Hey everybody! I have been bare-rooting some trees to plant in ground and have discovered some root galls on three of the trees. I assumed they are neematodes. I was washing the soil off about six feet from a couple trees when I found them. I have quarantined them now, but I was wondering if I can/should do anything to prevent their spread?
Should I treat the areas I was washing soil off? And of course if there is anything I haven't thought of let me know, thanks!

I have been having lots of success with treating my potted trees with 1part hydrogen peroxide to 5 parts water.....treating them 3 times.

Apart from proper sanitation/ avoidance tactics there is not much one can do about nematode infestation. However, you might find these three links to papers interesting, especially the one on marigolds use against nematodes.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ng044

Nematodes of Backyard Deciduous Fruit and Nut Crops in Florida

 http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7489.html

 Nematodes

 http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ng045

 Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) for Nematode Management

Good luck.

Thanks for the responses! Lafigue, I had read that a few places as well about the marigolds. Have you had any luck with them? Also, is there a specific kind that is most effective?
Armando, how often do you treat them? And also, is it normal strength hydrogen peroxide? Thanks so much again!

I believe normal strength its from the dollar store. I have been treating them 3-4 times. Most of my trees seem to leaf out healthier quickly. Could be that the nematodes are killed quickly and clears the water flow through the roots.

BigMike,

I have no personal experience with nematodes as they have not been a problem in my gardening for vegetables, ornamental or any potted plants. The article, for which I gave you a link, on the use of marigolds to control nematodes, by the university of Florida has a table (Table 1) that lists the various marigold varieties that were tested for their resistances to nematodes. One should only use varieties that show resistance (not intermediate or susceptible). The article does say that marigolds will not totally eliminate nematodes, simply manage their numbers.

Armando's trial with hydrogen peroxide is interesting. Does the treatment really work?

I found an interesting thesis (Master of Science thesis  " Experiments on the control of root-knot nematodes" by James McClintock, 1914, University of Wisconsin). McClintock conducted numerous experiments with various chemicals including hydrogen peroxide both in plots in the field and in petri dishes in the lab. None of the chemicals used in soils in the field gave satisfactory results. In the petri dishes only formalin, formaldyhide and carbonate bisulphide vapors worked but he demonstrated that those successes were the result of the petri dishes being sealed, providing very long exposure of the nematode eggs to the chemicals. If you are interested in that document, I can send you a pdf file of that thesis via email.

Again, as many papers on the subject states: only prevention really works in this case. Probably the only non chemical treatment that works is pressure steaming of the soil.

Cheers

Thanks again! I am sifting through all the info. I have culled the three trees showing galls. I took cuttings first, but I didn't want to risk the rest of the trees.

Hi LaFigue, can u send docoment at my mail. I want do some researh. Tq

Syukri_24@hotmail.com

Crab shell - not only a good source of calcium but feeds the organisms that devour nematode eggs, I use a 50lb bag every year, my yard smells like the Jersey shore :)

"Most nematode species can be significantly reduced by tilling in chitinous materials such as crushed shells of crustaceans (shrimp, crab, etc.)."

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=149

"Crab Shell for the Control of Nematodes"

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/crab-shell-control-nematodes-80417.html

"When added to the soil, crab shell helps to create a hostile environment for the fungus and root destroying nematodes by feeding the biological life that eats chitin and chitin based organisms."

http://www.mastergardenproducts.com/gardenerscorner/crabmealfertilizer.htm

"Soil amendments used for nematode control can be placed into four categories: inorganics, animal-based, plant-based, and microbial. Except for inorganics (such as ammonium sulfate fertilizer and powdered rock), nematode suppression from most amendments is at least partly the result of biological control. Animal-based amendments include chitin-containing crab shells and shrimp shells that apparently stimulate populations of soil-dwelling fungi that feed on chitin. Because chitin is a component of nematodes' egg shells, these chitin-feeding fungi also feed on these egg shells."

http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r280200111.html

Find a supplier near you, I get 50lbs delivered for under $60

http://www.compostwerks.com/organics/soil-amendments/product/37-crab-lobster-shell-meal

That's awesome! Crab shell meal sounds great! I get to add some trace minerals and nematode control at the Same time. Side benefits of course bringing the ocean smell to central TX:)
Thanks so much for the input KK!

Hello Syukri77,

I have just sent you an email with the thesis on "Experiments in Controlling Root-knot Nematodes", as a pdf attachment. Let me know if it does not arrive.

Once you control the RKN infestation, replant tree in a different area, in a 5ga. Bucket (with bottom cut out). Add lots of mulch or other organic material.

"Why you should prepare a seafood dinner for your soil"

Here’s how they work their magic. The exoskeletons of crabs, lobsters, shrimp, crayfish and countless insects contain a substance called chitin (pronounced KYE-tin), a slow-release source of the nitrogen that plants need. Because it doesn’t leach out of the soil, it doesn’t pollute waterways the way soluble nitrogen fertilizers do.

But that’s not all. When crustacean shells are added to the soil, they stimulate and increase populations of chitin-devouring bacteria and fungi. Once these have decomposed the shells, they go on to devour certain chitinous pests, most notably root-knot nematodes, which can lead to poor yields in a number of crops.

The shells also contain calcium carbonate, the key ingredient in garden lime. Calcium is another essential element for plant health, and it raises the pH of the soil in areas that are too acidic. The shells of mollusks such as oysters, mussels and clams are also rich in calcium. Those don’t break down as rapidly as crustaceans do, but that’s not a defect. We see the white clamshell fragments in our dark earth as time-release calcium pills at work.

Gardeners who don’t live near a coast where shellfish waste is plentiful might make a deal with seafood restaurants, offering to take it away as an even exchange. But they can also buy dried, ground crab or shrimp shells in bags. This is also a good option if neighbors object to fresh seafood waste. (Look for pure meal without additives, such as urea.) If local stores don’t carry them, check online sources such as Peaceful Valley Farm Supply.

Shellfish meal can be added, raked in or tilled just before planting, but whole crustacean shells are best chopped up, turned under and allowed to mellow in the soil for a month or more. Leaving them on the soil surface, as we once did with some crab shells when the ground was frozen, is a bad idea. They attracted flocks of sea gulls, whose habit it is to pick up shells and break them by dropping them on shoreline rocks — or in this case our neighbors’ cars.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/from-seabed-to-veggie-bed/2016/03/21/1733d8e4-ea08-11e5-bc08-3e03a5b41910_story.html

That's really helpful!  I will look into that for a soil amendment when making my mix!