Nematodes come in a wide variety of types and shapes - mostly they appear as pests, but they can also be useful.
The animals known in specialist circles as nematodes, but also colloquially as elk or nematode, are among the
most species-rich animal groups in the world
.
There are around 20,000 different subspecies, which also differ in their shape, as
mein-schön-garten.de
writes.
There are free-living nematodes that live as predators and
parasitic nematodes
that occur in plants * and animals.
They are generally only a few millimeters in size and are at most white in color, otherwise they are colorless.
Attention
: Flowering ivy: therefore you must not cut back the plant now.
Nematodes as pests: agriculture and the garden are suffering
Most people associate the name nematodes with their garden - and rarely have positive feelings towards the small animals in this context. No wonder: Above all, the
free and predatory nematodes
like to attack the plant population in the home garden. As a result, deformation, discoloration, dead roots and even
death of the plant are
possible.
The herbivorous nematodes also
cause enormous damage
in agriculture
around the world
.
In particular, the type of nematode called beet cyst nematode is known for its large-scale damage potential: it attacks the roots of plants such as beets and spinach and ultimately causes
the plant to grow significantly less
- the consequences are major yield losses.
Nematodes as beneficial insects: the pest for the pest
In fact, nematodes can also be used for
pest control
.
They use the larvae of the extremely harmful black weevil and garden beetles as hosts and
thus completely
kill the population
over a period of about two to three years - but they do not do anything against the adult animals.
+
Nematodes as pest control - they are usually delivered in a clay granulate.
© Imago
Nematodes are available in specialist shops or on the Internet.
For around 20 euros
you can get enough nematodes to fight pests on an area of 100 square meters.
They are supplied in clay granules that are softened with water before use and then
distributed in the garden
using a watering can
.
However, the soil should generally be moist, otherwise the nematodes will dry out, and it should be
at least 12 degrees warm
- otherwise the nematodes will not really be active.
To go with it
: Holes in the lawn: where do they come from - and how do I remove them?
Fighting nematodes: This helps against the small worms
If you notice the damage typical of nematodes on your plants, it is important
to act quickly
. Mein-Schöne-garten.de recommends removing the infected
plants and their roots
from the soil and disposing of them directly with the organic waste - nematodes can multiply on the compost heap, so
this is not advisable
.
It is also advisable to create a green wasteland with plants that are effective against nematodes.
These include mustard, zinnia and marigold.
It also helps
remove wild herbs
as these are ideal for nematode growth.
You can disinfect the floor with superheated steam, which is also a promising method.
To prevent nematode infestation, you should
only cultivate
particularly
susceptible plants about every four years
, generally
cultivate
different plants and fertilize them organically: A healthy plant is more disease-resistant.
(Felix Herz) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.