Night crawlers in a worm box??

[planter]

Has anyone tried using nightcrawlers in their worm boxes. They sure are big and must be able to digest alot of material but I never hear of anyone using them. Just curious as to why Red Wigglers seem to be the go too worm.

[rainbowgardener]

You asked the same question about night crawlers three weeks ago. I guess you weren't satisfied with the responses you got?

Here's an earlier thread, where cynthia posted a very thorough response about vermicomposting and night crawlers:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=119845&highlight=night+crawlers#119845

Here's another place where it's mentioned

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=101081&highlight=night+crawlers#101081

Here's a little article about red wigglers vs night crawlers for composting:

https://www.composters.com/composters-article.php?id=51

[planter]

I beg your pardon rainbow but thanks for taking the time to point out that I had previously asked the same question. An old head injury does sometimes make me prone to repetition. I will try to stay more focused as I understand how thin your spread.
I will "Search The Forum" to see what pearls of wisdom you had to offer the last time.

[rainbowgardener]

At least you have an excuse! Some of the rest of us are just getting old! Sorry, I hope I didn't come across snippy...

[planter]

I think it may have been me who was snippy or overly sensitive RG..

I may well ask/post to many nonsensical threads but sometimes you have to rebait the hook to elicit many bites. If I can do any hole digging for you let me know and I will be happy to accomodate. Oh wait your in OHIO so never mind...

PS.. Got any fresh Calycanthus seed pods?? Take care.

[rainbowgardener]

Maybe re the calycanthus seed pods. Haven't been that far down on my hillside lately what with the 97 degrees and the humidity and the swarms of mosquitos... But I have a carolina allspice and it did bloom earlier. I'm leaving for a long weekend right now, but when I get back, I will go check, see if it has made seed pods...

[planter]

I was just kidding about the Calycanthus pods rainbow and had no idea but should have expected that you had one.

I have a couple of babies that are still residing in the nursery. This will be my first shot at growing a Sino, Floridus, (?), Hartlett Red and a Venus(?). All first year plants for me.

I was given a seed pod and tried starting them but I think it was last years seeds and after the fact my propagating book said to use fresh seed.

However if they are easy to propagate by seed I would be happy to take a pod off your hands. If it's self fertile the Hartlett Red is JUST dropping it's petals and I don't know if the seed has set. If it has I will send you a pod. Not a biggie as I hope to have an ever increasing number of my own. I just like starting stuff and then giving them away.

I only have these pic because I'm trying to do a better job of tracking growth rates and seeing just what stuff lookied like when

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1060215.jpg[/img]


[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1060264.jpg[/img]


[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1060211.jpg[/img]

[rainbowgardener]

Nice pictures... I didn't get any pictures of mine.

I am in zone 6 also and have a native woodland shade plants garden with about 40 different species of native shade plants (from ground level to trees), so feel free to check with me if there's something you are interested in.

[planter]

TY Rainbow. Makes me want to count up all the plants I've planted versus all the plants that are truly just the "junk" so many of us hack out to replace with something that cost money..
Maybe a Stewartia Monadelpha/Orange Bark Stewartia but then again you probably already have it if it does in fact prove to be Z6 hardy. I have a couple of babies that have not even met their first winter here. We shall see if I have to file them away as losers forme along with the Franklinia.. They PROMISED that would be hardy here.

[rainbowgardener]

I tried the Franklinia once.... didn't survive for me either!

[applestar]

My MIL has a thriving one, even though she lives further north but she lives in an urban area near canal and river with all the moderating effects, AND the shrub is in a foundation planting along her brick house.

[SkyKero]

I can't help myself -- I have to say thank you to everyone in this forum..

I just keep finding out about so many pants and flowers that I didn't know existed... (and then I want them .. )

My back yard is very shaded -- I need to keep a list of these plants and flowers that enjoy the shade -- all I knew about were hostas.. what did I know!!

Thank you!

[rainbowgardener]

We've gotten pretty far afield from night crawlers, but SkyK check out some more shade plant suggestions in this thread:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28606&highlight=

[beebiz]

Back to the OP's question...

Has anyone tried using nightcrawlers in their worm boxes. They sure are big and must be able to digest alot of material but I never hear of anyone using them. Just curious as to why Red Wigglers seem to be the go too worm.

Planter, in another thread, I just made a somewhat lengthy post that I think might just cover your questions. If you would like, you can check it out [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=155081#155081]here[/url].

Good luck! And, I'll gladly answer any questions that you have... as long as I know the answers!!

Bee

[Logan]

I have European Night Crawlers and Red Wigglers together. They are good, work well together. Regular night crawlers, the big kind for fishing, are burrowers and it would be cruel to put them in your worm bin, they wouldn't get what they need out of the habitat or diet, so don't do it. You can fill your garden with them though...

[planter]

MMMM... Well I know I have Red's in the compost pile but I also have another worm that are much larger than usual Red's.

Am I looking at two different species of worms or just big and small Reds?? I know big ole crawlers that I fish with but am wondering if European Crawlers are something I would find in the heap if I didn't put them there?

It's raining out now for the first time in what seems like months and I know that I could go out right now flashlight in hand and hunt up a coffee can of crawlers. I should cause the Koi just love them but I don't need them for a worm box because when all is said and done I don't even have a worm bin.

PS.. If you have never hunted crawlers after a rain you don't know what your missing. They are so fast that you have to be like a cat and if you don't tread lightly they are back down their burrow before you know it!! I mean they are fast!!!!!!!!!!!!

They MUST need to come out of the ground to mate or whatever they do because you as often as not you find two intertwined in worm mucus.

Hey Sky.. If you haven't got one yet make sure you put Acuba Japonica on your list. Loves the same conditions as Rhodies pretty much and adds great color and is an evergreen. I don't see many here but I love them and 9 out of 15 cuttings ARE gonna make it!!

Nice info in the link Bee.

[Logan]

I'm not a worm expert, but it seems logical that you could have Euro crawlers enter your pile on their own, if there are others who have brought them into your area. They do escape on their own often enough, so I'm sure the ones that get out of the bin go somewhere and reproduce. The Euros look like large Red Wigglers. They both look really different and smaller from the regular night crawlers that are darker kinda purple, and have that fatter end, and they are bigger overall.