How to use beneficial nematodes in your garden

Spring and summer are notably the best seasons for gardeners, with an abundance of flowers and crops blooming from March through to August. However, this also means you are likely to find an array of garden pests waiting to feast on your garden.

One of the best ways to control these pests in your garden is with beneficial nematodes such as Nemasys® and Nemaslug®. Beneficial nematodes are tiny, microscopic worms that attack, invade, and kill targeted species, offering advanced biological control of a wide range of pests including codling moth, vine weevil, leatherjackets, slugs and many more.

Treating your garden couldn’t be easier with Nemasys® and Nemaslug®. In just four simple steps you can reduce the population of unwanted pests in your garden.

1)     Mix your chosen nematode product with a small amount of water and stir thoroughly to ensure all lumps are fully dispersed before adding in the rest of the water.

2)    When using a watering can to apply the product, use a coarse rose. This is key as the nematode solution will get stuck in smaller holes.

3)    Keep the soil moist for a few weeks after application, to make sure the nematodes remain active.

4)   Repeat applications of nematodes may be required, especially when treating slugs.

Using nematodes in the right conditions is also a key factor. The product should be applied when the temperature of the soil is within the right range (usually between 5°C and 30°C, depending on nematode species) and when UV light levels are low, so ideally early in the morning or at dusk. Ensure you are targeting the right stage of the pest at the right time of year.

To find out more about how nematodes work, take a look at this short video - https://youtu.be/JHNG1KSluh0

For further information and to find a list of stockists, please visit https://www.nemasysinfo.co.uk/ and follow basf_nemasys_uk on Instagram.

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Editors notes

Nematodes are naturally occurring microscopic worms, already present in our soil. Beneficial nematodes attack and kill targeted garden pests. They are compatible with organic farming, easy to use and can even be kept in your fridge!

Research scientists have isolated the nematodes that kill specific garden pests including Slugs, Vine weevils, Leatherjackets, Caterpillars, Codling moth and much more.

BASF’s state of the art production facility in the UK produces billions of nematodes in a form that is easily applied by gardeners. Over 20,000 different species of nematodes have been classified, although some estimates put the total figure closer to one million! BASF has the largest specialist nematode production facility in the world, growing trillions of beneficial nematodes for use in their Nemasys range of pest control products.

BASF experts are available for interviews, features and expert comment on biological pest control management, and product is available for reviews, competitions and product trials.