Are worms worth planting?

[nnjjohn]

We finally have a forecast of plenty April showers .. although it is March 28.. rain is to start this afternoon and last through the weekend with warmer seasonal temps ( 50s 60s highs) I was wondering if when walking my dog in the park to collect big earthworms if i see them between the rain showers.. i use to collect them with a light at night for trout fishing when i was a teen.. I do see some garden worms in my bed but wondering if i should toss a few in my beds. Should the worms be easy to collect.. i know worms migrate certain time during these spring rains and it wouldn't take long collecting a few coffee cans of big nightcrawlers

[Doug9345]

My thought is that if you have some earthworms all you have to do is to provide the proper habitat for them and they will multiple on their own. If the ground you have is inhospitable to earthworms tossing new one in it will only kill the new ones. The reason you see worms on the surface during heavy rains is because their tunnels flood and the worms come up for air.

[clkeiper]

If you don't have the habitat to support them in your garden you will just kill them . Worms will eat the organic material in your garden and if you don't have sufficient amounts they won't survive. I started a worm farm last Fall and I keep feeding it my kitchen scraps. I started with three little tubs of red worms from walmarts fishing dept and there are an incredible amount of worms in the tub now. If you just put your kitchen scraps in the garden you will draw them there.

[nnjjohn]

I am sure my beds are good habitat for worms .. the robins are always in them.. going to collect some anyway if the opportunity is there. thanks

[Vespertino]

Sure why not? If you have the food in your yard for 'em to eat, why not save those poor drowning worms on the sidewalk and give them a nice new home

[nnjjohn]

Originally Posted by Vespertino

Sure why not? If you have the food in your yard for 'em to eat, why not save those poor drowning worms on the sidewalk and give them a nice new home

thanks you are absolutely right, all the calamity and injustice in our society.. I feel like being a do gooder and can save them from speeding tires and provide for them a good home of plenty

[Got Worms?]

Yes, bring them home. Be a hero. Then say it loud, and say it proud: "I have worms!"

They love all the organic matter you can incorporate into the soil. They eat it, and out the other end comes...well you know...castings. Great stuff for your plants.

...But, if you use chemical fertilisers or insecticides...they wont stick around for very long. They just don't like the stuff.

Charlie

[nnjjohn]

Originally Posted by Got Worms?

Yes, bring them home. Be a hero. Then say it loud, and say it proud: "I have worms!"

They love all the organic matter you can incorporate into the soil. They eat it, and out the other end comes...well you know...castings. Great stuff for your plants.

...But, if you use chemical fertilisers or insecticides...they wont stick around for very long. They just don't like the stuff.

Charlie

Thanks Charlie, I doubt I have any nasty chemicals in my medium. I may mist spray a 1/10 part bleach water solution during humid wet times on my plants..i never used insecticides in any beds ..I have worms in the beds now just not that many and they are small garden worms not big nightcrawlers but than again it is still early.. I just thought between now and planting to take advantage of any rain worm picking opportunities and if they like the beds they stay.if not there is plenty of unfertilized lawn close by.