Nematodes
Robert Hoel (Thu, 27 May 2010 11:12:04 PDT)

Boyce and Dell,

Responding to your respective questions, I have been using the Guardian/Lawn Patrol mix from Hydro-Gardens. Their website speaks to the specific species in the mix. As far as application with iris, I read the recommendations about injecting the nematodes into the affected rhizomes and decided that would be the course of last resort. I put them in a water mixture in an end of the hose applicator and watered them in. After the application I immediately went back and continued to wash down the iris with the hose to best get the nematodes in proximity to the soil. Prior to that my iris struggled every year to bloom before the borers took control. Now they bloom happily and I apply nematodes as a preventative.

Bob Hoel
Elmhurst, IL
near Chicago

Message: 7
Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 15:07:57 -0500
From: "Boyce Tankersley" <btankers@chicagobotanic.org>
Subject: Re: [pbs] Beneficial Nematodes
To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID:
<52857FDB394B7E45BA1F2E60D7313E2A1223E54A@cbgmail.chicagobotanic.org>
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Hi Bob:

Can you tell me which of the nematodes works on Iris borer? They have
decimated mine at home.

When I worked for the University of Texas Medical Branch on Galveston
island, one of the researchers was experimenting with live squid to
determine how to get human nerve cells to regenerate. We did not use any
pesticides on any of the landscaping in the city block containing his
research lab to avoid any possible contamination of his results.
Lacewings, foliar nematodes and parasitic snails (for snail control on
Hymenocallis) were some of the more successful biocontrols we used.

Boyce Tankersley
Director of Living Plant Documentation
Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Road
Glencoe, IL 60022
tel: 847-835-6841
fax: 847-835-1635
email: btankers@chicagobotanic.org

Message: 8
Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 16:37:32 -0400
From: "Dell Sherk" <ds429@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [pbs] Beneficial Nematodes
To: "'Pacific Bulb Society'" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <003301cafc4a$1a9b5f50$4fd21df0$@net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hi Bob,

How do you apply them for borers? As a foliar spray? Some instructions talk
about injecting them into the insect burrows in the plant stalks.

Dell