Does turning the soil kill worms?

[pattyp]

Hi everyone. I am very interested in the health of the earthworms that are in my soil, so I have been wondering if my sod removal activities, followed by turning in compost is too much of a disturbance for my worms. I have been doing all of this with a pitchfork (sod cutters and rototillers - we don't need no stinkin' sod cutters or rototillers ). Am I killing off my little squirmy friends?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Patty

[plantsnobin]

Don't worry too much if you are using a pitchfork. Even if you do slice into a few, you shouldn't feel guilty. If you pile up that sod, turned over and kept moist, there will be tons of worms there before you know it. Well, I shouldn't make that broad of a generalization I guess. I should say that in our area, the redworms love sod.

[PatrickW]

I think it's not so much killing them you should be afraid of, rather worms prefer to live in soil that has developed layers, so by digging at all you damage their habitat. This is at least the argument behind no-till/no-dig gardening.

Rather than turning in compost, just leave it on top. Getting it close to the plant roots is not very important in my experience. Rather than removing sod, just smother it with something and let it die in place (maybe with lasagne gardening methods). These are really the best for earthworms, and work just as well are are a lot easier than digging techniques.

[grungy]

Well to each his/hers own. Our soil gets turned completely twice a year. Once in the fall to turn in the previous summer's mulch and again in the spring to loosen the soil and also distribute any unbroken down mulch. I can say that we have been here less than 5 years on the southern garden beds and the worm population has exploded and all the worms seem to have at least doubled in size since we started. Both the red wigglers and the dew worms, so here at least I think that turning the beds are a benefit.
Good to see you are using good old fashioned back work to get your gardens going, Patty, I am sure you will get to know your soil intimately and enjoy it as much as we do.

[plantsnobin]

Remember too that there are different kinds of worms, and they have different preferences as far as soil depth goes. Night crawlers will burrow deep, earthworms will be a little closer to the top, and the redworms will be closer to the top still. Of course, there are people who will fight with you over the red worms too-you know, the whole 'they aren't native' thing, and there are folks who want them all dead because the are destroying the forest duff layer. Seriously. Personally, I am not worried about redworms destroying anything. Some people really can get worked up over anything. Nothing wrong with removing the sod either, while it is possible to just smother grass, sometimes we just don't have time for that. There are just so many different climates and soil types to deal with that what works for one area of the planet won't work elsewhere. Working with a pitchfork, you will indeed get to know your garden very well. Experimenting is the fun part, and you will learn more every year.

[robertb]

I'm not sure about the idea that worms prefer a soil which is layered, as soils with lots of worms and other fauna tend to be so well stirred up that they never develop layers anyway. Strongly layered soils tend to be the acid types which worms don't like. But digging does accelerate the oxidation of organic matter, and cause a lot of disruption. I try to minimise it.

[elkwc36]

Every year I tend to stir the soil a little less. But still have enough farmer in me that I seem to have to do a little. My tomato area I didn't turn this year but did dig 12" holes 24" deep and amended the soil back as I filled within 4-6 inches of the top. The rest of the garden I ripped deep and then had to till it shallow as the ripping pulled some mulch down in the soil. I will say since I've been mulching heavily I have ten times the worms. I do think a tiller may temporarily slow down the population unless it is done early while the ground is still cold and worms are deeper in dry ground that is so dry they have moved elsewhere. I've seen this question asked many times and it can open a can of worms for sure. My opinion is do what works for you. My idea in tilling less is I have enough to do I don't need to be doing things that aren't necessary. Jay

[paquebot]

Every bit of soil in my state was made without the aid of a single earthworm. Wasn't anything wrong with it when Europeans began using it. Everything got along just fine just the way it was. Introduction of earthworms changed 10,000 years of bacterial development. It was proof that Darwin was wrong.

Martin

[PatrickW]

Except for what Karen said about smothering grass taking longer, which isn't necessarily true, I would certainly agree that all of this is subject to different interpretations as well as climates and philosophies. It all comes down to what you want to do in your own garden. I think I take pretty much the same view as Jay, I do think there is a time and place for tilling and digging, I just try to avoid it when it isn't necessary mostly to avoid the extra work. Also like Jay said this is a real can of worms that's frequently discussed.

If you want to smother grass and plant on it right away, you can use lasagne gardening methods. There are some different variations on this, but the most common approach is to put down several layers of newspaper or cardboard with compost or ordinary dirt on top, then plant directly into the top layer. You will have issues with both soil compaction and lack of nutrients the first year, so maybe for example it's best to start with something like beans. You can also plant potatoes directly onto grass using the 'lazy bed' method, which I won't get into here but you can search the Internet for it.

There are lots of other clever techniques to avoid digging that generally require less effort and work as well, if you care to take the time to search them out and try them. If you're interested in it is another story...

[mnjrutherford]

That is fascinating Martin! I would never have thought that earthworms were an invasive species. I was shocked when I learned the same of honey bees. Honey bees have only been in our continent for about 500 years. When did the worms get here and why?

[bunkie]

i agreee pretty much with patrick and jay also.

whenever we are readying to disturb a piece of the garden by hand digging or tilling, etc..., i go out to that spot beforehand, and tell, mentally, the worms to move away from the area for a bit so they won't get hurt...then i wait for about 15 minutes, then get to work. i believe they listen to me!)

[lavandulagirl]

I've never had an issue with worm die-back in my beds, even the double dug areas. (Maybe I live at ground zero for the earthworm introduction project. ) In clay soil areas (the last two houses we've had) The worm population has increased after I've worke the soil, and added compost. At least, the visible worm population has.

As to getting rid of sod, my favorite method is to cut it and flip it over, so the roots are up. I've had less problems with it growing through my new soil/garden bed layers, then.

[mnjrutherford]

I LOVE IT! "Bunkie Gardner, Washington's Worm Whisperer".

Ya know, I'd be willing to bet a quarter that it works!

[paquebot]

Jun 4, 2009 6:04:28 GMT -5 mnjrutherford said:

That is fascinating Martin! I would never have thought that earthworms were an invasive species. I was shocked when I learned the same of honey bees. Honey bees have only been in our continent for about 500 years. When did the worms get here and why?

Common earthworms came with the potted plants, tree rootballs, and other rooted plant-life. Source for nightcrawlers has long been the sport fishing industry. Those are the ones destroying the north woods of MN, WI, and MI. 10,000 years of accumulated forest duff may vanish in a single year from a careless fisherman dumping his bait pail.

Tilling will increase the population of endogeic types of earthworms. They are the ones which feed entirely underground and are most beneficial in improving the soil structure. They feed only on organic matter within the soil. That usually can only be put there by tilling. Lacking organic matter, the worms usually die since they seldom are able to move to another area.

Anecic and epigeic types both are top feeders and do not better the soil fertility but leave their castings on the surface. (Those would be nightcrawlers and red wigglers.) Both have voracious appetites for converting organic matter into something that plants can quickly use. But man has to be the one to place it where the plants can find it.

Martin

[robertb]

Worm castings very soon get incorporated into the top layer of the soil. I do accept that many worms don't improve fertility further down though.

I'm aware that there are parts of the world where earthworms have been introduced by humans, but I've never heard anything about how they affect the local ecosystem.