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Rick McGreal 30-06-2003 11:20 PM

Gathering worms
 
Someone mentioned a way to gather worms....

Something about a plastic sheet after rain?

I have been searching through the news archive...But not found anything
right....But I think it doesn't go back far enough...
All I can find is stuff on using worms in composting....

All I want to do is gather a few....

andrewpreece 01-07-2003 12:58 AM

Gathering worms
 
Worm charming; pick a likely spot, stick a fork in, and rhythmically
rock it backwards and forwards rapidly ( not actually digging up any soil ).
Up the worms will come. I believe a similar effect can be had stamping or
pummelling the ground. Harder work than the rain and plastic sheet method
but more fascinating.

Andy

"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
Someone mentioned a way to gather worms....

Something about a plastic sheet after rain?

I have been searching through the news archive...But not found anything
right....But I think it doesn't go back far enough...
All I can find is stuff on using worms in composting....

All I want to do is gather a few....




Rick McGreal 01-07-2003 08:08 AM

Gathering worms
 
"andrewpreece" wrote in
:

Worm charming; pick a likely spot, stick a fork in, and rhythmically
rock it backwards and forwards rapidly ( not actually digging up any
soil ). Up the worms will come. I believe a similar effect can be had
stamping or pummelling the ground. Harder work than the rain and
plastic sheet method but more fascinating.


Does this really work?

And what kind of ground should I pick?

Am I really going to look a prat for half an hour?! B-)


Tim 01-07-2003 08:48 AM

Gathering worms
 
On 1 Jul 2003 07:09:50 GMT, Rick McGreal wrote:

"andrewpreece" wrote in
:

Worm charming; pick a likely spot, stick a fork in, and rhythmically
rock it backwards and forwards rapidly ( not actually digging up any
soil ). Up the worms will come. I believe a similar effect can be had
stamping or pummelling the ground. Harder work than the rain and
plastic sheet method but more fascinating.


Does this really work?


I've heard it does, Not tried it myself.

And what kind of ground should I pick?

One with worms in it (sorry :-) )


Am I really going to look a prat for half an hour?! B-)


Almost certainly.

Kay Easton 01-07-2003 08:48 AM

Gathering worms
 
In article , Rick McGreal
writes
Someone mentioned a way to gather worms....

Something about a plastic sheet after rain?

I have been searching through the news archive...But not found anything
right....But I think it doesn't go back far enough...
All I can find is stuff on using worms in composting....

All I want to do is gather a few....


Wasn't it you who said you hadn't found any worms on your new allotment?

If the conditions aren't right, you won't benefit by adding worms. But
if you can improve the soil by adding a lot of humus, the worms will
arrive.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Tim 01-07-2003 08:54 AM

Gathering worms
 
On 1 Jul 2003 07:09:50 GMT, Rick McGreal wrote:

"andrewpreece" wrote in
:

Worm charming; pick a likely spot, stick a fork in, and rhythmically
rock it backwards and forwards rapidly ( not actually digging up any
soil ). Up the worms will come. I believe a similar effect can be had
stamping or pummelling the ground. Harder work than the rain and
plastic sheet method but more fascinating.


Does this really work?


I've heard it does, Not tried it myself.

And what kind of ground should I pick?

One with worms in it (sorry :-) )


Am I really going to look a prat for half an hour?! B-)


Almost certainly.

Kay Easton 01-07-2003 08:54 AM

Gathering worms
 
In article , Rick McGreal
writes
Someone mentioned a way to gather worms....

Something about a plastic sheet after rain?

I have been searching through the news archive...But not found anything
right....But I think it doesn't go back far enough...
All I can find is stuff on using worms in composting....

All I want to do is gather a few....


Wasn't it you who said you hadn't found any worms on your new allotment?

If the conditions aren't right, you won't benefit by adding worms. But
if you can improve the soil by adding a lot of humus, the worms will
arrive.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Rick McGreal 01-07-2003 09:12 AM

Gathering worms
 
Tim wrote in
news:oprrme9qx2wxhha1@localhost:

Does this really work?

I've heard it does, Not tried it myself.


I seem to remember a TV show having worm charming championships....So
something about it must work!

