Avoid Nematodes With This Simple Gardening Method

Container gardening uses a wide assortment of plastic, ceramic and wooden containers to hold the growing medium for plants. If the growing medium, or soil, becomes contaminated or exhausted of nutrients and is no longer productive, it is easier to  rectify the problem in the soil or, in some cases, simply dispose of it and start all over.

Tomatoes growing in 5 gallon nursery containers

Such is the case with nematodes.Once garden soils become contaminated with nematodes they are next to impossible to get rid of.

Nematodes damage on tomato roots

Soils in containers isolate problems from the garden. Soils can become contaminated because of chemicals, damaging nematodes and noxious weeds that are difficult to control. It is just plain easy to garden in containers.

Here are some simple guidelines to follow when growing plants in containers.

1. Pick a container that is large enough for the plant or plants.  5 gallon nursery containers are about the smallest container I would want to use in our climate. Containers should have holes at the bottom to allow water to drain. Our climate is hot and dry in the summer and there is not enough soil in small containers to hold the water needed by plants throughout the day. Secondly, soils in small containers heat up rapidly during the summer months.
2. Sanitize the inside of the container before planting. One of the best sanitizers is a 10% solution of Clorox in water. A 10% solution can be made with one cup of Clorox combined with 9 cups of water. Make sure the Clorox solution is in contact with the inside of the container for at least two minutes. Make sure the container thoroughly dries in the open air before planting. Another great disinfectant is our warm, dry air. A hair dryer on the hot setting does a pretty good job of sanitizing as well. More information on Clorox bleach
3. Use good quality planting soil. Plant health is directly related to the environment where it lives and how it is managed. Unless you are experienced with gardening and soil management, it is best to use a manufactured soil medium. Fill the container with the soil medium and water it thoroughly to settle the soil. Do not put gravel, rocks or shards of clay pots at the bottom of the container to improve drainage. They will not do that. Irrigate until water comes out of the holes at the bottom of the container. Remove or add soil until the top of the soil is about 1 inch below the top of the container.
4. Reduce the heat load of the containers. Nursery containers are usually black in color. In our intense sunlight these nursery containers can transfer a lot of heat to the soil inside the container. If these containers are in full sun all day long, the soil can get quite hot and damage the roots of plants growing in it. It is best to either change the color of the container to white by painting it or put the container inside an outer container so that it is shaded. If you choose to put a container inside another container, put a layer of pea gravel at the bottom of the outer container so the inner container is elevated above any standing water and does not get lodged in the outer one.

   

   Pepper growing in 6 gallon nursery container with mulch

Did you know that Viragrow sells a variety of soils for different purposes. These soils can be purchased in bulk or you can load them into your own bags. Viragrow makes the best soils in southern Nevada!