Vegetables - General Garden Soil
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  (September) I plant kale and rape in the spot that I will follow with tomatoes and corn since they stay green all winter are they a good cover crop that will add nutrients to the soil when tilled in or do I need to plane something else to improve the soil.

  They should do great. You can also harvest from them before turning in the remains. Having a cover crop keeps weeds away. Other choices include vetch, rye, oats or turnips.

  I have two raised beds filled with compost. The first year I planted cucumbers in one of them and had a great crop. The second year about half of my vines died after they were full size and the ones that lived produced a poor crop. I inspected the roots and they had knots all over them. I assumed I had nematodes. I had heard of a fumigator "bomb" for use on gardens, but when I went to purchase it was told it could only be bought by professionals. So I bought a pellet product and worked it into the garden per instructions. I built a new bed and it produced great cukes, but the old bed produced only one or two, and again the roots were covered in knots. I think I now have the problem in the other bed. You mentioned a heat treatment in one of your columns several months ago, but I haven’t been able to get any instructions for performing this treatment. Please let me know where I can learn more about this or what else I can do.

  Unfortunately the only effective soil sterilants for nematodes are restricted-use only pesticides. You could find a custom applicator to come sterilize your soil, if you choose to do so. Soil solarization is another option, but would mean foregoing your planting until late summer to early fall. Soil solarization is best accomplished during July and August when we can build up enough heat in the soil. It works by tilling the soil as deep as possible, wetting it thoroughly, then covering it with clear plastic, making sure that the soil is in contact with the plastic. Enough heat can be built up underneath it to kill out many soil organisms, including nematodes. It is best to keep it covered for four to six weeks. Crop rotation is an advisable practice whether you have problems or not. You really should rotate crops on a three year basis to prevent a build-up of problems. Look for varieties that are resistant to nematodes to plant in these beds. When working the soil in the infested beds, be sure to clean shovels, hoes, etc, which can transmit nematodes from one bed to the other.

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