And what kind of ground should I pick?

One with worms in it (sorry :-) )


Hmmm...Doesn't give me much room for choice!

Am I really going to look a prat for half an hour?! B-)

Almost certainly.


Oh well.....B-)


Rick McGreal 01-07-2003 09:12 AM

Gathering worms
 
Kay Easton wrote in
:

Wasn't it you who said you hadn't found any worms on your new allotment?


Not me....I only have a garden....
But the worms are for my compost heap...

If the conditions aren't right, you won't benefit by adding worms. But
if you can improve the soil by adding a lot of humus, the worms will
arrive.


The soil is good enough for plants and such....
And when I go digging I can find them without too much hassle...

But I really don't want to go round digging up my garden just for worms...
And the idea of going to a tackle shop and buying them just seems like a
waste if I can get them from my garden for free....

Obviously if it comes to it I'll have to buy them......I just don't want
to!




Kay Easton 01-07-2003 10:20 AM

Gathering worms
 
In article , Rick McGreal
writes
Kay Easton wrote in
:

Wasn't it you who said you hadn't found any worms on your new allotment?


Not me....I only have a garden....
But the worms are for my compost heap...


Right - you need tiger worms (brandlings) not the common earthworm.
Best is to find a friend with a compost heap and take a handful from
them. But if you build your compost heap and let it be open to the earth
below, or add a layer of garden soil to it, there will be worm cocoons
and the odd worm in the soil, and the population will boom once the food
supply is there. See E's earthworm page below.

If the conditions aren't right, you won't benefit by adding worms. But
if you can improve the soil by adding a lot of humus, the worms will
arrive.


The soil is good enough for plants and such....
And when I go digging I can find them without too much hassle...

But I really don't want to go round digging up my garden just for worms...
And the idea of going to a tackle shop and buying them just seems like a
waste if I can get them from my garden for free....


Yes, you can - just build the compost heap and wait a month!

Obviously if it comes to it I'll have to buy them......I just don't want
to!


No need to - it's a waste of money.




--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

NWalch 01-07-2003 12:44 PM

Gathering worms
 
What are you going to use the worms for. If its composting then I
thought that bradling worms (from a fishing bait shop) were better
than the lob worms usually dug up in a garden (the brandling worms
live deeper in the ground AFAIK and are therefore harder to dig up).
Does anyone know how to charm these worms out?


Nick

Paul Kelly 01-07-2003 01:08 PM

Gathering worms
 

"NWalch" wrote in message
om...
What are you going to use the worms for. If its composting then I
thought that bradling worms (from a fishing bait shop) were better
than the lob worms usually dug up in a garden (the brandling worms
live deeper in the ground AFAIK and are therefore harder to dig up).
Does anyone know how to charm these worms out?



I've always found its a bit like the film a few years ago "Build it and they
will come" I've never 'seeded' my compost with compost worms but have always
had a plentiful supply in there

pk



Mike 01-07-2003 02:32 PM

Gathering worms
 
In article , NWalch
writes
What are you going to use the worms for. If its composting then I
thought that bradling worms (from a fishing bait shop) were better
than the lob worms usually dug up in a garden (the brandling worms
live deeper in the ground AFAIK and are therefore harder to dig up).
Does anyone know how to charm these worms out?


Nick


Have an open bottomed compost bin standing on the earth and they find
their way up onto it. Just like that!! ;-)


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R.N. Trafalgar Weekend Leamington Spa. Oct 10th - 13th. Plus many more






Janet Baraclough 01-07-2003 05:08 PM

Gathering worms
 
The message
from Rick McGreal contains these words:

Someone mentioned a way to gather worms....


Something about a plastic sheet after rain?


You've reminded me of something an American told me elsewhere on
usenet,which I meant to try at home but forgot. She used a worm stick to
fetch them to the surface. IIRC correctly the worm stick is something
like an old broomhandle, sharpened to a point at one end and notched
down one side at about 2 cm intervals. Jam the point in the ground, and
run another stick up and down the notches to vibrate it. Let me know how
you get on :-)

Failing that, beg a sackful of old horsemanure from a local
stable..some I acquired a while back and am only just putting to use,
contain thousands of worms which must have been breeding in the luxury
conditions.

