I have a small worm bin going and a small veggie garden. When I looked around online I read putting the worms from your bin in your garden is not good (I bought red worms) because they aren't a native species so they will eat up everything. But I've read other people's posts that say they put their excess worms in their garden tohelp the soil. I'm scared to try it, I know they multiple like crazy and if it is bad for my veggies I don't want to take the chance, but it does seem strange that worms would eat up my plants. . .any input would be greatly appreciated
(wasn't sure if this post should go w/ the veggie forum or compost forum)
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noodles777
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RJ-Hythloday
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I put a mix of ENC's and EF's in my raised beds, and have talked to others who have done the same. I plan on getting Africans and Alabama jumpers in later on also. The only prolem would be if they didn't have enough food they would go away. I plan on putting some pumpkin under the mulch once in a while.
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rot
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I wonder if you could set up a compost bin on the ground and harvest the worms that come up into the bin.
Maybe a slow cold bin and when the conditions are right, harvest the worms.
My cold bins will get lots of worms and I relocate them with the compost to various parts of the yard. During the rainy season I will keep the bins covered and the worms will migrate to bins to escape the saturated ground. Then they reproduce and I'll end up with oodles of worms.
Then you don't have to worry what kind of worms they are because they're already native to your soil. I've heard red wrigglers and such don't do so hot in the soil. They're kind of made for leaf piles and such.
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I wonder if you could set up a compost bin on the ground and harvest the worms that come up into the bin.
Maybe a slow cold bin and when the conditions are right, harvest the worms.
My cold bins will get lots of worms and I relocate them with the compost to various parts of the yard. During the rainy season I will keep the bins covered and the worms will migrate to bins to escape the saturated ground. Then they reproduce and I'll end up with oodles of worms.
Then you don't have to worry what kind of worms they are because they're already native to your soil. I've heard red wrigglers and such don't do so hot in the soil. They're kind of made for leaf piles and such.
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The Helpful Gardener
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Too many worms in a raised bed can destabilize taller plants, but on the whole, worms are very beneficial to soil biology and actually add fertilizer values.
We do not recommend spreading non-native species of wildlife, but with worms that ship has mostly sailed. The real badguy out there is someone we think of as a regular...
[url]https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/earthworms/index.html[/url]
Seems these big guys till too deep a soil cycle, upsetting mulch and soil structure for a lot of our wildflowers. In places that never had worms that's a big issue, but even in areas like mine, nightcrawlers have outcompeted native types. EF seems to be more of a sissy and doesn't concern me as much as the big guys, but it is something to think about...
HG
We do not recommend spreading non-native species of wildlife, but with worms that ship has mostly sailed. The real badguy out there is someone we think of as a regular...
[url]https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/earthworms/index.html[/url]
Seems these big guys till too deep a soil cycle, upsetting mulch and soil structure for a lot of our wildflowers. In places that never had worms that's a big issue, but even in areas like mine, nightcrawlers have outcompeted native types. EF seems to be more of a sissy and doesn't concern me as much as the big guys, but it is something to think about...
HG
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RJ-Hythloday
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The Helpful Gardener
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David Taylor
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As I understand it, there are actually very few varieties of worms. There was a character back a couple years ago that was talking people out of their money to sell them his special hybrid worms to grow in their worm farms, and get rich selling them back to him. The authorities finally popped him when he started selling nuclear waste consuming worms. Wormologist-types testified that you can't hybridize worms. They are what they are, and uniquely suited to their respective roles. Earth Worms are not to be confused with Red Worms, which live and thrive in heavy nitrogen locations, such as horse manure piles. Earthworms eat earth, and don't do well in horse manure piles.
The local earthworm farmer is selling his red worms for twenty bucks a pound.
The local earthworm farmer is selling his red worms for twenty bucks a pound.
If I take some red wigglers from my worm composting bin and put them in my veggie garden containers (big crates) - was told this was good for the soil etc, what are these little guys going to eat? My plants??? Or do I need to occasionally shove some produce waste etc down into the soil? Or will they even survive in a container of dirt - some of these posts make it sound like they might not do so well, or will they as long as there's something to eat?
Compost worms or earth worms won't eat your living plants. If they did, there would be no plants. Compost worms prefer dead decomposing organic matter. That's just the way they have evolved to function. That's their role. I.e. to process decomposing organic matter.
In fact compost worms help create the favourable conditions for living plants to thrive. Compost worms deposit biologically nutrient rich worm castings into the soil. This acts as a soil conditioner and helps improve the organic makeup of the soil, by providing biological trace elements, which in turn helps living plants to thrive.
In fact compost worms help create the favourable conditions for living plants to thrive. Compost worms deposit biologically nutrient rich worm castings into the soil. This acts as a soil conditioner and helps improve the organic makeup of the soil, by providing biological trace elements, which in turn helps living plants to thrive.
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rainbowgardener
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I do as some one suggested above. In fall when I am starting my worm bin, I just grab a bunch of worms out of my (on the ground) compost pile to populate the worm bin. The compost pile has hundreds of them.
Then in the spring I can just dump the worm bin worms in the garden beds, because they are the same kind as what is there. I usually only do a worm bin in the winter, when it is nice to have something indoor.
Then in the spring I can just dump the worm bin worms in the garden beds, because they are the same kind as what is there. I usually only do a worm bin in the winter, when it is nice to have something indoor.
Unless you have *very loose* soil with plenty of leaves in it, the red worms (E. foetida) won't survive in the ground. Soil temps are usually 54 deg. F, the lower limit of what E. foetida can survive, and these little guys are "litter dwellers"; I.e., they don't make burrows, like earthworms do.
On occasion, I've come across a very few red wigglers in one of my raised beds--the one that gets the best sun for the longest portion of the year. However, that bed has never been walked on, is "fluffed" regularly, and is almost entirely compost, five years after its initial creation. Thus it satisfies the *very loose* soil requirements and evidently remains sufficiently above 54 deg F to keep the little guys happy.
I suggest that, if worms from one's vermicompost habitat are surviving in normal soil, they are not E. foetida but rather a different species, probably a soil-dweller and most likely a burrowing worm, like many species of earthworms are.
(On an ordinary day, I would give references to Mary Appelhof's Worms Eat My Garbage, but my copy is hiding. Again.
The third one I've purchased, and I can't find it.... )
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
On occasion, I've come across a very few red wigglers in one of my raised beds--the one that gets the best sun for the longest portion of the year. However, that bed has never been walked on, is "fluffed" regularly, and is almost entirely compost, five years after its initial creation. Thus it satisfies the *very loose* soil requirements and evidently remains sufficiently above 54 deg F to keep the little guys happy.
I suggest that, if worms from one's vermicompost habitat are surviving in normal soil, they are not E. foetida but rather a different species, probably a soil-dweller and most likely a burrowing worm, like many species of earthworms are.
(On an ordinary day, I would give references to Mary Appelhof's Worms Eat My Garbage, but my copy is hiding. Again.
The third one I've purchased, and I can't find it.... )Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Thank You Cynthia;
The only similarity between Earthworms and Compost Worms (EF's) is that they're both worms, but then again so are more than 4,000 (some say 8,000) of their different relatives all over the world. While Earthworms burrow down to 4 or 5 feet and can survive the winter temperatures, EF's are usually found in the upper 6 inches of soil and need an active source of decaying matter to survive. EF's are considered to be surface dwellers and not soil dwellers which is why they're often found in piles of aged horse manure as well as the lower ends of compost piles (away from the high heat) and also in piles of decaying leaves. They also have specific requirements in terms of Temperature, Moisture etc. In some ways raising EF's are like raising Tropical Fish. Personally, for anyone considering adding redworms to a garden bed, they'd be much better served adding the castings to their garden and keeping the worms to do what they do best.
One can also construct a Worm Tower which is a piece of plastic sewer pipe 8"- 12" across and about 18" long, with holes drilled on all sides of the lower 12" of the pipe. You dig a hole in your garden bed (at least 12" deep) and stand the pipe up with the drilled-out section below ground level and then fill in the soil all around. You then fill the pipe with manure or other decaying organic matter. The soil-dwelling Earthworms will be attracted to the food source and will then deposit their castings in the surrounding soil helping to fertilize the garden. The fact that the lower part (with the holes) is below ground will help to keep out flies. You also cover the open end with a removable cover and refill it as it's necessary.
Shaul
The only similarity between Earthworms and Compost Worms (EF's) is that they're both worms, but then again so are more than 4,000 (some say 8,000) of their different relatives all over the world. While Earthworms burrow down to 4 or 5 feet and can survive the winter temperatures, EF's are usually found in the upper 6 inches of soil and need an active source of decaying matter to survive. EF's are considered to be surface dwellers and not soil dwellers which is why they're often found in piles of aged horse manure as well as the lower ends of compost piles (away from the high heat) and also in piles of decaying leaves. They also have specific requirements in terms of Temperature, Moisture etc. In some ways raising EF's are like raising Tropical Fish. Personally, for anyone considering adding redworms to a garden bed, they'd be much better served adding the castings to their garden and keeping the worms to do what they do best.
One can also construct a Worm Tower which is a piece of plastic sewer pipe 8"- 12" across and about 18" long, with holes drilled on all sides of the lower 12" of the pipe. You dig a hole in your garden bed (at least 12" deep) and stand the pipe up with the drilled-out section below ground level and then fill in the soil all around. You then fill the pipe with manure or other decaying organic matter. The soil-dwelling Earthworms will be attracted to the food source and will then deposit their castings in the surrounding soil helping to fertilize the garden. The fact that the lower part (with the holes) is below ground will help to keep out flies. You also cover the open end with a removable cover and refill it as it's necessary.
Shaul