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Earth Worms
Disponded
Posts: 43
Hi all
I have been in this garden for about 6 years now and have been slowly but surely improving the soil over time.
The soil is composed of heavy clay and I am digging in well rotted manure, old compost, new compost, sand, bark chippings and anything else that will improve the drainage of the soil in the planting areas.
However I cannot seem to find any worms. In 6 years I have not found a single worm. Plenty slugs and snails but no worms.
So do I need to buy and add worms to the soil? Or should I leave well alone.
Thanks for your advice and guidance
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Posts
Does sound odd, I'm on heavy clay, improve the same way, but we do have worms even in the unimproved clay. I get more in the improved areas, but I often find earthworms even in super claggy lumps of clay when I break them up.
Also on heavy clay . We've been here 3 years and I've seen a huge increase since my slightly mad compost habit has kicked in big time.
Thanks for the replies.
The soil in the planting areas has improved but no sign of any worms returning. I don't think there has been any chemical spillage. The plants grow fine.
I'm just not sure if I should introduce some worms to the improved areas.
Are there any reasons for not buying some and adding them to the soil?
Must be worth a try Disponded.
Edd has said they won't stay if they don't like it, so it may not work. But perhaps someone before you treated the soil to kill them off for a lawn or something and they just have never returned? You will need to buy earthworms and not the brandling worms for composting.
^This^ Don't worry about having earthworms. Plants grew in the USA until earthworms were introduced relatively recently, plants grow in acidic soils where earthworms won't venture.
You say "worms returning" but also state that you haven't seen one worm in your soil for 6 years.
What makes you think they went away?
frank is right. there were no earthworms in north america for several million years until europeans reintroduced them in the 1600s. if your soil is otherwise healthy worms are just gilt on the gingerbread.
I agree with Edd.
dig a pit 1 metre by 1 metre 50 cms deep.fork up and break up the bottom, add horse manure, fresh or well rotted, mix the clay with a bag of shop bought compost and return to the pit, add worms donated by a friend or neighbour. Plant up with a courgette, you will soon have a worm breeding station.repaet at will.
You can buy earthworms, my friends Dad is a commercial worm breeder. I guess they are bought by fishermen and people wanting to start them off in composters, for feeding to exotic pets etc. Clearly if you do not have any, it is rather difficult to conjure them up from thin air.
http://www.wormsdirectuk.co.uk/acatalog/info.html
edd sorry about the obviously terrible day you're having-mental confusion and whatnot-but terrible climatic conditions in n. america during the ice ages killed all the worms and the sonora desert stopped them spreading north from central america.
LOL. Thanks for the replies of wit and wisdom.
Perhaps the previous home owner was a keen fisherman and dug up all the worms. I grew up in an area of peaty soil that had an abundance of worms and as a youngster and keen angler I used to dig them up as fish feed.
I think I will purchase some lob worms and try one bed to see if the plants grow better. I would have thought as worms aerate and break up the soil they would benefit root growth and drainage immensely.
This might be one for the GW programme makers to look at conducting some garden trials / research.