Topic: Who stole all my earthworms?

[MurphyX]

Hi all

I'm a newbie to this site and apologise if I have posted to the wrong section of the forum.

My wife and I have just got our own adjoining 'his and hers' allotments and have started the incredibly laborious task of double digging (my back hurts, my legs hurt, my head hurts, brilliant isn't it?).

The plots were vacant for a number of years and the soil is in pretty awful condition (6 inches of dust on top of a heavy clay seam).

To my surprise there don't appear to be any earthworms!?!?!?!?!?!?

I've just googled the problem and seen a reference to earthworms rolling up in a ball and hiding, deep down, in very hot and dry weather. Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon? If so, will the earthworms ever come back?

[calendula]

it is only because it has been so hot and dry - put loads of manure on and when the autumn rains come they will be back in abundance (personally, unless you are anxious to get planting now, I would delay the digging until the land is more workable)

[Palustris]

You answered your own query in a way when you mentioned that the soil was like dust. The sun stole your earthworms! Or at least sent them deep underground to where they can find the moisture they need to survive. Add as much organic material as you can to your soil and soon it will be heaving with them. As Calendula says, autumn rain if we get any will help no end.

[MurphyX]

Cheers guys I appreciate your input. Its reassuring to know that the wriggly little beggars will be back when (if) it rains again. :)

[saddad]

You can always reintroduce some when it gets wet... from companies on the net or just the local anglers supply shops... found two or three curled up as I dug for my non existant potato crop....
 ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Worms are great survivors, they'll be back as soon as the soil becomes damp. I noticed yesterday that there are now pools in the stream bed, which weren't there a couple of days ago; it's been running intermittently after these bits of rain we've been getting, and soaking away into the bed, but obviously the water table is rising. We will get there in the end.

[supersprout]

If you mulch your soil heavily with whatever organic material you have - at least two inches, more if you have it - the soil will remain moist, and the worms will enjoy dragging the mulch deep underground and improving your clay soil. Plus you'll suppress annual weeds. Try mulching a small area of your plot as an experiment (after a good shower), and check for worms in a few weeks! :)

[MurphyX]

You can always reintroduce some when it gets wet... from companies on the net

I did consider this and checked prices on the net. However, I quickly discounted it as an option when I worked out the price for reintroducing them into a double plot would be about £500 !!!

For Worms ??????

[MurphyX]

If you mulch your soil heavily with whatever organic material you have - at least two inches, more if you have it - the soil will remain moist, and the worms will enjoy dragging the mulch deep underground and improving your clay soil. Plus you'll suppress annual weeds. Try mulching a small area of your plot as an experiment (after a good shower), and check for worms in a few weeks! :)

This may sound like a dumb newbie question, but what can I use for mulch that I can get a huge quantity of for very little money?

[Palustris]

The kind of worms used for fishing, ie brambling worms are not the same as the earthworm. they much prefer to be in your compost heap than in the soil.
Murphy, that is something we would ALL like to know.

[Gadfium]

You could try ringing up your local riding stables (Yellow Pages).

Say that you've just taken on an allotment, and are wondering if they have any well-rotted manure (not the fresh stuff!) they are looking to dispose of, and what would be the cost for a load delivered to your site... sometimes it can be surprisingly cheap. I think someone posted here (forgotton who it was, apologies) saying they got quoted £20 for a full load, delivered.

Sometimes they are just thankful to be able to shift a proportion of the muck heap...

[Robert_Brenchley]

Try contractors that mow local housing estates; they may be glad to dispose of a mountain of grass cuttings or dead leaves which they'd otherwise have to pay to dump.

[barrowbob]

Erm, hate to put a 'damper' on this, but since I discovered the dreaded flat worms about 3 years ago we just haven't seen any earthworms.  :(  They now appear inside the lids of the compost bins - apparently they like the smooth surface, though they just don't like the kettle of boiling water poured over them.  Haven't come across anything that will eradicate them, just hope that with no earthworms to eat, they'll die off.

Hopefully your worms are very clever and avoiding the damage the sun can cause their skin. ;)

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've been hearing things about these flatworms; how easy is it to spot them? What do they eat when they've finished off the worms?

[barrowbob]

They are significantly different from usual worms - about 3-4" long, sometimes curled up.  A dark body that is lighter towards the edges and recognisably flat.  I understand that they can live quite a long time without food so I'm not sure what they feed on once the earthworms are gone.

[redimp]

Do you destroy on sight - and aren't they notifiable?

[barrowbob]

They last only as long as it takes to boil a kettle of hot water - haven't heard any mention of them being notifiable - don't have a problem doing so if they are.  Wonder where best to check. ???

 Had a rake about and found this site with the photographs.  The pictures at second bottom right and second top left are the form I have them in.

http://flatworm.csl.gov.uk/gallery.htm

It seems that as part of a project they can be sent to the addresses shown elsewhere on the site but are not 'notifiable'

[MurphyX]

It's OK, the earthworms returned with the rain. Yippppeeee!!!!!!