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Blooming Worm Casts

mikemaxwell103916mikemaxwell103916 Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Hi, I have just taken charge of my clubs bowling green. Basically because nobody else volunteered. My main problem is worm casts. Not so bad when the weather is dry but a disaster when weather is wet. I have tried Nitro Flo Casting but with only very moderate success. I am fed up switching the green before members play. Could anybody please come up with a solution to keep these worms underground and not come to the surface and deposit their worm casts.
Thanks,
Mike.
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Posts

  • gunndabadgunndabad Posts: 35
    Acidifying the soil seems to help a little (I use sulphur as my soil is deficient but it helps lower pH over time). I don't know of any other solution that doesn't harm the worms.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I would celebrate the worms as they are aerating your soil for free and keeping your soil and turf healthy.
  • MrMowMrMow Posts: 160
    Try mowing turf at 5mm or less and see how soon a surface can be destroyed by casting worms. 

    Yes worms do an amazing job but the casting worms are a real pain. 

    Google a product called Purity. It’s an organic bye product, it’s actually a nut. And you need an immense amount of water after application. 

    Vitax enhance c is similar. 
    I never knew retirement would be so busy. :smile:




  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    Perhaps you could ask at other local clubs if they have the same problem and how they deal with it.

  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Collect it and sell it as an excellent seed compost - should pay for your time and effort and will undoubtedly be of better quality than most composts on sale today.
    Alternatively teach the bowlers to negotiate the heaps - may prove a more exciting/challenging game  :D


  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    Take a length of wire netting.  Fix a few pieces of e.g. pallet board across it from side to side.  Attach a piece of rope to each side of one end to form a loop and tow it across the affected area.  A regular job for a group of boys at my school to rid the pitches of worm casts before games.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    nick615 said:
    Take a length of wire netting.  Fix a few pieces of e.g. pallet board across it from side to side.  Attach a piece of rope to each side of one end to form a loop and tow it across the affected area.  A regular job for a group of boys at my school to rid the pitches of worm casts before games.

    That method might work on football/rugby pitches which don't need to be pristine, but would do far worse damage to a bowling green than the worm casts do.
  • rossdriscoll13rossdriscoll13 Posts: 234
    @mikemaxwell103916 try using a garden blower to blow the worm casts off or you can also use a drag mat.  You can make a drag mat yourself using a heavy duty outdoor mat, a piece of wood, some cable ties and a piece of rope.
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    It was probably pre-cricket and rolled afterwards - but it would have been 1953 or before so memories fade?
  • mikemaxwell103916mikemaxwell103916 Posts: 2
    Thanks to everybody who has replied to my problem. I have a lot of thinking to do on this subject. I have a few months off now but will return to the worm problem in the spring. Thanks again.
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