Janet.



Thes 01-07-2003 06:08 PM

Gathering worms
 
Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message
from Rick McGreal contains these words:


Someone mentioned a way to gather worms....



Something about a plastic sheet after rain?



You've reminded me of something an American told me elsewhere on
usenet,which I meant to try at home but forgot. She used a worm stick to
fetch them to the surface. IIRC correctly the worm stick is something
like an old broomhandle, sharpened to a point at one end and notched
down one side at about 2 cm intervals. Jam the point in the ground, and
run another stick up and down the notches to vibrate it. Let me know how
you get on :-)

Failing that, beg a sackful of old horsemanure from a local
stable..some I acquired a while back and am only just putting to use,
contain thousands of worms which must have been breeding in the luxury
conditions.

Janet.



Hmmm - Interesting.

When I was a kid, I had to raise a pair of chicks to adulthood as a
school project. So I was always gathering worms for them, just for fun.

IIRC - we sprinkled a little soap powder onto a patch of grass, and
watered lots with the hose (on spray) until it frothed up then soaked
in. Little buggers all came out within minutes. (Yes, we did rinse them
after - oh they were clean!)

Never seemed to damage the grass, but I wouldn't imagine it's a good
thing to do all the time... I was kid - I wasn't concerned with THAT!

But definitely YMMV.

Thes.


Rick McGreal 01-07-2003 09:21 PM

Gathering worms
 
(NWalch) wrote in
om:

What are you going to use the worms for. If its composting then I
thought that bradling worms (from a fishing bait shop) were better
than the lob worms usually dug up in a garden (the brandling worms
live deeper in the ground AFAIK and are therefore harder to dig up).


Well.....I will wait and try out a couple of the ideas for charming them up
first before I give in and buy some...

Does anyone know how to charm these worms out?


A couple of the other messages have ideas that I may try....

I have had a compost heap for getting on a year now and there is very
little in the way of worms in there....Quite a few woodlice (Not sure if
thats good or not) but precious few wormies....

I'll take a couple of hours tomorrow while I am puttering about and see
what I bring up....And see how I go....

Thanks for teh suggestions people!

Rick McGreal 01-07-2003 09:25 PM

Gathering worms
 
(NWalch) wrote in
om:

What are you going to use the worms for. If its composting then I
thought that bradling worms (from a fishing bait shop) were better
than the lob worms usually dug up in a garden (the brandling worms
live deeper in the ground AFAIK and are therefore harder to dig up).


Well.....I will wait and try out a couple of the ideas for charming them up
first before I give in and buy some...

Does anyone know how to charm these worms out?


A couple of the other messages have ideas that I may try....

I have had a compost heap for getting on a year now and there is very
little in the way of worms in there....Quite a few woodlice (Not sure if
thats good or not) but precious few wormies....

I'll take a couple of hours tomorrow while I am puttering about and see
what I bring up....And see how I go....

Thanks for teh suggestions people!

Pickle 01-07-2003 10:34 PM

Gathering worms
 

"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
(NWalch) wrote in
om:

What are you going to use the worms for. If its composting then I
thought that bradling worms (from a fishing bait shop) were better
than the lob worms usually dug up in a garden (the brandling worms
live deeper in the ground AFAIK and are therefore harder to dig up).


Better in what way?
I've got compost heap and added a load of horse manure from a friend's
stable. It's full of worms but would they be the brandling or the ordinary
variety?



shannie 02-07-2003 01:36 AM

Gathering worms
 




"Thes" wrote in message
...


Hmmm - Interesting.

When I was a kid, I had to raise a pair of chicks to adulthood as a
school project. So I was always gathering worms for them, just for fun.

IIRC - we sprinkled a little soap powder onto a patch of grass, and
watered lots with the hose (on spray) until it frothed up then soaked
in. Little buggers all came out within minutes. (Yes, we did rinse them
after - oh they were clean!)

Never seemed to damage the grass, but I wouldn't imagine it's a good
thing to do all the time... I was kid - I wasn't concerned with THAT!

But definitely YMMV.

