"Mike C#" wrote in message
...

"George.com" wrote in message
...

"Mike C#" wrote in message ...
Hi all,

Have a little pest problem and a poor soil problem in my little flower
garden. I want to buy some ladybugs and earthworms, I just have no
idea
where I can buy them in North Jersey. I'm in the Clifton, NJ area.
Can
anyone recommend a place where I can buy them around here?

Thanks

Mike, what sort of environment are you making for worms in your garden?
Do
you have a compost heap that gets spread around your gardens? Do you use
sprays and synthetic fertilisers alot?


I'm hoping the worms will make a better environment out of the garden.
The
soil here is pretty horrible, highly compacted and has a lot of sand on
the
surface. I spent last weekend chopping up the top 12 inches of soil and
mixing in about 200 pounds of topsoil. The I put in the flowers and
watered
the heck out of it. I finished off with a 3 inch layer of mulch to help
hold in some of the moisture. I'm not trying to farm worms per se, I just
want them to help loosen up the soil a bit. So far I haven't used any
fertilizers or compost. I live in an apartment complex, so the neighbors
probably wouldn't appreciate the compost heap

most likely stuff you know already, however for the record, compost heaps &
dung heaps both provide breeding grounds for worms that you can easily
spread around your garden to transplant worms. Leaving organic matter on
your gardens, mulched grass on your lawn etc will provide feeding grounds
for the worms. Using organic fertilisers will encourage them to travel to
the source of food and multiply. My opinion (others may disagree), using
weed or pest sprays and synthetic fertilisers on a regular basis will deter
worms. If used, use sparingly. Evidence of good worm numbers points to good
functioning soil and the soil food web. From there drainage, compaction etc
will improve.

rob