This is a 3-year-old brug that was given to me at a swap. It's been in a large pot all that time, with no visible roots. I just put it in the ground about 10 days ago, and now some of the roots are visible. This looks pretty awful! I'm guessing root-knot nematodes, but since I've never had those before, I don't know for sure. Can anyone diagnose, and maybe even tell me what to do about it?

I would chunk it.

It certainly looks like them, but it will be difficult to tell which ones. It probably doesn't matter. Controlling them will take a while.
http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Area...

The Brug will have to to go. I don't know if the nematodes invade the tissue above ground. I would dump the potting soil it was in before as well.

Hmmm. Well, when I planted it, it was fairly root-bound, so most of the potting soil went into the ground with it. I guess I will have to dig out all the loose soil there and chunk it.

I hope that will be sufficient. The only other large brug I have (Dr Seuss) was planted 3 feet away in the same bed. Maybe, since it's only been 10 days, they haven't had time to spread throughout the bed. I will treat the soil with some beneficial nematodes, though.

Do you think it's safe to take a cutting from this plant? Aren't these guys just soil-borne?

They invade the root tissue, but I don't know if they can travel all the way up the branch. I would chuck it, but if you do take a cutting keep it separate from the rest. I wish I could offer you a replacement cutting, but my Dr. Seuss was badly damaged by grasshoppers last summer and never recovered. It went downhill until it died this past winter. I'm hoping it will come back from the roots, but so far not a sign of green. If you don't mind a pink one instead, I have an extra Kelly Ann I could send you for postage. Let me know.

Veronica, my infected plant is not my Dr Seuss (I believe it's Golden Lady that is infected). I am worried that the nematodes may travel to Dr Seuss, though, which is planted about 3 feet away. These two have only been in the ground about 10 days, and the article you sent said nematodes travel 3 feet over a summer, so surely they haven't moved over to Dr Seuss that fast. I guess I'll have to keep an eye on it for awhile, though. Those are the only two brugs I had planted in the ground so far.

Anyway, I would love to have a cutting of Kelly Ann, if you have one to spare. I can either send you postage, or I could send you a cutting from Dr. Seuss if you'd rather have that. In fact, one of the Y's broke off when I planted it, and it's already rooted and has new leaves coming out, and since that piece was never in the ground, it wasn't exposed to Golden Lady's problem. Let me know if you'd like to have it. Otherwise, please d-mail me your address and I'll send postage for Kelly Ann.

Pattie, I would rather trade. I love Dr. Seuss and would love to have one again. D-mail me your adress. I'll D-mail mine.

Do they infect the ground also??? Could you companion plant marigolds around it? Or is it going to die because it can't develope roots?

It had roots, and it bloomed last fall, although not a flush. I don't think the nematodes actually eat away the roots completely. However, the plant struggles and eventually dies. This one has been potted the 2 (3?) years I've had it, so I think it's probably been sick for quite awhile. It was the first brug I ever had, and it's never done well for me. Since I don't know much about brugs, I thought it was just me.

I think nematodes are strictly soil-borne, so yeah, they do move through the soil and infect other plants. And yes, I do hear that marigolds help. Some other suggestions I've gotten are adding molasses, using beneficial nematodes, and giving the plant itself a hot water treatment. That last one doesn't help protect other in-ground plants, though.

Cinnamon

I can sure add some cinnamon too. Thanks for the tip.

Pattie,
Do you know how far down into the soil the nematodes travel? Most of the home remedies only get the surface, but down below, you still have the nematodes. The link I provided earlier has suggestion on controlling them. Here it is again

http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Area...

Yes, I read those. It says things like leave it fallow, solarize, plant resistant varieties... I didn't see anything else we haven't already discussed? I'm already doing all those things except the solarization. I don't know how deep the nematodes can travel, and can't find anything that says. But the solarization suggestion implies to me that maybe six to eight inches or so is about all. I also noticed that most of the damage on the brug roots was in the top few inches of its root ball. What do you think--does that sound to you like they don't go way down deep?

I've mixed the cinnamon and molasses into the soil down to about 18 inches, and filled out the hole with compost. Haven't gotten the marigolds yet. I also still need to add some beneficial nematodes, but they don't survive when applied in this kind of heat, so that will have to wait a couple of months. Don't quite know what else to do? Maybe some neem?

We have access to TAMU's AgriLife (Cooperative Extension Service). Try calling them and see if they know how far down those nematodes go. If the agent doesn't have the answer, he can get it for you. I'm sure you can also get more up to date methods of dealing with nematodes.
http://dallas-tx.tamu.edu/

Pattie - Boy oh boy! Do you ever have my sympathy concerning the knot root nematodes. My yard is infested with them. Everything I grow now is in pots or bucket containers. What a nightmare. Florida soil is notorious for bad nematodes.

All of my brug cuttings are growing in pots now and doing well. But ... I have one that I've had about 3 years. It has survived two really cold winters. I moved it into the garage this winter as it didn't look too healthy last Fall. It is blooming, but is sparse on the leaves. What do I need to fertilize it with to get it healthier with more leaves?

This is one of the branches with a bloom and very few leaves. Any suggestions are most appreciated.

Marigold, have you ever planted Marigolds to help with the nematodes???

Charleen - Yes, I have indeed. If it helped at all, I didn't notice and neither did my poor plants which died. :-(

What fertilizer does everyone use for their brugs? I need to get more leaves on mine. Maybe I am watering too much?

Have you asked JT? Or how about William? They may know more about it than me. I am going to be putting out brugs this week. Sign is right and so am I..

I use MG works good. in the warm weather I fertilize every week, I use one measure spoon to a Gal.of water.

Thanks Doris! Will do just that! Not Bloom Booster, but regular MiracleGro plant food, right?