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Jalapeno Popper
Joined: 10 Jul 2003
Posts: 12
Location: Whitesboro, TX
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| Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2003 11:35 pm Post subject: Earthworms |
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| I understand my soil should have something like 10 earthworms per square foot of soil, but I haven't seen one yet. I started a first time garden this year(doing very well) and did't find any. We are now digging up new flowerbeds around the house and still have seen any. I am digging and tilling the soil about 6" deep. I figured we should find at least one. I have recently sprayed beneficial nems. Would that affect anything? Can I buy these guys anywhere or will they just die off? Since the garden is everything thing else we have planted seem to be griong well, I assume the soil isn't that bad. It is extremely sandy loam soil. |
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CaptainCompostAL
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 875
Location: Irondale,Alabama
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| Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 7:49 am Post subject: |
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Earthworms are very finicky. Even if you got tons of compost and organic matter all over your garden beds, like I do on my no-till beds, you still may not see a lot of earthworms at various times or seasons of the year.
Earthworms are attracted by lots of compost, preferably unfinished compost like rotten leaves or straw. If you feed them they will come. I believe it is too expensive and wasteful to buy lots of worms for an organic garden. Almost every square foot of our nation has existing worms, they just need to be fed and reproduce.
Earthworms can reproduce and double their populations every 90 days. If the climate, temperature, weather, and food sources are not perfect for earthworms, they can hide up to 15 feet below the surface to survive, until better living conditions are met upstairs for them.
Also keep in mind that aerobic microbes like aerobic bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes, eat and break down tons of more organic matter faster than earthworms do anyway in the soil or in a compost pile. Also the entire digestive system of earthworms is full of beneficial microbes. If you keep your microbes growing, happy, and thriving, you will totally benefit your soil and plants, and attract other beneficial macrobes to your garden beds.
Just keep composting, mulching, and greenb manuring, and you will have plenty of earthworms working for you, whether you see them or not. |
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Jalapeno Popper
Joined: 10 Jul 2003
Posts: 12
Location: Whitesboro, TX
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| Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 1:29 pm Post subject: Very neat quote |
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| CaptainCompostAL, I like the quote at the bottom of your posts. Thanks for the info also. It's a real treat to have members like you willing to share your knowledge. |
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cynthiac
Joined: 18 Jul 2003
Posts: 59
Location: DFW
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| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2003 1:55 pm Post subject: |
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I actually went to a near by park after a very heavy rain last year. I gathered up bunches of earthworms and brought them home to my garden areas (and compost). I loosened up the soil in some areas and just put them softly in the soil. Now I find them everywhere in my soil.
It's worth a try! :D |
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ZIPPER
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Posts: 354
Location: San Antonio,Tx
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| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2003 2:12 pm Post subject: |
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Cynthia,
What did you notice at the park location that was different than your garden?
Might learn something here. |
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cynthiac
Joined: 18 Jul 2003
Posts: 59
Location: DFW
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| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2003 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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Actually I had quite a few worms before. However it being a new park with a lot of new plants, I guess they used some seriously fertile (if that's the right word) soil. Also they used a LOT of manure, which I have not used here myself. The worms there were really big fat long earthworms! A few I almost mistakenly thought were baby snakes at first glance.
Manure is something I need to think about. I have yet to introduce that to my soil. :wink: |
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