Throw away kava. More pictures added

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

Hi everyone, have you ever thrown away kava roots? Have you ever wondered why my kava taste so good? The reason is that I actually do throw away some of my kava.
If you look at the picture you will see some lateral roots that were infected with nematodes.
When the kava gets like this it is no good, it will make the kava taste bad. I hate to throw away kava root but this is just not going into my products. You can always rest assured that you will get only the best kava I have to offer.
Got Kava? Drink it. Enjoy life, enjoy kava.
Maikai ka hana o ka 'awa.
Aloha.

Chris

 

[Shaman-warrior]

What are the signs of nematode damage?

 

[Alia]

What are the signs of nematode damage?

If you look closely at the photo Chris provided you can see--bulges (sp?) and what look like scars or abrasions...that's nematode.
I believe much of the nausea some folks experience with kava is due to poorly washed and/or nematodes in roots.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Excellent work, Chris!
Apparently in some parts of Vanuatu they've developed special techniques for growing kava in a way that minimises this risk:

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Just for reference, for those who may not have seen clean, pretty much nematode free roots, this is what nice roots should look like. I imagine the roots Chris uses look similar, but @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava perhaps you have some more photos that you could post for people to get a better idea of the difference?

 

[The Kap'n]

Just for reference, for those who may not have seen clean, pretty much nematode free roots, this is what nice roots should look like. I imagine the roots Chris uses look similar, but @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava perhaps you have some more photos that you could post for people to get a better idea of the difference?

View attachment 11576

Look at that Spaghetti!

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

@Henry , very nice picture of the clean lateral roots. The way of planting kava in Vanuatu to prevent the nematodes is just like here in Hawaii. In Hawaii they also used tree ferns to grow kava on the inside. Thanks for posting that bit. Here is a picture of the good root. Aloha.

Chris

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

yow! these pics of green, clean, nematode-free waka are making me tumescent.

 

[Groggy]

I used to think Hawaiian kava was weaker, then 5 years went by and I tried many different types and I realized it's not that it's weaker, it's that my palate wasn't developed yet. Obviously kava tastes different from different kava growing regions but I'll be dammed if Nene is not best kava I ever had. Love the pics, thanks for sharing.

 

[Michael Nielsen]

I Believe there is the same problem if your grow potatoes. The agricultural authorities are paying attention to it. Since it causes great loss for the farmers

 

[kastom_lif]

I Believe there is the same problem if your grow potatoes. The agricultural authorities are paying attention to it. Since it causes great loss for the farmers

Root knot nematodes are a problem here, too. Okra can be a real magnet for them, although the nematodes don't damage them much. Replanting in a bed that previously had okra can mean extra nematodes for whatever new plants are trying to grow there. Nematodes thrive in sandy / cinder soil that's well drained.

You can make life harder for nematodes by
- amending plenty of organic material into your soil
- rotating crops every season
- after harvest (or if plants are doing poorly) pull up a few and inspect the roots. If there is nematode damage, remove all roots and compost separately, rather than letting them break down naturally in place
- growing "nematode magnet" plants like okra on prepared pu'us or hugelmounds made from plenty of busted up dead wood, leaves and compost, to ensure a high organic content, and plenty other living things that can outcompete the nematodes in the soil.

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

I thought I would add some more pictures to show how the nematodes can damage kava root and some of the things I do to combat the nematodes.
This next picture shows the stump or corm of the kava can also be infected with nematodes.

Now the next picture is of the stump that is not infected with nematodes.
.

The next picture shows how the infected lateral roots can look when it is next to a clean lateral root.
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I wanted to add another picture of some lateral roots that are not infected with nematodes. Nice and long, big and no nematodes.
.

Now some pictures of some kava plants with my nematode nemesis, I use marigolds to help ward off the nematodes. You can see in the first picture the marigolds starting to grow around the kava plant.
.

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures, now go and enjoy some good clean nematode free kava from Gourmet Hawaiian Kava. Aloha nui loa.

Chris

 

[The Kap'n]

This is a supremely interesting and educational thread. Thank you!!

 

[kasa_balavu]

Great pics, @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava, @Henry.
IMO it's not worth the effort to battle nematodes. If a piece of land is known to have root knot nematodes, don't plant kava there.

Here's a pic of a root known nematode in the juvenile stage (from wikipedia). They're typically 1mm-1.5mm long. They inject saliva into root cells, causing them to swell up and form root knots. I wonder if the nematodes themselves ruin the taste of kava, or if it's the necrotic root tissue that results from their activity that tastes yuck.

 

[Skinskava]

Chris and henry r like dream team kava boys lol

 

[kastom_lif]

Marigolds are a great way to keep nematodes away. I'm loving it, Chris!

 

[Orz[EST]]

Marigold, nematode nemesis.

Sounds like superhero or Magic the Gathering card game legendary creature

 

[Plantacious]

So, we need to shop for kava that is Certified to be Nematode-Free ?

 

[Plantacious]

Marigolds are a great way to keep nematodes away. I'm loving it, Chris!

Is it true that Marigolds also deter mosquitos ?