Kitchen Garden Forum

I heard a while ago about a flower plant that secretes a chemical into the soil; that chemical makes potato root eelworm cysts open, but the plant does not have food for the resulting eelworm larvae, which thus die. Please which plant is this?

There is a new organic control for Eelworm, but it requires the ground to be taken out of productive use for a growing season. This could prove useful where an allotment has been badly managed for several years and the eelworm eggs have become established and are lying dormant in the soil. The organic control is a selection of Solanum sisymbriifolium, a thorny, inedible relative of potatoes which strongly stimulates potato eelworm eggs in the surrounding soil to hatch, but there is nothing for them to feed on. According to Alan Romans, in trials 50-90% hatch rates were achieved, which is a stronger reaction than that produced by potatoes themselves. The plants can be chopped down to 15 cm in summer for composting and the re-growth will produce more beneficial root growth as well as more composting material. Assume all parts of Solanum sisymbriifolium are poisonous.

Alan Romans does not seem to be in buisness any longer, so do google search for a supplier.

Solanum sisymbriifolium has been marketed as Morelle de Balbis or Litchi tomato. It seems to be available here - at a price - http://www.heirloomtoms.org/store/index ... ref=litchi

realfood wrote:... The organic control is a selection of Solanum sisymbriifolium, a thorny, inedible relative of potatoes which strongly stimulates potato eelworm eggs in the surrounding soil to hatch, but there is nothing for them to feed on. ...

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_sisymbriifolium