Thes.


My own children had to do this for school this year to see how many worms
they could collect. First make up a basin of sudsey water, ie...exactly what
you'd use to wash the dishes in, luke warm is good. Pour it on a grassy area
and cover with some sacking, old carpet, the back door mat (as was our
case!) Do this in the evening and look underneath early next morning, there
*should* be lots of wormies for you to collect :) Oh.btw..this wont harm
your grass providing you don't forget to remove the mat, sacking etc
afterwards :)

Shan




jane 02-07-2003 07:08 AM

Gathering worms
 
On 1 Jul 2003 08:04:44 GMT, Rick McGreal wrote:

~Tim wrote in
~news:oprrme9qx2wxhha1@localhost:
~
~ Does this really work?
~ I've heard it does, Not tried it myself.
~
~I seem to remember a TV show having worm charming championships....So
~something about it must work!

I was at Tintagel in Cornwall in Oct 2001 and they had a worm-charming
competition. It was hilarious to watch - a whole load of people jumping up
and down on their respective square yards of turf for five or so minutes...
I was extremely sceptical along with the friends I was with, but we all
stood there astonished when they counted the worms - hundreds!

So yes, it does indeed work. At least on Cornish fields by car parks...
What they rpobably don't say is now you've compacted the soil and squeezed
out the poor things, you have a heck of a job digging it over again 8-)

~ And what kind of ground should I pick?
~ One with worms in it (sorry :-) )
~
~Hmmm...Doesn't give me much room for choice!
~
~ Am I really going to look a prat for half an hour?! B-)

You won't need that long. 5-10 minutes I reckon.

~ Almost certainly.
~
~Oh well.....B-)


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

Rick McGreal 02-07-2003 08:08 AM

Gathering worms
 
"shannie" wrote in
:

My own children had to do this for school this year to see how many
worms they could collect. First make up a basin of sudsey water,
ie...exactly what you'd use to wash the dishes in, luke warm is good.


Erm.....I use fairy liquid....
I wouldn't have thought this would have ben a good idea!

Pour it on a grassy area and cover with some sacking, old carpet, the
back door mat (as was our case!) Do this in the evening and look
underneath early next morning, there *should* be lots of wormies for
you to collect :)


I'll derfinatly give this one a go.....

Oh.btw..this wont harm your grass providing you don't forget to remove
the mat, sacking etc afterwards :)


knowing my luck I'll forget and have the cleanest dead grass this side of
the moon!

Kay Easton 02-07-2003 09:20 AM

Gathering worms
 
In article , Rick McGreal
writes

I have had a compost heap for getting on a year now and there is very
little in the way of worms in there....Quite a few woodlice (Not sure if
thats good or not) but precious few wormies....


Too dry. If you make it damper, you will rid yourself of the woodlice
and you'll start getting worms.

I'll take a couple of hours tomorrow while I am puttering about and see
what I bring up....And see how I go....

Thanks for teh suggestions people!


--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Kay Easton 02-07-2003 12:08 PM

Gathering worms
 
In article , Pickle
writes

"Rick McGreal" wrote in message
...
(NWalch) wrote in
om:

What are you going to use the worms for. If its composting then I
thought that bradling worms (from a fishing bait shop) were better
than the lob worms usually dug up in a garden (the brandling worms
live deeper in the ground AFAIK and are therefore harder to dig up).


Better in what way?


Better in that they prefer the conditions and will breed more and
therefore there will be more worm activity.

I've got compost heap and added a load of horse manure from a friend's
stable. It's full of worms but would they be the brandling or the ordinary
variety?


Probably the brandling. Smaller, thinner, and striped compared to the
ordinary Lumbricus earthworm.



--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Pickle 02-07-2003 02:44 PM

Gathering worms
 

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Pickle
writes
I've got compost heap and added a load of horse manure from a friend's

stable. It's full of worms but would they be the brandling or the

ordinary
variety?


Probably the brandling. Smaller, thinner, and striped compared to the
ordinary Lumbricus earthworm.


Yes, they are small thin ones.

Thanks for that info Kay!



