About this product
Nematodes encapsulated in biodegradable pearls that you press into the compost and leave alone. No mixing, no watering can, no worrying about UV or soil moisture, and no repeating every two or three weeks.
That last part is the real difference. A traditional nematode drench needs reapplying every two to three weeks and keeps its potency in the fridge for days. These give 8 weeks and more of continuous protection from one application, and the pearls themselves keep for 8 weeks or more in the fridge. You can buy once and use them as you need through the season instead of timing every purchase to an application date.
Each pearl is a liquid core of active nematodes in nutrient solution inside an alginate shell, a food-grade polymer made from seaweed. The shell holds moisture in during storage. After about a week in moist compost it becomes permeable and the nematodes migrate out gradually over the following weeks, so there is steady pressure on emerging pests rather than one burst. When they have gone, the shell dissolves into the compost. Nothing to remove, and no microplastics.
Two targets matter here. Fungus gnat larvae, the underground stage that eats tender roots and kills seedlings. And thrips pupae, which is the clever part: thrips feed on leaves as adults and larvae but pupate down in the compost, so nearly every spray and leaf treatment misses that stage entirely. Catching them there breaks the cycle at the point most controls cannot reach. Other soil-dwelling larvae and pupae the nematodes encounter are affected too.
A pack of 200 pearls covers up to 20 small pots or 8 large ones. Safe for bees, ladybirds, pets, children and edibles.
This is a preventative and a long-term protection tool rather than an emergency treatment. If you have an active heavy infestation right now, a conventional nematode drench acts faster because it delivers everything at once. The pearls are for keeping a collection clear rather than rescuing it.
Live product, despatched fresh, and it cannot be returned. Keep them in the fridge until you use them.