Had a seemingly healthy, BIG stalked....

[Meadowlark]

What happened to sterilization?

LOL, good to see someone stepping up to Elbon rye. It works on nematodes plus has great soil building properties, especially when used with accompanying legumes (s).

Works for me!

 

[Chuck]

What happened to sterilization?

LOL, good to see someone stepping up to Elbon rye. It works on nematodes plus has great soil building properties, especially when used with accompanying legumes (s).

Works for me!

About this soil sterilization. As I have stated numerous times in numerous threads, including this one, that cover/trap crops work and are great. But, many of the gardeners on this forum are not able to do this. Soil sterilization does kill most if not all of the life in the soil but, only for a short period of time if one replenishes the soil correctly. Using trap crops does not eliminate nematodes the first year and probably not completely within 5 years. If trap crops totally destroyed nematodes at the first planting I could agree with you but, it doesn't. What is a backyard gardener supposed to do if he wants to grow a few tomatoes and doesn't have a tiller or tractor? What if he is getting up in age and can no longer turn under the cover crop with a shovel. You keep saying that trap crops are the only way to go and that soil sterilization destroys the soil and should never be used. Both have their place.

 

[Meadowlark]

What is easier than throwing out some rye seeds? Even an old fart like me can do that. Far easier than sterilization. Not even close.

What is easier than mowing down the rye prior to tilling? Again far easier than sterilization. Yes it needs to be tilled into the soil....but then most gardeners till their soil anyway.

I've seen folks recommend shoveling out the soil, carrying it to a place they can sterilize, sterilize it, then return it to the garden spot. I can't even begin to imagine that is easier than throwing out some rye seeds. Talk about back breaking work!

Yes, Elbon rye worked for me the first time and every time since....100%. Others results may vary. The thing I can't understand is why folks here are so quick to recommend soil sterilization rather than try the rye cover crop. What is there to loose in trying the Elbon? If it doesn't work you can always kill the soil and everything in it.

I have worked long and hard to build the perfect garden soil. I know how difficult it is to do and how quickly soil sterilization can undo that hard work.

My recommendation is to try the Elbon rye and cover crops first...if it doesn't work then take other measures if you please...but soil sterilization will never be one I use, ever. What have you got to loose in trying Elbon rye?

 

[DirtMechanic]

I have been working around the idea of replacing the weed grass that naturally grows in my garden with the elbon rye during the season. I have not gotten far, say into whether the veggies would love it or hate it, but I do a fair job with my strimmer and could see a less muddy garden to boot. I plant hill rows so it might work out into a nice little system. HaHa already planning for next season!

 

[Chuck]

What is easier than throwing out some rye seeds? Even an old fart like me can do that. Far easier than sterilization. Not even close.

What is easier than mowing down the rye prior to tilling? Again far easier than sterilization. Yes it needs to be tilled into the soil....but then most gardeners till their soil anyway.

I've seen folks recommend shoveling out the soil, carrying it to a place they can sterilize, sterilize it, then return it to the garden spot. I can't even begin to imagine that is easier than throwing out some rye seeds. Talk about back breaking work!

Yes, Elbon rye worked for me the first time and every time since....100%. Others results may vary. The thing I can't understand is why folks here are so quick to recommend soil sterilization rather than try the rye cover crop. What is there to loose in trying the Elbon? If it doesn't work you can always kill the soil and everything in it.

I have worked long and hard to build the perfect garden soil. I know how difficult it is to do and how quickly soil sterilization can undo that hard work.

My recommendation is to try the Elbon rye and cover crops first...if it doesn't work then take other measures if you please...but soil sterilization will never be one I use, ever. What have you got to loose in trying Elbon rye?

Perhaps I have been remiss in explaining what I mean about soil sterilization. A better word would be solarization. Sterilization would be what I do to soil for planting seeds for transplanting plants into the garden. I do this to kill Damping Off fungus. Sterilized soil is heated to a much higher temperature than solarized soil. A minimum of 180F is required for most sterilization. This high heat kills all pathogens in the soil. In solarization one uses a plastic cover over the soil and on a hot summer day the soil temperature may reach as high as 150F. This level of heat kills all vegetative matter and many of the soil microbes at the surface but the soil is still viable for plant growth, unlike that of sterilized soil. To quickly replenish any soil microbes all one has to do is put out molasses. Perhaps the following link can explain solarization.

https://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/soil_solarization.pdf