggie patch soggy for a few days. i think that's when the nematodes went to work. it's autumn now and veggie patch has been quite soggy. i'm digging hydrated lime into soil, to make it drain better and dry up. none of the plants are having issues with the ph spike. seem to love the calcium. i heard you can use sugar against the nematodes. can i just broadcast some sugar? what rate? thanks

[@dmaifred]

Any feedback on neem cake? Just read about but have no other info from my long time KZbin sources. Cheers from hot Western Australia.

[@rescuemyplant]

I've heard about using something like that this past year, but I haven't tried it.

[@paulbraga4460]

rkn is a problem all over. all the advice here are good but i would begin where i always do - soil mineral balancing. take a sample and send it to a lab - Logan Labs has such a long reputation. the lab will recommend you put down some amendment, maybe calcium carbonate, guano, magnesium sulfate, whatever. then i know there are no missing minerals and you have a base to work on. you can then add soil drenching with say fish hydrolysate and foliar sprays. you've got to begin with the right goal - nutrient density...blessings

[@magictaylor7544]

Came here because I suspect nematodes on my okra.

[@rescuemyplant]

I plant okra in containers because they are nematode magnets.

[@FC2ESWS]

​@@rescuemyplantI just pulled one okra plant that wasn't producing while the others did. And it was full of root knots...