Nematodes..Guess I'll start it this year

baja220 · Post by **baja220** » Jun 29, 2008 8:04 am

I'm sure I don't even have to ask what this is.

I treated these 2 hostas and all the hostas around them with Disulfoton 2.00% yesterday. Should I just dig them up and heat treat them and get it over with or use the Disulfoton every 4-6 weeks?
Here's lots of pics. Double Click

Erie Magic
Doesn't look to bad from here

These make you wanna

Midwest Magic
good one and pretty leaf

HostaDesigner · Post by **HostaDesigner** » Jun 29, 2008 8:46 am

I'm hoping research will soon find a good chemical to nuke the $&#&@! things.

Personally, I think heat treating individual plants is, bluntly, a waste of time if the plant is going right back into the garden. Even if you cure them in the plant, the odds of there not being any in the ground or surrounding plants (not just hosta) is slim-to-none. Plus, if you don't kill them all, you may not know it until 2-3 years later after you've already relocated it.

If the Disulfoton is giving people decent results, I would go full-force and start regular treatments.

My 2¢.

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Jun 29, 2008 8:55 am

Ugh! I've been wondering how long it would be before they started showing up.
My friend Linda C found a reference in her organic gardening trouble shooter from Rodale about using fish emulsion (I think that was it!) to help control nematodes. It didn't specify foliar nematodes, so I don't know if it would help or not. I guess it couldn't hurt.
I've heat treated some in the past, but I don't think I'll do any more. I'm using the disulfoton this year, and that reminds me to get out and put it on again this week. I should have done it a couple of weeks ago.
Linda P

Post by **Chris_W** » Jun 29, 2008 10:19 am

I agree with Hosta Designer that heat treating isn't the way to go if you are going to be putting them back in the same place as the nematodes are too persistent. I did the hot water bath on one spot years ago and although things looked promising, the nematodes showed up in that spot again in the future. Heat treating works fantastic if you are going to plant in a new spot that hasn't had nematodes (some badly infested plants are still nematode free 5 years later), but it is too difficult to try and rid the soil of them unless you have something really powerful like Nemacur, and that has been discontinued and isn't for the home gardener anyway.

Disyston could help, but also insecticidal soap, diazanon (if you can still find it) and a couple other insecticides will help to suppress symptoms somewhat and keep them clean looking.

pauhaus · Post by **pauhaus** » Jun 29, 2008 9:21 pm

Has anyone heard of putting down crab shells? I tried it this year after hearing something about it at hosta college. Seems the Chitin in the shells feed the beneficial fungi living in the soil and this fungi preys on the nematodes, I guess it really wouldn't be effective if your plants are already harboring nems in the crown or leaves. I thought it worth a shot.

baja220 · Post by **baja220** » Jul 01, 2008 2:35 am

I had nems on one plant last year and it wasn't in same bed these are in now. Last year I heat treated the hosta and everyday for a week I poured a couple gallons of boiling water where the hosta was growing. Now other hostas are growing in that area and aren't showing any signs yet.
I don't know if the Disulfoton will work or not. It was suggested last year so I got some.

I haven't dug these up yet. Should I take off the infected leaves?

What are these crab shells? Crushed? Do you put them out like mulch?

Pieter · Post by **Pieter** » Jul 01, 2008 10:20 am

I'll pipe in with what I'd perceive at this point as a success story from last year.

Last year's Summer secret Trade I received had some Hostas that were nematode infested and since all 8 plants received shared the same bucket of water to rehydrate, it was assumed all had now been exposed to them. None had been planted in the ground, all were still potted up and it was easy therefor to take them out again and give them a bleach bath. While they're all quite a bit smaller than last year -the root systems took quite the beating- they did all pull through except for one Tattoo division and up to this point they look to be free of those nasty worms. But, I'm not quite ready for the 'all clear' quite yet, my guess is it'll be this time next year before I'm in a position to do thumbs up or down. As said though, my 'bleach babies' are looking promising.

baja220 · Post by **baja220** » Jul 01, 2008 11:08 pm

Found another one I think. Can yal confirm?

Silver Bay

And what's this other stuff going on with this hosta? I have many many hostas that look like this. Some are coved with it and some it's just a few leaves.

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » Jul 02, 2008 8:16 am

Debbie,
That looks like fungus to me

Ginger

whip1 · Post by **whip1** » Jul 02, 2008 3:46 pm

pauhaus wrote:Has anyone heard of putting down crab shells? I tried it this year after hearing something about it at hosta college. Seems the Chitin in the shells feed the beneficial fungi living in the soil and this fungi preys on the nematodes, I guess it really wouldn't be effective if your plants are already harboring nems in the crown or leaves. I thought it worth a shot.

I've never had problems with nematodes, but I've suggested this treatment at other forums. Sadly, I've never received feedback to see if it works. It can't hurt.

baja220 · Post by **baja220** » Jul 03, 2008 2:34 pm

pieters, what's the bleach solution ratio?

Pieter · Post by **Pieter** » Jul 03, 2008 3:40 pm

You can read of my trials and tribulations on this page on my website.

