Topic: wot no worms

[nitiram]

Have made a start on digging my new lottie and have found very, very few worms. It had been actively worked till May so expected to find quite a few, so where are they hiding? Any ideas on how I can encourage them to take up residence in my soil?

[Robert_Brenchley]

If your soil's still dry they've probably gone down deep. The best way to encourage them is probably to mulch with dead leaves, compost, muck, grass cuttings, anything like that which they can eat.

[redimp]

Loads of organic matter.

[Roy Bham UK]

 ;D Grow your own ;D Someone on here showed us how and cheaply too, I thought I had the link saved but have lost it soz ::)

I bought the plastic box's in readyness but the recent vandalism put me off some, maybe later. :-\

[Robert_Brenchley]

Yes, but are they the right sort of worm - earthworms not redworms? They're pretty choosy about their preferred environment; you get one sort of worm in soil, and another in rotting vegetation.

[Roy Bham UK]

 ::) Oops! of course ::) silly me it's for compost ;D dunno about lost the link, I fink I lost the plot ;D

[john_miller]

Have made a start on digging my new lottie and have found very, very few worms. It had been actively worked till May so expected to find quite a few, so where are they hiding? Any ideas on how I can encourage them to take up residence in my soil?

  If worms are not present in your soil then there may be underlying conditions that they do not like. While earthworms have got all the attention most decomposition occurs, even where earthworms are present, due to the actions of the soil microflora and -fauna. You mention that your soil has been actively worked until recently so it is highly likely that there is an abundance of these other organisms, you simply can't see them. If you take actions to encourage earthworms into your soil then you may discourage the beneficials already present as you will alter the microenvironment. Without constant remedial action the earthworms will eventually disappear leaving you with neither earthworms nor the other beneficial organisms.
  I would carry on doing what you have being doing and not indulge in drastic measures. I too live in area where worms are rare and this is seen as beneficial. You may have similar conditions. The State of Minnesota, a number of years ago now, did introduce earthworms into their forest soils. The consequences were disasterous as breakdown of the inherently low levels of organic matter in these soils was greatly accelerated and caused major ecological problems. You could do the same, on a smaller scale, but still interfering with a natural ecosystem.
  If you care to do some research on this site this question came up a while ago, from a lady in Scotland I believe, where others provided some additional information.

[Merry Tiller]

Mine have all gone deep too, it's just the dry weather, don't worry

[nitiram]

Dry soil is not a problem!!!! Have had torrential rain on and off for the last four days. Made it easier for the weeds to come up. The soil digs like a dream, fine tilth, but few worms. The balckbird has had a feid day following me around picking up the  slugs. 

Interested to read about the micro organisms and upsetting the eco balance. As it has been worked for several years do you think there might be a build up of pesticides? Can I test the soil for these things?

[northener]

I was only thinking the same yesterday while weeding.

[john_miller]

Interested to read about the micro organisms and upsetting the eco balance. As it has been worked for several years do you think there might be a build up of pesticides? Can I test the soil for these things?

It very much depends upon how much pesticide has been used.
"Can you test for them?" Yes, but how much money do you have to spend on this? Specialist laboratories can test for residues but it doesn't come cheap! Possibly a more practical alternative would be to ask your fellow lottie holders to see if they noticed or knew the previous tenants habits.

[nitiram]

Will ask around the other allotmenteers to see if they have  any idea, sadly there are few of us on the plot and some days I see no one else except the black bird.