worm casting

[tommyblaze]

I just purchased some local worm castings. Supposedly this is the holy grail of fertilizers.(according to the internet) Lol I know she fed the worms compost which is good but also grains which isnt the best. Heres a look let me know what you think. Thanks

[LeaSmea]

Very nice, but an easier and cheaper way to get worm castings for your garden is well...worms! Haha, I go to the local park every year and dig up a batch of soil until I've snagged about 3 dozen juicey ones and place them in my various gardens. Plus worms help aerate the soil by tunneling through it.

[tommyblaze]

Can I buy them from the bait store instead?

[LeaSmea]

Certainly! Just make sure they look healthy. I know sometimes bait stores have worms packed into a container for days on end and they start to fade and die, but since they are going to fish it doesn't matter. Just make sure to peak open the lid to ensure they are fresh. Also ask if they are local worms from the area or shipped in from else where. Always best to buy local.

[rainbowgardener]

Hard to tell anything by looking, but the worm castings you have should be fine, feel free to use them.

[meshmouse]

Hey tommyblaze -

I don't know where you are on the Island, but I can hook you up with plenty of seed worms.

meshmouse

[tommyblaze]

Thanks mesh but I really don't know how to you use seed worms

[rainbowgardener]

Just means (regular) worms to start off a worm bin with or throw in your garden. Seed in that usage means like seed money to start a project with, source or beginning, something that will grow and develop, like seeding your compost pile with microbes to get it started. ...

[tommyblaze]

Of course I would like worms for the garden! Lol sorry about the confusion.

[meshmouse]

rbg -

You're absolutely right. That's what I meant by 'seed' worms. I could have been clearer, sorry and thanks.

tommyblaze -

send me a PM and I'll make arrangements to get you some worms. I was checking out your posts in this forum to try and a sense of what your needs might be. I came across your 'Has Anyone Used Forest Dirt in their Gardens?' post.

While I agree with everything everybody said (probably illegal, could harm the forest, yet excellent 'dirt', probably best composted a bit before use), I would say that if you took a bucket out there and dug around a bit, you'd probably find all the worms you could want.

I would only caution, all things in moderation. Take a few worms here, a few worms there. Don't wipe out any one area's population. If you happened to grab a scoop or two of dirt here and there, I don't think that would do much harm to the forest (depending on its size and if anyone else is doing the same thing).

But, PM me if you would like and I will get you some worms.

The best way to maintain a thriving worm population is to provide them with the right conditions. Food and water. If your garden is full of good organic material, that should be food enough, but you need to keep adding to it at least once a year. Do you have a compost pile? Or a part of your yard you could pile up your leaves. That would be all you would need.

'No Till' methods of gardening are also advantageous to worms (as well as your back).

Let me know.

meshmouse

[toxcrusadr]

If you build it, they will come. Except for possibly an initial stocking with worms in a place where there are few or none, you should not need to constantly add worms. If you provide sufficient organic matter for them to feed on, they will multiply. If that food is not there, added worms will die or leave anyway.

Note to anyone considering bait shop worms, there is a type called 'red wiggler' (eisenia foetida?) that is typically used for worm bins and also as fishing bait. They are great at eating food scraps in a bin but not so good in the soil. So don't bother stocking your soil with red wigglers, they will not last long.

[meshmouse]

Hey tox -

I agree on all accounts. From what I understand, red wigglers don't take cold well. What that actually means over winter in a compost pile, I don't know, but I would agree, indigenous is probably best.

Like you said, given the right conditions, they'll find you.

meshmouse

[Igotworms]

if you keep the pile hot red wigglers will survive all winter. at least they do here in PA (zone 6)

[Free Zucchini]

Thanks mesh but I really don't know how to you use seed worms

Plant them about 1" deep and give them plenty of fresh water.


(Sorry)