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permaculture - [permaculture] Natural control of predatory nematodes by trapping them within root systems of certain cover crops. Weed control with allelopathic grass cover.

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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@bellsouth.net>
  • To: Growing Small Farms <growingsmallfarms@lists.ncsu.edu>, permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Natural control of predatory nematodes by trapping them within root systems of certain cover crops. Weed control with allelopathic grass cover.
  • Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:38:06 -0400


Natural control of predatory nematodes by trapping them within root systems
of certain cover crops.


An organic farmer in Santa Barbara California plants, summer and winter,
crops of grain sorghum (best choice)
or sudan grass to get rid of predatory nematodes in his raised bed gardens. At maturity, after harvest of foliage and/or grain to feed to livestock, the plants are pulled out of the soil by their roots to be composted or incinerated. The nematodes seem to migrate to and colonize the root systems of these particular cover crops.


Weed control with allelopathic grass cover.

For weed control he plants a grass cover crop on beds intended for cropping with such vegetables as carrots. When less than 4" to 8" tall the grass is cut down and/or uprooted (with scuffle hoe or equivalent hand tool) to be left on the surface of the soil for mulch into which the food crop is planted. The grass cover exudes a certain amount of allelopathic chemicals which serve to help control emergence of new weeds within the food crop as they grow and develop.





  • [permaculture] Natural control of predatory nematodes by trapping them within root systems of certain cover crops. Weed control with allelopathic grass cover., Lawrence F. London, Jr., 03/21/2009

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