Gardening conditions were anything but great this season. Weather had a lot to do with poor growth of some garden plants, but other factors could also be involved. For example, take nematodes which feed on the roots of susceptible vegetable varieties. These microscopic worms could be your garden's worst enemy.
Nematodes are present in all garden soils.
A good example of the bad kind is the root-knot nematode. This nematode attacks susceptible garden plants, and as a result of its feeding activities, galls and knots are formed on roots. A root system which has been victimized by root-knot nematodes isn't very efficient in carrying out its function of water and nutrient uptake. Consequently, infected plants are often stunted and yield poorly. Sometimes, badly infected plants are killed by nematode feeding.