If you have any questions regarding the results or recommendations, your county Extension agent can help you. They can cause substantial damage to plants by feeding on the roots, thus hampering or even destroying the plant's ability to absorb nutrients and water. Nematodes can also transmit or increase the susceptibility of most plants to diseases. The home garden, ornamentals, fruit trees, and lawns can be severely damaged. As a result of the root damage, plants show symptoms of reduced growth, nutrient deficiency symptoms such as yellowing of leaves, excessive wilting in hot or dry weather, reduced yields, and poor quality yields.
Damage often occurs in randomly spaced patches in a yard.
The only way to positively identify the type and extent of a suspected nematode problem is by soil sampling and a laboratory assay. The optimum time to sample a garden is from July to October. Lawns, trees, and shrubs may be sampled any time of the year. We recommend annual sampling for nematodes. Instructions for taking nematode samples and submitting them to the lab are found on the back of the Nematode Assay Information Form.