--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm




Rick McGreal 02-07-2003 03:22 PM

Gathering worms
 
Kay Easton wrote in
:

I have had a compost heap for getting on a year now and there is very
little in the way of worms in there....Quite a few woodlice (Not sure if
thats good or not) but precious few wormies....


Too dry. If you make it damper, you will rid yourself of the woodlice
and you'll start getting worms.


Now this is a complete turnaround.....Not 4 months ago It was too wet..(It
simply stank!)
Now its too dry!
Sheesh!
Talk about swings and roundabouts!! B-)



Kay Easton 02-07-2003 05:20 PM

Gathering worms
 
In article , Rick McGreal
writes
Kay Easton wrote in
:

I have had a compost heap for getting on a year now and there is very
little in the way of worms in there....Quite a few woodlice (Not sure if
thats good or not) but precious few wormies....


Too dry. If you make it damper, you will rid yourself of the woodlice
and you'll start getting worms.


Now this is a complete turnaround.....Not 4 months ago It was too wet..(It
simply stank!)
Now its too dry!
Sheesh!
Talk about swings and roundabouts!! B-)

Are you in Wakefield? I'll give you a handful of our worms if you like.


--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Rick McGreal 02-07-2003 08:20 PM

Gathering worms
 
Kay Easton wrote in
:

Are you in Wakefield? I'll give you a handful of our worms if you like.


Yup.....Just off J31 of the M62....

email me if you want better details....
return address is legit



Larry Stoter 03-07-2003 08:21 AM

Gathering worms
 
Rick McGreal wrote:

Someone mentioned a way to gather worms....

Something about a plastic sheet after rain?

I have been searching through the news archive...But not found anything
right....But I think it doesn't go back far enough...
All I can find is stuff on using worms in composting....

All I want to do is gather a few....


Tea!

Years ago, my mother used to empty the tea pot on to a patch of bare
soil in a corner of a flower bed, rather than pour them down the sink,
in order to avoid blocking the sink.

By accident, I discovered this wet tea-soaked patch was full of worms,
especially brandlings (small ones). I don't think it was just that this
patch was damp but the tea was having a definite effect.

The other very effective method is to have a look at the lawn at night,
especially when the ground is damp. The large 'lumbricus' earth worms
come out to feed, pulling leaves down into their burrows. You do need to
be quick - they keep their tail in the burrow and can retract very
quickly. They are also sensitive to vibrations. However, some really
large ones come to the surface - up to 18" long at full stretch.
However, this method does require crawling around on the lawn late at
night with a torch, so could cause some problems with neighbours and
police ;-))
--
Larry Stoter

Janet Baraclough 04-07-2003 12:44 AM

Gathering worms
 
The message
from Rick McGreal contains these words:

Kay Easton wrote in
:


I have had a compost heap for getting on a year now and there is very
little in the way of worms in there....Quite a few woodlice (Not sure if
thats good or not) but precious few wormies....


Too dry. If you make it damper, you will rid yourself of the woodlice
and you'll start getting worms.


Now this is a complete turnaround.....Not 4 months ago It was too wet..(It
simply stank!)
Now its too dry!
Sheesh!
Talk about swings and roundabouts!! B-)


Well, you have to manage your compost heaps a little bit. Covering
them (old corrugated iron will do) stops the rain leaching the compost
and making it over soggy. A heap in the making will get enough moisture
from green material added to it. A full, cooled heap (the stage when you
add worms for speed) needs a look at now and then; if it's too dry (ant
nest activity; material not breaking down, worms all gone to the bottom
) it needs damping with some water or urine or comfrey tea.

Janet.




Rick McGreal 05-07-2003 08:32 PM

Gathering worms
 
Janet Baraclough wrote in
:

Well, you have to manage your compost heaps a little bit. Covering
them (old corrugated iron will do) stops the rain leaching the compost
and making it over soggy. A heap in the making will get enough
moisture from green material added to it. A full, cooled heap (the
stage when you add worms for speed) needs a look at now and then; if
it's too dry (ant nest activity; material not breaking down, worms all
gone to the bottom ) it needs damping with some water or urine or
comfrey tea.


I have soaked it down a little....Not much....
And so we will see.....I also turned it over to get some air in there


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