Is it easier to prevent or treat nematodes??

New in Pensacola, FL – posted 01 May 2010 21:01

I’m getting a new zoysia lawn in a week, but was warned by a neighbor that a previous homeowner some 10 years ago got huge amounts of nematodes….and could not treat it. If that’s true, then how do you prevent it?I’m either getting Empire, or BK7(an emerald & meyer cross) or Emerald or El Torro,…those are my 4 choices. I just don’t know which one yet. The Ultimate Flora that I wanted is apparently not able to be gotten until a month or more, and I cannot wait that long, as my yard is just dirt and left-over weeds, some st augustine, now. And it’s starting to be the rainy season!!–here in NW Florida.

But we do have very sandy soil, so I’m super worried about nematodes. Thanks for any suggestions!

saltcedar – posted 02 May 2010 07:09

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ng039I’d be very cautious of any Zoysia in your situation. In all likelihood there nothing you can do about the nematodes long term. So planting a resistant grass is the only practical solution. At a minimum choose a broad–leaf Z. japonica type as they are most resistant to nematodes. All the fine bladed Z. matrella types are susceptible to nematode injury. A better solution might be Seashore Paspalum or Bahiagrass if you have enough sun to support their growth.

[This message has been edited by saltcedar (edited 02 May 2010).]

New in Pensacola, FL – posted 02 May 2010 13:58

So, would this Seashore Paspalum actually be nematode-resistant? I looked up your link, and then looked up this type of grass, and I definitely appreciate that info!! So, the only place I see that carries it is Environmental Turf in Avon Park, which is 500 miles away from Pensacola. Is there a closer place? I’m afraid to even ask the cost!! I’m willing to pay for it, but it has to be reasonable…I’m not a golf-course!! Though, yes, I’m probably being unreasonable in that I want a turf-like grass!! It does appear quite beautiful, though I do not live near the beach at all, and I don’t have ‘salt’ like conditions. I’m a good 25 miles north of the beaches.Would other farms, say in Alabama, be growing this? Thanks so much for you previous quick reply!

saltcedar – posted 03 May 2010 05:46

Honestly I can’t answer most of your questions because I don’t live there. Best bet is to look into local resources or even visit a golf course and ask to talk to a greens keeper. All I can say for certain is Paspalums grow in sandy soils and sand is frequently infested with nematodes so it should be naturally resistant.Floratam St. Augustine has shown some tolerance to nematodes as well.http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep288

[This message has been edited by saltcedar (edited 03 May 2010).]

Alex_in_FL – posted 15 May 2010 03:15

Prevention! There are few products that successfully kill nematodes that are on the market. We tested several alternative products with little or limited success.

The most damaging nematode is usually the sting nematode. You can prevent these by having about 20-30 percent of your soil be organic or clayey material. Sting nematodes fare poorly in soils with less than 80 percent sand.

And paspalums like seashore and sea spray are very susceptible to nematode damage.

[This message has been edited by Alex_in_FL (edited 15 May 2010).]