zfallon84

I decided to pull the two largest pups off of this plant today. It turns out that about half of the roots had nematode damage. I am assuming that it was from last winter, when I had the pot laying directly on the soil in my hoop-house. The yard in our last rental had a very mushy, wet, yard. Nematodes probably crawled up through the holes that I drilled in the bottom of the pot. I usually have them sitting on two 12" 2x4's so that they are up high. Luckily, my other plant were up on wood during that time, and they are all still growing fine.

I pulled all of the Reds out of that pot, and treated the corms with very hot bleach water dips. I pruned the roots before that as well. I'd say that the main corm's roots had an infection rate of 25%.

That pot will probably be filled with French Marigolds. Nematodes hate them, and it will help starve the next generation of Nematodes once they hatch.