"Jim Carlock" writes:
What promotes a healthy nematode and what destroys a
nematode? I don't even know what a nematode is right at
the moment, I'm assuming it's a bug (beetle that attacks
roots).

I haven't tried this, but a local (Australian) TV gardening program used
a molasses solution watered into the ground as an organic treatment for
nematodes.

Nawh... the cucumber leaves were attacked and whatever
infected the cucumbers started at the leaves... and it then
worked its way from the leaves inward.

Did it affect the oldest/largest leaves first, while the young tip
leaves seemed to stay healthy? Any sort of bug would spread the fungal
spores from one plant to another. A whitefly problem can be addressed by
either a brilliant yellow board coated with something sticky (such as
petroleum jelly) or disturb the leaves and wave around your vacuum cleaner
hose to suck them up (improvise some fine-netting attachment so you don't
suck up the leaves).

I've positively identified that spraying water works very
well in this manner. I've also identified that spraying dish
detergent does not "seem" to present a problem. I tried it

The problem with wetting the leaves of cucumbers, zucchinis, etc. is
that this promotes the leaf mildew to which they all seem vulnerable,
causing the older leaves to turn whitish and then die.

Ideally, if you could arrange that the leaves are never watered nor
splashed with soil the plant should stay healthy right through until it
ceases bearing. An organic remedy for this mildew problem is to spray
the leaves with a mix of 1 part whole milk to 9 parts water. (I'd do
this well before mid-afternoon, to make sure the leaves are dry before
nightfall.) Repeat every week.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)