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....

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....

"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-)

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.

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

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.

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 wrote in
newsprrme9qx2wxhha1@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-)

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!

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

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

"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

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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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.

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.