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Fredfig

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 

 I was at local nursery and found a sale on B. Kow topsoil. So, I bought 3 bags.

At home, I noticed that the topsoil was from Florida!

 I am thinking of Microwaving the amounts as I need for repotting. OR, throw it all away and starting again.

 Any thoughts on bringing nematodes up here in Florida topsoil ????

 Fred
Wildforager

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Microwave might work. Unless you need the soil right away you might want to think about just putting it outside for the winter. If it gets cold enough your soil will be ready to go in spring. Good luck!
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Little John Sheboygan, WI Zone 5B Wish List - Florea, Ronde De Bordeaux
hoosierbanana

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Fred- Steaming would be best but that is very complicated, I think boiling water would work just as well though.

You can also plant some lettuce in the soil and check the roots at intervals for galls to see if it has rkns.
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terowan

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Fred, in my opinion it is not worth any risk.  Nematodes are real bad and extremely difficult to get rid of.  Not to mention highly contagious.  Use one of the recommended mixes instead.  If the bags are unopened they could be returned.
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Tim
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Newport, NC Near the coast.
Fredfig

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 

 Guys... many thanks for the thoughts and ideas.

    I think that $15.00 worth of possible contaminated dirt is not worth the worry and effort.

   They go to the dump on my next trip. I'll start with something better!!  Fred
satellitehead

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 

I'm afraid nematodes are like FMV.  Once one pot or plant gets infected, you deal with it forever.

 

Knowing what I know now, I would have never purchased a plant from a nursery and simply stuck with cuttings.  Starting to seem like nematodes are inevitable once you get a single plant with them, quite frankly.
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Jason
Atlanta/Grant Park area - z8
heymikey

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Many Universities have done some very encouraging research using vermicompost and vermicompost tea in combating nematodes. This one by Ohio State University

Link
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pitangadiego

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
If we assume that the treatment is 100% effective, for the sake of argument, what about these issues:

1) Does treatment work for those nematodes in the soil, or does it also cure those that are already resident in the roots? Seems that it kills those in the soil, so that new plants planted in previously infected soil will not be infected.

2) I would assume that the galls that were already present on the roots would still be present, so there would be no way to to verify a cure - in other words, the plant would still look infected.
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timclymer

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Are nematodes known to be a problem in the north as well?  I've heard (though I'm not sure from whom) that they mostly reside in the top 2 inches of soil.  If that's the case, and they don't survive freezes, then I assume they wouldn't really be a problem in regions where the soil freezes to a depth beyond a few inches.
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