I've planted 5 varieties of Fig. Our soil is very sandy requiring lots of water and care. The trees are all young but they do have new fig growth . My concerns, I'm told that Nematodes are in this area and our trees will be infected by the problem. I'm hoping there is a solution, can anyone please give me some advice?
Nematodes are in every soil all over the world. It would not be soil without them. Part of soil biology.
Nematodes are a good, soil status indicator. Depending on what type of nematode and the numbers, you can tell how the soil is doing.
There are 5 basic types of nematode, ( 30,000 species ). Bacteria feeding, fungal feeders, omnivores, root feeding and the predatory which eats all the other nematodes. You will have all of these in your soil depending on their food source. Otherwise they go dormant.
You can eradicate them by chemical means, but this will also destroy the other beneficial biomass.
You can introduce predatory nematodes to eat the problem nematodes.
You can disturb the soil which knocks them back for up to a year.
Presumably you are referring to root feeding nematodes? Either grow your figs in containers or do one of the aforementioned suggestions.
cheers from down under,
Arfabuck
Glenbrook NZ
