Jake wrote in
:

On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:34:24 +0100, Janet Tweedy
wrote:

I know the chemicals that you once could use to discourage worm casts
have now been 'struck off' but is there nay other way that you can
deter them?

I have to cut a very large lawn and there's an immense amount of
womcasts on the surface at the moment.
Funnily enough the front lawn which i scarified way back in the spring
has few cats on it but the back looks terrible with splodges of squashed
soil all over it and which are now killing the grass in patches.

Yes i know that worms are good esp3cially the ones in the compost but
just wanted to know if you have found anything that deters them from
the surface of lawns/

Janet

The worms don't like acid soil, though the lawn will grow happily, so
something that lowers the pH would help. Maybe a lawn treatment using
Vitax Sulphate of Iron or a similar product in the early spring and
then about every 6 weeks. It's soluble so you just water or spray it
on. Probably too late to do anything effective now.

I've also head that getting a mole or two will rapidly reduce the worm
problem. And the resulting molehills are much easier to spot so you
don't end up squashing them all and messing up the surrounding grass
;-))

Jake


On the other hand, I have heard that worm castes are good material for the
compst heap. Or to use to germinate your seeds.
Is this an old wives tale?