Grow your own worms

[Brengirl]

I am in the process of emptying all compost containers into a huge sack breaking it up and fertilizing. The absence of worms made me think about introducing some and am going to make a worm nursery. I do not want a wormery that produces the pee I want the worms to keep my pots aerated. It will be fun the have the patter of tiny feet again.

[ginger ninger]

When I first started in my garden I had no worms, dew to the fact all I had was a big concrete slab, so I bought some from the fishing tackle shop in town, they were very cheep and I got load's. I have lots of big fat juicy worms now

[BUFFS]

When I first started in my garden I had no worms, dew to the fact all I had was a big concrete slab, so I bought some from the fishing tackle shop in town, they were very cheep and I got load's. I have lots of big fat juicy worms now

when i moved into a new house some years ago there was only subsoil in the garden,i imported 30 ton of very good topsoil and as i was barrowing this in i got talking to a man who owned the old house down the road,when i told him that id only seen a few worms in the new soil and nothing in the garden,he offered me some from his heap.heap was the right word,10/12ft high and double that across,he filled 6 sacks from the side and the worms were in 6ins balls,thousands of them,he lent me his rotovator to break up the building site muck and mix it with the good stuff,i only used 3 bags and gave the others to the neighbours(they helped move the topsoil).the next spring when i planted it all up,it was a case of "stand back" and watch it all grow,it relit my inerest in growing things,and thats now a long time ago(30+ years)dont seem that long...

[Brengirl]

I made a trip to the local fishing bait shop and nearly bought about a dozen worms for £2.00 The chap said ideally I needed tiger worms but having googled them it looks like the cost will be £10 per 50 plus p. p. I also contacted the local Waste Management. They can tell me how to make the worm farm but do not supply worms so I am going to have to do a bit more scrounging.

[Madasafish]

Our dalek full of kitchen waste is home to thousands (literally) of worms.

Foxes dig up our lawns searching for worms in winter: a real pia..

[pipscariad]

I always find lots of worms when I move a pot or something, and I too have loads in the dalek, I guess I'm just lucky? Every so often they seem to migrate in vast amounts to the top of the bin - I usually scoop some up and pop them into the wormery for a quick population boost! If I was more confident about packaging worms in the post, I'd offer you some - in fact if someone has a good packing tip, I'll do that if you PM me your address

p.s. Mine are Tiger worms

[ginger ninger]

when i moved into a new house some years ago there was only subsoil in the garden,i imported 30 ton of very good topsoil and as i was barrowing this in i got talking to a man who owned the old house down the road,when i told him that id only seen a few worms in the new soil and nothing in the garden,he offered me some from his heap.heap was the right word,10/12ft high and double that across,he filled 6 sacks from the side and the worms were in 6ins balls,thousands of them,he lent me his rotovator to break up the building site muck and mix it with the good stuff,i only used 3 bags and gave the others to the neighbours(they helped move the topsoil).the next spring when i planted it all up,it was a case of "stand back" and watch it all grow,it relit my inerest in growing things,and thats now a long time ago(30+ years)dont seem that long...

That's what I love about gardening and gardeners...There's always someone willing to help someone else...even if it's giving them worms , my little garden is full of worms now, well...it was over 18 years ago.

[Two_Sheds]

btw, compost worms are a different sort to earthworms. Earthworms (the big fat ones) don't make compost.

If I was more confident about packaging worms in the post, I'd offer you some - in fact if someone has a good packing tip, I'll do that

Pop them in a plastic box (the type your Chinese takeaway arrives in) with some damp shredded paper, post them before midday 1st class post.

[Brengirl]

I always find lots of worms when I move a pot or something, and I too have loads in the dalek, I guess I'm just lucky? Every so often they seem to migrate in vast amounts to the top of the bin - I usually scoop some up and pop them into the wormery for a quick population boost! If I was more confident about packaging worms in the post, I'd offer you some - in fact if someone has a good packing tip, I'll do that if you PM me your address

p.s. Mine are Tiger worms

[SIZE="2"]Oh dear oh dear oh dear. When I said scrounge I meant neighbours etc. I feel a tad embarrassed now but so so grateful. I will send you a SAE jiffy bag if you would be so kind as to let me have your address.

[pipscariad]

Pop them in a plastic box (the type your Chinese takeaway arrives in) with some damp shredded paper, post them before midday 1st class post.

I had to smile when I read this TS:
Takeaway arriving in plastic box - the nearest chinese to here is about 18 miles away, and they don't deliver that far! (Not that I'd know, as OH makes a mean chinese, so that's what we have)
You mean there are places that have post collections before midday?
'Tis wild and rural Pembrokeshire 'ere, step back to the era before takeaways and midday postal collections....

However, I reckon if I manage to get to my local PO just before the postie arrives, with worms packed with shredded paper as suggested, I should be okay.

[pipscariad]

Oh dear oh dear oh dear. When I said scrounge I meant neighbours etc. I feel a tad embarrassed now but so so grateful. I will send you a SAE jiffy bag if you would be so kind as to let me have your address.

No worries Brengirl, be happy to oblige! PM on it's way

[Tori]

did the worms make it??!!!! were they still alive?!

[Brengirl]

We havn't got that far yet. I have only just got the necessary exchanges organised and then there is the investigation as to suitable habitat etc. You cannot just move livestock just as you please you know!!

[coreopsis]

You'll have to make some serious travel arrangements
*goes away to calculate what could get on Seed Swap for a few fat ground beauties

[cathd66]

If you have an offer of composting worms from someone's compost heap- I have some tips on colecting them in my blog . (some of those tips will work even in an area of leafy woodland- but don't remove too many 'wild' worms!!)
But have a good look at the compost you have, i'd be very surprised if you had no worms at all. Possibly it hasn't warmed up enough for them, so all you have are cocoons (eggs) or else your compost is so mature they've all moved out to the rest of the garden. In which case they'll move back in as soon as you start composting again.