I can not believe it, but I have only seen 5 of my 395 hostas with nematode activity this August. Usually it started to show around August 8 and before, so my nematodes are 2 1/2 weeks late. My regimen, note that I am no expert ?

- I clean off all dried-up hosta leaves and other garden debris in late fall, before the first snow, and put that into garbage or yard waste at the curb. This removes any nematodes and their eggs in leaves from my garden.

- I only use clean spades, knives and clippers - that is I wash and spray and wipe those with 10% bleach after each use. That prevents me from spreading nematodes and diseases around.

- I had bought Bio Safe Disease Control in winter, planned to drench ground and unfurling hostas with it, but applied it the wrong way, so will do that next spring.

- I have sprayed 5 times so far with Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer using double the recommended dose. I had this bottle and am using it up. This Bayer Insect Killer was found not to be effective enough in studies by the American Hosta Society. But I cured at least 2 hostas with it permanently. I sprayed each of the last 3 weeks, did it again today. It seems that effectiveness with it depends on how often you spray.

- I should not water from above, but I am only able to water my garden from above. Mother nature also waters only from above via rain.

- I read that you should rip out any affected leaves to remove the nematodes in it permanently from your garden. (note that I rip out and no longer cut to avoid spreading diseases). As a comparison, I have 2 plants which in spring developed some leaf problems, I ripped out those leaves, and all other and new leaves are perfect. Perhaps that was an obscure virus (not HVX)?

- I do not remove plants due to having nematodes because I think you can cure that problem. We should find to buy those treatments which were found by the AHS study to be effective. But then already spending on hostas and associated stuff, another $100 or so is too much. As I read in the other nemakill thread, NemaKill is not really tested yet.

You all have success in getting rid of your nematodes!

I never had these bad guys before this year, and now they seem to be showing up in several places in my garden . Is this associated with the weather or have I done something wrong. Could they come in in mulch?

I do not know an answer, but noticed that they stay in some plants, some get cured, and then they pop up somewhere else. It seems to be necessary to spray areas, not only single plants. I am no expert, the AHS description of their study shows more details.

Basically I notice, that nematodes are doing damage only at the end of the hosta season, and their damage is far less than slugs and snails are doing.

I just googled for Nemakill, you also have to use it monthly. Then there is Pylon, $23 each spray bottle for 3000 ft (sqft?). There is Zerotol, one bottle close to $200. I will wait for the outcome of the present test of Nemakill on real hosta plants. The description of Nemakill says that it can be used together with other insecticides ??? Why other insecticides when you have already Nemakill. Applying any of those looks like the need for good definitions and applying it is work!

Yes, Sunny. Hypothetically, they can live in mulch, surviving on fungi.. Some species are able to go into a stasis like condition and then revive when the environment warrants. Typically, they do not stay in the soil very long, though. Mama Nematode produces thousands of babies each season. Some stay in the plant/area they are in. Most hitch a ride on rain water or irrigation water to find a new home in a new plant. Typically they do not stay in the soil very long. They are pretty easy to kill in the soil, but not so easy to kill once they are inside the plant.

Yes, the humidity has something to do with it. The nematodes are more likely to take hold in higher humidity times than lower. according to the article in the Hosta Journal .

This is a link to notes taken when Dr. Grewal spoke to the Dixie Regional Hosta Society. There are some good tips and explanations. http://dixiehosta.net/things-to-know/nemotodes-presentation/

bk