If you do have fungi and nematodes, here’s a great organic way to get rid of them without harming other beneficials.
Fungi and nematodes can mean the ruin of many gardens. And yes, nematodes can exist even in the desert. So can fungi, for that matter.
But there is one easy and organic method to get rid of them, without harming beneficial organisms. And July is a perfect time to do it. Here’s how:
- First, prepare your soil as you would a regular fall garden. Add organic fertilizer and organic material (compost works really well) and then water the area thoroughly.
- Now, obtain some heavy sheets of CLEAR plastic. The emphasis is on clear plastic, not black plastic. Why? Because you want the sun’s rays to pass through the plastic to the ground below. Black plastic will not allow this. It may absorb some heat, but not enough to do any good. Clear plastic on the other hand will allow solar rays to penetrate into the ground, heating it up enough to kill the organisms you want to kill. Old, clear plastic shower curtains work very well. You’ll also want to make sure that whatever you use is at least four mm thick. That’s because plastic is degraded by sunlight. Four mm is thick enough for the plastic to last as long as your need it.
- Cover the entire area with the plastic. Shovel dirt or sand around the edges to help keep the plastic in place.
- Now, place stones at regular intervals along the edge to hold the plastic in place. Plastic sheets that are not well secured can be whipped away in seconds by high desert winds.
- You want to keep the ground covered with the plastic for at least six weeks. The purpose of keeping it down so long is that you want to heat up the ground to 140 degrees or above and sustain that temperature for that long. That will kill most fungal spores and nematodes, as well as destroying nematode eggs.
Don’t worry about any earthworms, or other beneficial insects or invertebrates. They will move out of the area as soon as it warms up. After you take off the plastic in six weeks, they will be back in droves, enriching the soil, fixing nitrogen, and helping beneficial microorganisms to thrive.
Related articles:
