Hi,

I seem to have an almost total lack of worms in my garden - I've been
digging down to about 15 inches and haven't seen a single worm. Any
ideas why this might be? I'm new to this garden and the soil looks
fairly dusty and poor. Would I be rewarded by introducing some worms
from my sister's wormery - she has loads. Would adding some bulky
organic matter help?

Thanks,

Hugh

--
www.magic-hush.com

"..... seem to have an almost total lack of worms in my garden - I've been
digging down to about 15 inches and haven't seen a single worm. Any ideas
why this might be? I'm new to this garden and the soil looks fairly dusty
and poor. Would I be rewarded by introducing some worms from my sister's
wormery - she has loads. Would adding some bulky organic matter help?. .."

Just add plenty of humus, sounds as if they have nothing to feed on.
If you have a lawn then spread the grass clippings over the beds as well,
just an inch or so thick at the time, it all helps.

I have found that by dumping the grass clippings 3 or 4 inches thick under
the shrubs it kills of almost all the weeds, then later the black birds come
along and scratch hell out of them shifting any new weed seedlings.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

The message 1gbflld.1ppi3zj1bbug8uN%hughchal_nospamthanks@eir com.net
from (Hugh Chaloner) contains these words:

I seem to have an almost total lack of worms in my garden - I've been
digging down to about 15 inches and haven't seen a single worm. Any
ideas why this might be? I'm new to this garden and the soil looks
fairly dusty and poor. Would I be rewarded by introducing some worms
from my sister's wormery - she has loads. Would adding some bulky
organic matter help?

Organic matter, yes. If worms don't appear after that, you *MIGHT* have
to introduce some, but I doubt it.

If the soil is (dry) dusty, the worms will tie themselves into little
knots to conserve moisture.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Hugh Chaloner" wrote in message
news:1gbflld.1ppi3zj1bbug8uN%hughchal_nospamthanks @eircom.net...
Hi,

I seem to have an almost total lack of worms in my garden - I've been
digging down to about 15 inches and haven't seen a single worm. Any
ideas why this might be? I'm new to this garden and the soil looks
fairly dusty and poor. Would I be rewarded by introducing some worms
from my sister's wormery - she has loads. Would adding some bulky
organic matter help?

Thanks,

Hugh

--

Seems little point introducing them if the soil is too poor. As you surmise,
you need lots of organic matter.
--
Tumbleweed

Remove my socks for email address

In article 1gbflld.1ppi3zj1bbug8uN%hughchal_nospamthanks@eir com.net,
Hugh Chaloner writes
Hi,

I seem to have an almost total lack of worms in my garden - I've been
digging down to about 15 inches and haven't seen a single worm. Any
ideas why this might be? I'm new to this garden and the soil looks
fairly dusty and poor.

That's your reason. Worms like a lot of humus. See the link in my sig.

Would I be rewarded by introducing some worms
from my sister's wormery - she has loads.

No - until you have the right conditions, the worms won't be able to
live and multiply. Once your conditions are right, you could add a few
worms to get started - though the wormery worms are likely to be
brandlings liking really high levels of vegetable matter, rather than
ordinary earthworms who cope with the lesser amounts of vegetation found
in soil as opposed to a compost heap.

But don't be tempted to pay money for worms - they'll find their way
there when you have the conditions, and the start breeding rapidly.

Would adding some bulky
organic matter help?

Yes - that's the right solution.
--
Kay Easton

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

"Hugh Chaloner" wrote in message
news:1gbflld.1ppi3zj1bbug8uN%hughchal_nospamthanks @eircom.net...
Hi,

I seem to have an almost total lack of worms in my garden - I've been
digging down to about 15 inches and haven't seen a single worm. Any
ideas why this might be? I'm new to this garden and the soil looks
fairly dusty and poor. Would I be rewarded by introducing some worms
from my sister's wormery - she has loads. Would adding some bulky
organic matter help?

Pretty much yes to both but depends what you mean by bulky organic matter,
compost would be fine or seaweed if you have access.


--

Chris Thomas
West Cork
Ireland

In article 1gbflld.1ppi3zj1bbug8uN%hughchal_nospamthanks@eir com.net,
Hugh Chaloner writes
Hi,

I seem to have an almost total lack of worms in my garden - I've been
digging down to about 15 inches and haven't seen a single worm. Any
ideas why this might be? I'm new to this garden and the soil looks
fairly dusty and poor. Would I be rewarded by introducing some worms
from my sister's wormery - she has loads. Would adding some bulky
organic matter help?

Just check you don't have any New Zealand flatworm first, or any worms
you introduce will be consumed by them anyway
--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see

The message
from Jane Ransom contains these words:

In article 1gbflld.1ppi3zj1bbug8uN%hughchal_nospamthanks@eir com.net,
Hugh Chaloner writes
Hi,

I seem to have an almost total lack of worms in my garden - I've been
digging down to about 15 inches and haven't seen a single worm. Any
ideas why this might be? I'm new to this garden and the soil looks
fairly dusty and poor. Would I be rewarded by introducing some worms
from my sister's wormery - she has loads. Would adding some bulky
organic matter help?

Just check you don't have any New Zealand flatworm first, or any worms
you introduce will be consumed by them anyway

Fortunately the threat to UK native worms from NZF has turned out to
be far less than anticipated. The NZF's are very slow, don't burrow, and
only live above the soil surface, so they are far more vulnerable to
predators and temperature, and don't intrude down into the soil where
earthworms mostly live, feed and breed.

When we moved to this garden, wherever I dug there were virtually no
earth worms. Shortly after, I discovered NZFs on the soil surface under
some pots and stacked turf and thought they were the cause. However, it
turns out the reason was lack of food and chemical deterrence by my
predecessor. With loads of mulch, manure and no chemicals, the place is
now heaving with earthworms. (NZF's appear to have been successfully
eradicated).

Janet.

In article , Janet Baraclough.
.. writes
With loads of mulch, manure and no chemicals, the place is
now heaving with earthworms. (NZF's appear to have been successfully
eradicated).

What a success story
What did you do to eradicate the NZFs?
--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see

In article , Janet Baraclough.
.. writes
The message
from Jane Ransom contains these words:

In article 1gbflld.1ppi3zj1bbug8uN%hughchal_nospamthanks@eir com.net,
Hugh Chaloner writes
Hi,

I seem to have an almost total lack of worms in my garden - I've been
digging down to about 15 inches and haven't seen a single worm. Any
ideas why this might be? I'm new to this garden and the soil looks
fairly dusty and poor. Would I be rewarded by introducing some worms
from my sister's wormery - she has loads. Would adding some bulky
organic matter help?

Just check you don't have any New Zealand flatworm first, or any worms
you introduce will be consumed by them anyway

Fortunately the threat to UK native worms from NZF has turned out to
be far less than anticipated. The NZF's are very slow, don't burrow, and
only live above the soil surface, so they are far more vulnerable to
predators and temperature, and don't intrude down into the soil where
earthworms mostly live, feed and breed.

That explains why they coexist with earthworms in New Zealand (which
IIRC has a lot of introduced european species as well as the native NZ
worms)
--
Kay Easton

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

Jane Ransom wrote in message :
Just check you don't have any New Zealand flatworm first, or any worms
you introduce will be consumed by them anyway

I found a flat worm today. I did not know what it was until I saw this
post and looked it up. It was definately a flat worm and I tossed it
back into the garden before I knew what it was. (Tried to go back and
find it...but like a needle in a haystack is the task:-( )Now I will
be on the look out for them.

My question is this.....are we supposed to report the finding of a
N.Z. Flatworm to anyone in particular.

I did a google search on flat worms and found a site recomended in an
OLD posting ( 2002) but as it has not been updated in 2 years I though
I would ask if there were any agency or person that needs to know.

I am in Northern Ireland.

Thanks
Julie
N.Ireland

The message
from Jane Ransom contains these words:

In article , Janet Baraclough.
. writes
With loads of mulch, manure and no chemicals, the place is
now heaving with earthworms. (NZF's appear to have been successfully
eradicated).

What a success story
What did you do to eradicate the NZFs?

Search and destroy :-) They lurk on surface soil, usually in groups,
always underneath some kind of shelter like pots or stacked turf, and
don't wriggle away like earthworms do in the same situation, so it's not
hard to find their hiding place and evict them. Horrible looking things
they are, a bit like leeches only much less lively. I just crush the
buggers to a smear on concrete, with my boot.

Janet

The message
from Jane Ransom contains these words:

In article , Janet Baraclough.
. writes
With loads of mulch, manure and no chemicals, the place is
now heaving with earthworms. (NZF's appear to have been successfully
eradicated).

What a success story
What did you do to eradicate the NZFs?

Search and destroy :-) They lurk on surface soil, usually in groups,
always underneath some kind of shelter like pots or stacked turf, and
don't wriggle away like earthworms do in the same situation, so it's not
hard to find their hiding place and evict them. Horrible looking things
they are, a bit like leeches only much less lively. I just crush the
buggers to a smear on concrete, with my boot.

Janet

In article , Janet Baraclough.
.. writes
Horrible looking things
they are, a bit like leeches only much less lively.

Hey! Don't be rude about leeches! Most of them are quite handsome.

--
Kay Easton

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

In article , Janet Baraclough.
.. writes
Horrible looking things
they are, a bit like leeches only much less lively.

Hey! Don't be rude about leeches! Most of them are quite handsome.

--
Kay Easton

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