Beneficial Nematodes: A Powerful Organic Pest Control Method

There’s nothing worse for a gardener than to check on your crop and find it destroyed by pests – sometimes overnight! It’s enough to make an organic gardener run to the nearest store for some chemical pesticide. But wait – there are many other methods available that are safe and organic to help keep pests under control and keep your plants healthy and strong. Beneficial Nematodes are one of the most potent ways to protect your garden.

So what attacked your garden this year? For me, it was cucumber beetles, squash vine borers and cabbage worms. I used organic methods to control them; some worked and some didn’t. Using beneficial nematodes will help drastically cut down on pests in my garden for next season but they need to be applied under specific conditions.

First of all, what are Beneficial Nematodes?

Nematodes are microscopic worms that feed on the larvae and pupae of a large range of threatening insects. They are parasitic, killing by attaching and destroying their host. They are also voracious – once released they begin attacking immediately and will consume a huge number of eggs and larvae in your garden.

Nematodes come in different varieties determined by what group of pests they attack. You’ll see options for Hb (Heterohabditis bacteriophora), Sc (Steinernema carpocapsae), Sf (Steinernema feltiae) as well as a few other less common varieties. Each type targets a specific group of insects. It’s helpful to know what attacked your garden this year to determine which variety of nematodes to purchase. Feel free to post in the comments section if you are not sure. Tell me what plants were attacked and what the damage looked like. I may be able to help you identify the culprit.

My garden was the victim of damage from all three groups, so I am buying this specific brand and combination.

If you are a beginner gardener and you have no idea what attacked your garden this year, or perhaps you just want to get a good jump on next year, this is also the perfect way to get started: Nature’s Good Guys.

Here is ALL the important info you need to make the magic happen:

1. Once you place your order, make sure you bring the package in right away and put it in your refrigerator. It will have a little cold pack with it to keep the nematodes alive. Once you receive the package, they will keep for about 30 days.
2. Plan to apply them on a day that is either rainy and overcast, or shorty after a good rain. They will stay alive longer and be so much more effective in wet soil. If you haven’t had rain, simply soak your garden with the soaker-hose or sprinkler for an hour or more to wet the area thoroughly.
3. They don’t like sunlight! Plan to apply in the evening as it’s getting dark or on a very overcast day (again, a rainy day works best) and keep them in the package until you are ready.
4. Nematodes need temperatures between 45 and 95 degrees to work, so watching the weather is important. This is why spring and fall are the best times to apply.

Okay, now you know the rules! Now let’s get these guys in your garden so they can get to work!

1. You can use a sprayer if you want to, but I just use a watering can.
2. Fill a large plastic container with water that is between 59 and 69 degrees. You can use a candy thermometer if you don’t have a garden thermometer. (I find a garden thermometer is super helpful and they are not very expensive. This one is reliable and will help you in the spring when you are transplanting tender seedlings into your garden).
3. Cut the little package open (it will look a bit like baking yeast) and pour it into the water. Mix it in and give them a minute to wake up!
4. Then I dip my watering can in the bin and fill it. I pour the mixture directly into the soil all over my garden, focusing on areas where I saw pests attacking my plants this summer – most of the eggs and larvae will be right in these areas.

That’s it! Over the next few days and weeks, your microscopic army is hard at work reducing the harmful insect population in your garden.

It’s kind of amazing. In the spring, you can apply again if you feel you really had a significant attack, but you can also purchase ladybug and praying mantis eggs to augment your army. They will attack above the soil line, while nematodes do their work underground.

This is simply the best organic way to control harmful insects in your garden. No chemicals. No pesticides. These nematodes are safe for humans and pets. They won’t harm your earthworms a bit either. So get on it! You’ll thank me in mid-summer when your garden is thriving and you don’t have to share your harvest with the bugs!