Earthworms snuck in my Soil.. Should i toss it?

MisssMaryjane

MisssMaryjane

Well-Known Member
Hi folks...

I had a couple of 5 gallon buckets with good rich soil out side for a couple of days. I dumped one into the wheel barrel and noticed a bunch of little earthworms found their way in. I'm growing indoors right now and i don't think its a good idea to use soil with worms in it. I do know that worms are good but i'm thinking that when i add nutrients it will kill them and i'll end up with rotten worm soil... Should i go buy new soil and start over, with a lesson learned?

Any input would be appreciated.
 
Lordhooha

Lordhooha

Well-Known Member
MisssMaryjane said:
Hi folks...

I had a couple of 5 gallon buckets with good rich soil out side for a couple of days. I dumped one into the wheel barrel and noticed a bunch of little earthworms found their way in. I'm growing indoors right now and i don't think its a good idea to use soil with worms in it. I do know that worms are good but i'm thinking that when i add nutrients it will kill them and i'll end up with rotten worm soil... Should i go buy new soil and start over, with a lesson learned?

Any input would be appreciated.
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Nothing wrong with worms in the soil. They’ll keep the soil turned over and keep it happy.
 
Roger A. Shrubber

Roger A. Shrubber

Well-Known Member
yup, they eat the organic material out of the dirt, break it down, mix it with the million microbes that live in their guts, then poop it out better than when they ate it.
and as long as you don't ever water or over feed, i don't think synthetic nutes will hurt them. salt build up would be bad for them, but its bad for your plants, too.
 
Roger A. Shrubber

Roger A. Shrubber

Well-Known Member
that's one thing i don't need, we're apparently blessed with a thriving worm population, all i have to do is look around after a rain if i want worms. which is actually kind of odd, as we have crappy clay soil full of rocks, but i guess the worms don't mind
 
DST

DST

Well-Known Member
Roger A. Shrubber said:
that's one thing i don't need, we're apparently blessed with a thriving worm population, all i have to do is look around after a rain if i want worms. which is actually kind of odd, as we have crappy clay soil full of rocks, but i guess the worms don't mind
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i read that worms come to the surface when it rains as the vibrations the rain makes is the same as an oncoming mole (moles love earth worms). Even worms metaphorically shit themselves.:)
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
DST said:
i read that worms come to the surface when it rains as the vibrations the rain makes is the same as an oncoming mole (moles love earth worms). Even worms metaphorically shit themselves.:)
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Depends on the worm.

Red wigglers are what you want. They live in the top few inches of soil. Night crawlers live deeper.

The water drowns them. The vibrations may have a part in it.

The vibration thing works though. Beat a piece of wood about a foot in the ground and rake a rasp over it and the worms will come to the surface and run.

A taser or other shocking device works as well.
 
MadMel

MadMel

Well-Known Member
Personally? I add a couple of worms to each of my containers. Worm castings are good for your soil as others have pointed out.

If they do die, it would just be a different kind of fertilizer. Otherwise the worms aerate the soil which helps the roots get air. Good roots equals a good plant in my book.

Chickens work over my compost pile, depositing dung, feeding the worms, which feed the chickens lol I love the cycling there.
 
DST

DST

Well-Known Member
whitebb2727 said:
Depends on the worm.

Red wigglers are what you want. They live in the top few inches of soil. Night crawlers live deeper.

The water drowns them. The vibrations may have a part in it.

The vibration thing works though. Beat a piece of wood about a foot in the ground and rake a rasp over it and the worms will come to the surface and run.

A taser or other shocking device works as well.
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mate, where i live i'd be beating the ground with a stick while being rained on...i just need to walk out my front door and there are lost worms wiggling on the concrete it rains that much:) tasers?? probably kill masen.:bigjoint:
 
NaturalFarmer

NaturalFarmer

Well-Known Member
MisssMaryjane said:
Hi folks...

I had a couple of 5 gallon buckets with good rich soil out side for a couple of days. I dumped one into the wheel barrel and noticed a bunch of little earthworms found their way in. I'm growing indoors right now and i don't think its a good idea to use soil with worms in it. I do know that worms are good but i'm thinking that when i add nutrients it will kill them and i'll end up with rotten worm soil... Should i go buy new soil and start over, with a lesson learned?

Any input would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
How did earthworms get into your buckets and wheel barrow? I am confused if you gathered soil outside to grow inside or just mixing potting soil outside. Are you sure they are earthworms and not fungus gnat larvae? Fungus gnat larvae are whitish brownish.
 
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