Some of you folks may remember that I am starting veg and flower gardens from scratch in the middle of a hay field/cow pasture. Probably about 50 years ago it was a pecan/fruit orchard.
Well, aside from the evil grasses and weeds that keep cropping up and the various creatures all looking to share my plants, I've come across a kind of strange problem. I have yet to find one earthworm in my digging. Not one -=o! I've asked my neighbors and they say they have plenty in their yards/gardens. They also report that in the past our property has been overgrazed and probably over fertilized and over sprayed for weeds. I don't really have communications with the past owner, so I can't really confirm if this information is accurate or not. I have tons of butterflies, moths, and--believe it or not--honey bees so some of the good guys are having some fun in my garden!
But no earthworms disturbs me. We've owned this property for almost five years now, and I would have guessed that all residual chemicals (good or bad) would have dissipated by now. Still no earthworms.
Any suggestions on what I should do about this? At this point I'm not really sure if I should spend a lot of money to find out how this happened--I just want to try and fix the problem. Or is it really a problem? I add a lot of compost to the beds I'm building. Lots of cow manure, chicken manure, grass clippings, shredded leaves, etc. Still no earth worms even in those beds. I just recently sent soil for testing to the cooperative extention people. Should I wait to see what they say? Should I go out and buy, beg, or borrow earth worms? If I keep composting will they come on their own? The roses and veg that I have already planted seem to do fine so there can't be too much wrong with the soil (sandy loam). I would have thought that any evil soil creatures would have affected my roses by now. Has anyone ever experienced this problem before?
a wormy question
Terri,
Although I am a relatively new veggie grower, I've learned that when you have earthworms, something good is going on in your soil. With that said, when I first started out there were about 5 earthworms in the whole yard (yeah). That bothered me, too, and I set out to correct the situation.
Like you, I started amending the existing soil with all the recommended additivies, particularly, my homemade compost consisting of leaves, grass clippings, coffee grinds, confetti shredder paper, and my veggie peels. Every worm I did find was tossed into the compost pile that I kept moist and well fed so the wormies would begin to homestead. Well, today, I can't hardly scoop a shovelful of compost without it teeming with HUGE earthworms.
Since you don't seem to have any, I'd go beg/borrow a few from the neighbors who have some. But, you have to make sure you have a receptive place for them to come home to.
I'd recommend you begin something call "hole composting". Gather up your veggie peels in a coffee can with a lid. Chop em up into small pieces so they'll break down faster. When you have a good amount, go to the beds you want to start the worms in and dig a hole about 18" deep. Chuck in the slosh and cover your hole so no smells are emmiting (no smells = no rodents, pests trying to dig it up). ?Dig the next hole in a different part of the bed.
Go beg/borrow some earthworms from your neighbors and let em' loose in the beds with the holes of compost.
Then, watch what happens! Before you know it, you'll have a whole worm condominium!
My DH watched me do this, and when he realized how many fat worms I had in that compost bin, he announced that he had chucked in a few, too. Need I explain why he wanted some credit for the bursting worm population? He's a fisherman!
Hope this helps!
Linda
terri-emory - You've heard of the expression: "Build it and they will come" - well, do what Gymgirl suggested and you will soon have happy earthworms.
The area in my garden that once was Burmuda grass had very few earthworms when I moved in. However, I found plenty of them in what I refer to as "My bamboo forest" which is located in one corner of my back yard.
Once we started scattering leaves and grass clippings around the veggie garden area, I collected what worms I could, and spread them around their new home.
I now have so many earthworms, that critters come to the garden at night and have an earthworm feast!
Gymgirl, how funny! My greatgrandfather taught me how to "hole compost" when I was just a little composter (over forty years ago and GGF was over ninety at the time). And guess what he was growing in the compost holes? Fishing worms! He put boards and rocks over his and just lifted up the "lid" to add more compost ammunition or harvest fishing worms. He said once the hole filled up to move some worms to the next hole and plant a fruit tree in the filled up hole. I don't think he called it compost then. Just gardening. Everything old is new again, right?
Actually, this year I got tired of digging up whole beds in the veg garden, so I spaced out a few of the compost holes, filled them with "stuff" and built lasagne beds over the top. I've got two going like this but figured I would surely attract some worms. I've had these set ups brewing for almost six months. I went to plant garlic this past month and no worms at all. Since then I've been checking a couple more beds I've set up for roses--and no worms there either. ;(. The next holes I dig I will take your advice and beg some worms from anyone who happens to be passing by.
Yes, your advice does help AND it brought back a pleasant memory of my GGF reaching into his worm farm on a hot summer morning and pulling out some big wrigglers to take me pole fishing! Thanks a bunch!
Ya'll will never know how much your responses have affirmed me today! I was thinking as I was replying, "I hope I sending out some sound, accurate information to Terry."
So many times I've had to be corrected, but I guess this wasn't one of them! And I guess it's because I actually replied from my own EXPERIENCE.
Hmmmmmmmmmm...that could be a novel idea...well, duh.....
^^_^^_^^_^^ (Linda, Terry, and Honey, playing with worms!)
Gymgirl - I've never played with worms (giggle), and yes, your own experiences through life will teach you more than you'll ever read in a book.
When I give advice here, it's from my own experiences - or - I will say: "I've not tried this" - or - "this is what I've read."
I guess after gardening for 57 years I've learned a thing or two :)
Ya'll are right on the mark. I have done the "hole composting" with great success and never knew it had a name. Most of my property is worthless sand and it's fairly uncommon to find a worm out in the open away from my trees. Nothing grows well in it so I figured there was nothing to support worms. The few I find are very skinny. It doesn't hold moisture so the worms can't survive dry spells.
I finally had a good garden spot by returning everything not harvested right back into the soil where it grew and adding everything else like leaves and lawn clippings. In the summer when many things won't take the heat, I'd grow Southern peas to eat and turn under as green manure. I tried to minimize the bare spots. Anything the push mower would handle, I'd chop first and let it fly. I'd make a trench and lay the corn stalks in it and then cover them. In my warm climate, everything breaks down quickly if there's moisture so there's always the need to keep at it.
It's entirely possible to grow crops on poor soil with enough chemicals. Witness the commercial farmers that remove almost everything from their fields and have to rely on ever increasing amounts of ferts and pesticides. I think that's very short sighted and that they'll crash someday from neglecting the health of their soil.
Getting native worms from your neighbors is good because you know they'll work.
I started with a new scraped-bare dirt lot 9.5 years ago. I was told earth worms don't do well here because it is hot and dry. I decided I needed tough native earthworms. So when ever it rains, I go out afterwards and steal them off other people's driveways and sidewalks and put them in one of my garden beds. The neighbors probably think I'm crazy, but the feeling is mutual. I have enough now that I am picking them off my own driveway after rains, too. They aren't real obvious in the soil mid-summer or mid-winter, but I do find them when the soil temperature and moisture levels bring them near the surface.
I've done "hole composting" "trench composting" "throw-it-in-the-corner-and-let-it-rot composting" - For the first time in my life, I actually purchased two compost bins this past summer. The nicest part - they all work :)
You can see one of them in the photo behind the potted herbs.
cool photo of your garden, HoneybeeNC. Those things really work, hugh? I've always wondered. They look nice. Is that one located in full sun?
Way cool herb setup Honey!
I can only keep praying that, one day, all my DH's trash will be gone and I can have a nice clean, uncluttered veggie garden setup...
terri - yes both composters are located in full sun. I don't know why only one is in the photo, because they are standing close to each other. Perhaps this photo was taken soon after I purchased them and the other had not been assembled.
Gymgirl - I keep the herbs up off the ground so the dogs don't get to them. They have been taught not to enter the raised beds, but anything else at ground level is fair game.
Hubby has now put up a 2' high length of chicken wire a couple of feet out from the wall that faces West. I plan to move all the herbs behind this fence early next spring. Actually, I already moved the Greek Oregano there and it seems to be doing well.
Chuckl, I actually had left over fishing worms I chunked under the rabbit hutches, attracted tiny little earth snakes, but still had enuff earth worms I never bought more, they do go into a wait state in drought weather. Weeds are natures way of healing overstressed soils, Lespedeza is a green manure plant that returns needed nutrients to soil, simply turn under and plant on top of it, adds health naturally. weeds can be pretty, but if u dont want their benefits(seeds) then deadhead, natural fertilizers include, a bucket of weeds packed in tite, rain water to top, seal, use as lqd fertilizer
left over pulp can be added to compost or burn pile, sorry
Thanks you all for all of these tips. Its encouraging to know that others have had similar problems and have, over time, worked them out.