Subject: Re: Not very many earth worms in the soil...
From: ah931@rgfn.epcc.edu (John C. Dechon)
Organization: The Rio Grande Free-Net, El Paso Community College, El Paso, TX
Date: 14 Oct 1997 03:25:24 GMT
Message-ID: <MOD$971013.28840@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$971011.21440@rec.gardens.ecosystems>


dhs (dhs@mit.edu) wrote:

> I had several beds for roses and other plants dug up and filled with a
> mixture of compost and the original soil. A lot of earth worms were killed
> in the process, and the compost does not have any (I bought it from a
> compost dealer, it was warm when it arrived). As a result of this, there
> are very few earth worms in the beds, I see almost none. What should I do
> about this? Buy some and put them in? The soil has a tendency to get too
> compact already...

> Thanks Lisa

The main thing for earthworms: organic material...add more compost (or
work dead leaves into the soil (shred them if possible)...this time of year
there are lots of them...your neighbor may even give them to you if you
don't have any), or, add lots of peat moss. And don't forget some
nitrogen to replace that used by the decomposition process, such as blood
meal, fish emulsion, or, of course, a synthetic fertilizer...I prefer the
former types to synthetics.

Organic material should keep the ground from compacting...since
your soil compacts easily, you say, it sounds like you don't have enough
organics in it. And, if the compost you bought was still warm, it
probably was not yet "finished" composting. Finally, top it off with a
few inches of mulch...more dead leaves if you have them.

As the saying goes, "Build it and they will come"...earthworms, that is.

John Dechon
El Paso, TX