Tomato problems?

In all our rain blooms have failed to set fruit. So I dug. These roots Do Not feel right, but is it root knot nematode?

I would be willing to bet on the nematodes, those lumpy bumpy roots are usually signs of their handiwork.

That was my first assessment. Decided to check. Explains a few probs, but where I live, ANYTHING goes

Yep, that's what they are. They thrive in Sandy Soil. My ex put some sand in my garden soil years ago and that's what the roots looked like. They didn't like my native soil so they didn't last long but I have no idea how to get rid of them.

Apparently anything that will kill them, will us also. You also have to find out which exact one it happens to be of the nematodes... marigolds and fallow fields -dry- but I can just not grow veggies. Airborne and ground...and crop rotation...

I've heard that adding lots of organic material helps. Is this the first year you've noticed them? You could check with your County Extension Agency and see what they recommend, mine had never seen them in this area before.

yeah definitely organic matter, it will bring in the micro critters that actually hunt down nematodes.

Very good pictures. I have heard of nematode and the damage but have never seen the roots except in a few pictures.
These are really good pictures. They should be saved somewhere on this website.

I knew there was reason my maters weren't setting blooms, but our year has been horrid for snails and bugs, beneficial nematodes wouldn't help apparently. Burn pile will, chuckl.

We had worse RKN than those last year, but that was in the Fall, after a "double" tomato season. This time around, we managed RKN with a 'Fall till' winter cover crop mix of Elbon rye and vetch from Nov-March. Then we no till planted tomatoes through the mowed cover mix in the Spring. Was real pleased to not see any RKN when I pulled this Spring's tomato vines (last week of June). Left a patch of cherry types and put in a bunch of California #5 black eye peas on July 4. Zippercream are supposed to work also. Will follow these with Elbon/vetch and a little bit of alfalfa mixed in. The Elbon rye by itself is probably all I need and would probably work just as well tilled under in the Spring, but I get "free" grown in place mulch this way.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in516
http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/homehort/archives-of-weekly-articles-davids-plant-of-the-week/control-garden-nematodes-with-cereal-elbon-rye/

Do you know where they came from?

My bed has deteriorated and needs amendments, I think they are just here as so far the other roots arent looking so bad. Will prob clean this one on up and and ignore rest of season as the rains have finally slowed some, my raised bed has no liner, sits dirt to dirt with metal fabric to block moles as they were the problem. Marigolds its a bit late for, but I still have basil and rosemary in this bed with marigolds around it. Wont hurt it to air...

Got to considerin what ya asked Lisac- this year our fire ants were out of control, so we decided for the first time ever to use 'Over n Out' and I saw fire ants boiling toward my raised beds. Awed. Then the rains started and didnt stop. Hadnt done anything about them escaping to that bed. The rains we figgered washed everything and the poisons down the creek and we didnt retreat. When I got home for the 4th, it rained 2 days and water stood in and on everything inches deep, ran off, and I saw no fire ants anywhere at all this time. Still, fire ants moved out and those root knot nematodes moved in, I guess. Was it residue or rain? No telling.

You do have sandy soil maybe the environment was just right for their numbers to increase. By adding organic material you have less and less sand which is what they need to survive.

EVERYTHING turns to sand here. Fast. EVERYTHING!

I wonder why they haven't been an issue before. I think your plan to clean it out and refill sounds great.

The heavy rains here are bringing all sorts of diseases and insects. Could it be the heavy rains?

I have no idea but I'm sure that's a possiblity. The weather has been so strange this year.