gardenwinter
Tempe
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:02 am Post subject: Myth or Truth: Adding Worms to Your Garden |
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I've heard from some people that they believe adding worms to their garden helps the soil, I was wondering if anyone knew if there was any truth to that?
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toni
 Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11251
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:05 am Post subject: |
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Earthworms are the best, they keep the soil aerated and their castings (poop) is great fertilizer.
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To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with Spring ----
George Santayana
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gardenwinter
Tempe
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:14 am Post subject: healthy garden critters |
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That's what I was thinking but I figured I might as well double check! Any other little critters you recommend for a healthy garden?
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toni
Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11251
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:18 am Post subject: |
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Earthworms...aka. night crawlers. They can be ordered thru garden centers, online or bought at bait shops. 
I don't know if you need to find out if they will grow in your soil, but you could ask around. Contact a local college ag dept and see if they can tell you.
_________________
To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with Spring ----
George Santayana
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dooley
Texas
Posts: 5204
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:29 am Post subject: |
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There are beneficial insects but you usually add those in the spring. Ladybugs, lacewings, etc. I know in Prescott Home Depot they had them in the garden center in little bags of soil. You put it in your garden and let them hatch out. The soil in Arizona is pretty alkaline so you may want to get yours tested or buy a test kit and do it yourself. You may need soil adjustments. The garden centers can tell you about it. dooley
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gardenwinter
Tempe
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:36 am Post subject: |
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I'll probably have to get a test kit, my backyard is very different from most of the dry desert backyards... some how it's managed to grow an enormous pine tree haha.. so hopefully I can still get some of those critters to adapt. I wonder if it will be to hot and dry here for them though?
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dooley
Texas
Posts: 5204
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:47 am Post subject: |
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Check your home depot and see if they sell them. It was hot and dry in Prescott and they sold them. We always had ladybugs in Mayer and Black Canyon City.
dooley
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Jewell
Regular Plants Contributor
Puget Sound Region of the Pacific NW (Washington State, US)
Posts: 1590
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 5:04 am Post subject: |
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I don't know if this would be true for Texas and the hot southwest, but in my garden a real worm magnet is leaves (leaf mold). The more leaves I can collect the more the worms multiple in them. There is something about moist leaves that really encourages worms.
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~Jewell
If a you have but two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one to sustain your life, and a flower with the other to give you a reason to live. ~Chinese Proverb
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gardenwinter
Tempe
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 11:08 am Post subject: |
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Great, I'll have to head to the bait shop for some worms. Might have to take a few hours off for fishing though 
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toni
Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11251
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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| gardenwinter wrote: | | Great, I'll have to head to the bait shop for some worms. Might have to take a few hours off for fishing though |
Fish emulsion is a good plant fertilizer
_________________
To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with Spring ----
George Santayana
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gardenwinter
Tempe
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 11:21 pm Post subject: |
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Very nice, not that there's much of a fishing environment here in Tempe, AZ. It should be called Carping out here haha.
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dooley
Texas
Posts: 5204
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| Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 2:04 am Post subject: |
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Now, what's wrong with Tempe Town Lake.
dooley
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gardenwinter
Tempe
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 2:05 am Post subject: |
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It's a very dirty lake, I barely let my dog swim in it. I mean I could definitely fish it, but I wouldn't want to eat anything out of there. Haha
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dooley
Texas
Posts: 5204
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| Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 2:23 am Post subject: |
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It's really not a lake at all. It was a wide spot in the Salt River where they put a rubberized liner and built a dam to catch some water for it. It's supposed to bring in tourist. It's been a laugh since day one. dooley
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