From

Location

Message

Date Posted

San Diego

anyone a worm expert out there? What kinds are best for garden soil and why? I have always used red worms in the past, but wonder if night crawlers are just as good? I wonder if region and climate have an impact on what worms are best also. So being from San Diego with clay soil, any ideas? Thanks! Jimmy

2/11/2008 4:50:14 PM

Somers, CT

Red wigglers are the worms of choice for composting. That is the standard from gardeners and composters. You can find them on the Internet.

2/11/2008 4:59:28 PM

Dallas, Oregon

red wigglers for composting, night crawlers also called dillys for the garden.

2/11/2008 6:08:13 PM

Seattle, WA

From what I understand, it's a waste of money to put worms into your soil though if they're not contained. If the soil is poor, they'll either die or move to a better environment. If you fix the soil (good aeration, biology, etc..), then the worms will come.

Red Wrigglers are great for composting, they're the standard in the industry.

2/11/2008 6:13:20 PM

Eddyz@efirehose.net

Duster
I've talked to a few people about adding worms, and what types to add, the response I got was, "add all you want, but if your soil isn't up to their standards they will move away on you"

they also claimed that, the better the soil conditions, the bigger the worm population, and if the soil is great, they will come.

Red Wigglers are used by some but the night crawler will do the most for you, and the fastest.

Since I've been adding mollasses and alfapha pellets my worm population has increased dramatcally.
Eddy

2/11/2008 6:18:02 PM

Eddyz@efirehose.net

I was typing while you posted Tad lol

2/11/2008 6:18:52 PM

If you are a composter, the best bet is to use red wigglers the "type" prefered for composting and add them as the heat leaves the pile. Let the pile work another year and you will have an amazing population to work with as well as a supply of castings.

Jimmy get the picture here,,,compost improving that clay soil,,worms improving that compost!!

2/11/2008 6:44:14 PM

San Diego

we have more nightcrawlers out here than red worms in our natural soil, might try them this time, or use both. My old patch had great soil, now in a new location, soil will sit all year and lots of manure and leaves were added making the soil much improved. Let them worms work for awhile as I continue to add compost. Thanks for the responces.

2/11/2008 6:48:33 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

I ordered my worms in a can today, to get started with some indoor vermicomposting to supply fresh worm casting for my compost tea. We will give it a try before I make a larger size using a barrel.......

If you check out the ColoradoPumpkins site Library you will find Monty's article that appeared in our last newsletter Vol 3 for 2007. Marty has some great info in that article about starting up a worm farm.....

2/11/2008 7:53:37 PM

Trumbull, CT 06611, USA

Wiz...I juat irdered 2lbs today myself. I have about 50 lbs of casting so far. I started last spring.

2/11/2008 9:26:23 PM

Rhode Island

MOST SERIOUS GIANT VEGETABLE GROWERS HAVE THERE GARDEN SOIL IN TIP TOP SHAPE YEAR ROUND."IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME"

THIS YEAR I PLAN TO ADD RABBIT AND WORM CASTINGS THAT WILL BE DECOMPOSED IN A HOME MADE BLACK BARREL COMPOSTER IN WITH MY OTHER WORM CASTINGS THAT I USE TO BREW MY COMPOST TEA

HAVE QUITE A FEW PET RABBITS THAT DELIVER A LOT OF EARTHY POOP AND WORMS

GOOD POST
PAP

2/12/2008 6:01:20 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Jimmy, with all the manure and leaves you have added....they will come...no need to add worms.

2/12/2008 1:52:58 PM

Ellensburg, WA

if anyone wants to know more about worms than they should check out the book....the Earth Moved. by Amy Stewart 200 pages of worm science!

2/17/2008 10:45:47 PM