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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Root nematodes?

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  • From: robert schuler <sunnfarm AT bellatlantic.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Root nematodes?
  • Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 09:39:49 -0400

Bob, we seldom see nematodes in crops after years of grass sod. One of the
best organic controls for vegetable crop nematodes is the planting of grass
sod for many years. You can send soil samples to a nematode testing lab to be
sure. I think your problem is either wireworms or symphylans. Both of these
pests are common in newly tilled land that had been in sod a few years.
Symphylans can be detected
by digging a soil sample from your potato patch and looking for the critters.
Wireworms can be found by burying a handful of wheat or untreated corn seed a
couple inches deep in last years potato patch then dig up the germinating
clump of seeds and looking for the wireworms, one wireworm is all you need to
find to know its the problem...Bob.
Sunny Meadow Farm
Bridgeton, NJ.

bob111higgins AT comcast.net wrote:

> Hi All:
>
> Last year, a large percentage of my potatoes came out gnarly and deformed.
> This was in my new garden, first market garden, new place we moved to.
> First I thought the potatoes looked like that because I let the weeding go
> and they had to compete with lots of strongly-rooted weeds -- maybe the
> weed roots wrapped around the taters.
>
> Now I'm thinking this is classic root nematodes like the kind that deform
> carrots. The potatoes were planted in a field that hadn't been turned over
> in years -- lots of old haygrass sod. I've only seen nematodes do in
> carrots before. Do these buggers deform potatoes too? If so, does anyone
> know any organic treatments for the soil before I put in this year's crop
> (in a different part of the field)?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Bob Higgins
> Red Brick Farm
> Hopewell, NJ
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