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Re: Symphylans

Bill,

You've summarized Steve Solomon's description of symphylans quite
neatly.  He does point out that they are not as severe a problem north
of Olympia, although I suppose the coastal areas are somewhat more
infested than the highlands where I live.  I have studied a "shovelful
of soil" and discover it contained many interesting creatures but none
that I could positively identify as symphylans.

Steve  (Maritime Climate -- USDA Zone irrelevant)


Bill Verchère wrote:
> 
> ----------
> 
> >
> > Please excuse my ignorance--but what are symphylans?
> > > How do you know you have symphylans?  IOW, what techniques did you use
> > > to identify them?  I have never been able to identify them in my soil,
> 
> 
> Most west coast vegetable gardeners are unaware of how prevalent and
> damaging these little critters can be.
> 
> Imagine a quarter-inch long "centipede-type" creature, with 12 pairs of
> legs and 2 long feelers on the head. They are white in colour, very tiny,
> avoid light, and more very, very rapidly. Several dozen can be hiding in a
> shovelful of soil, and only someone intently looking for them would ever
> realize their presence.
> 
> Symphalans eat rotting organic matter and tender emerging root tips. They
> do most damage to plants with the least vigorous root systems, such as
> spinach, beets and cauliflower. Its only predator is the ground beetle.
> 
> Diazinon will not kill them - only slow them down - unless you want to use
> massive doses! Commercial growers use the restricted pesticide Dyfonate,
> which is highly toxic to humans, (a good reason to eat organic!).
> 
> Home gardeners have limited options - diatomaceous earth, (which is
> expensive ); crop rotation techniques; or simply diverting their attention
> to something else.  They love buckwheat, and it can be  spread amongst
> your vegetable seedlings and easily removed later. You might also
> broadcast large amounts of vegetable seeds, in the hope that most will
> survive.
> 
> Next year I'm going to put my beets in the ground as healthy transplants.
> I've found that once they are an inch or 2 in height, their survival rate
> improves.
> 
> Bill Verchere,
> Ladysmith, BC Canada
> 
>    Visit my Giant Pumpkin and Extreme Skiing Page at
>    http://www.island.net/~billv/
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