I took the plunge to bleach after reading a thread on another forum where Bruce Banyai related what his mother used to do. He/she use(d) a 5-10% solution, I used 8%.

Quiet Storm · Post by **Quiet Storm** » Jul 22, 2008 8:55 pm

Nems have made their annual appearance in my garden. Inniswood, Gold Standard and Francis Williams are the only ones affected this year so far. I dug up and heat treated Inniswood, since it was looking pretty bad. I treated the Gold Standard with Disulfuton, and removed the affected leaf from Francis Williams. Got distracted and never got back to treat FW with disulfuton. Hopefully I will remember to do it in the morning. I divided Inniswood into three sections, potted them up, treated them with disulfuton, and put them in a full sun location. I will keep them there for the rest of the summer. I treated the area where Inniswood had been planted with boiling water. I bought some Dr. Bronner's liquid peppermint soap to make some homemade insecticidal soap to spray on all my hostas. Need to pick up the remaining ingredients. Already have a pump-type pressure sprayer. Hope to get to it this weekend. So far none of my new hostas have shown nem symptoms, but FW is very near a couple of the new ones. Here we go again. It is truly a neverending battle.

DBoweMD · Post by **DBoweMD** » Jul 23, 2008 8:33 am

I am happy to report that I have not found any nematode damage in the plants that I treated last summer with Disyston granules in their pots. I have seen nematodes in another garden so the season is upon us for them to show up. I need to keep a close watch, of course.
If you recall, I treated these plants and kept looking at leaves up to two months after the treatment and was disappointed to find living nems in the leaves in every plant.
I quarantined them over the winter. I hope that the absorbed Disyston broke the reproductive cycle.

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Jul 23, 2008 10:37 am

That sounds like good news, Dr. Dave. I am hopeful, as well. I used the Disyston in my garden and pots. There are a few in the garden showing symptoms, but none yet showing in the pots I treated. Hopefully we have come upon something that will work.

Here's keeping my fingers crossed!

hostanquilts · Post by **hostanquilts** » Jul 23, 2008 3:22 pm

This has probably been discussed before, but what products do you buy that have the Disulfoton & Disyston in? I haven't been successful in finding it.
TIA,

HostaDesigner · Post by **HostaDesigner** » Jul 23, 2008 6:34 pm

(Long read...sorry)

Well, I saw them pop up last year and quickly eradicated the whole area. Fortunately (tongue in cheek) they were only 1 year old seedlings. This year, I don't see any signs in hosta yet, but I do see signs on them in Trillium, False Solomon's seal, and true Soloman's Seal. These new infected plants are in two totally different parts of the yard and nowhere near the outbreak I had last year. It leads me to believe A) they were naturally in the area and only showed up this year. Or B) they came in on one of the new ferns from 2 years ago.

It's strange... I have them in the garden...and there's no way I'm digging up my beds to try some new-fangled technique to eradicate them, but I don't care all that much. It's actually a RELIEF. Sounds strange, but I have been so paranoid about accidentally bringing them in, that I have tried to create a little bubble and not bring in anything new. What's the point now?

I have tried to cure different gardens of nems and found it to be a fruitless money pit and it takes a HUGE toll mentally. I have lost years of hosta enjoyment by digging, cutting, dipping, treating, boiling, burning and killing hostas with nematodes. I just want to enjoy my gardening. That's all. If there's a spray I can use to suppress them, fine. I'll use it. But my days of battling nems and worrying about them in the garden are over.

Some day, there will be a product to kill them again. It will happen. Southern Blight used to keep me up at night too. I just bought Bayer Prostar and it is 100% eliminating it from my soil. Same will come for nems in due time.

I have nematodes in my garden (he shouts from the mountain-tops)!!!

Ahhhh....lets get back to buying new and exciting plants from different people again.

Lastly... My parent's garden has had them for over 7 years. And over the past 3 years damage has been getting less and less. No chemical sprays, no treatment whatsoever. Is it the natural balance in nature beginning to suppress them? I hope the same for everyone.

Carol W · Post by **Carol W** » Jul 24, 2008 12:46 am

Video Dr. Rob Giblin-Davis of the University of Florida fills us in on trends in post-plant nematode control.
http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?titl ... =435713891

"Marigold (Tagetes species) is one of the most highly studied crops for its ability to suppress nematodes with antagonistic phytochemical exudates, namely the polythienyls. Research also demonstrates that rhizobacteria living in association with marigold roots are suppressive to root lesion and other nematodes. These multiple effect nematode-control properties can benefit other crops when marigolds are grown in rotation. "
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/nematode.html

One research it was stated that when treating a plant with nematodes is to encourage root growth with a rooting hormone.

Carol W · Post by **Carol W** » Jul 24, 2008 12:52 am

"Another possible solution may be the solid planting of marigolds for 3 months in areas heavily contaminated with nematodes. The marigold, when grown on soil infested with nematodes, suppresses the population of these nematodes and reduces the numbers found in the roots of susceptible host plants."
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/PLAN ... atode.html

Mary Ann · Post by **Mary Ann** » Jul 24, 2008 3:58 am

Those articles are dealing with root nematodes, the marigold remedy may not affect foliar nematodes.