Fed up with the garden

[masseyrider]

If it would dry out enough I would disk everything under. Rained like crazy again last night. Not long, but enough to keep things wet.
Like wholly crap Batman.

 

[LouNY]

I just read this thread today. A lot of interesting reads.
I don't grow a garden anymore with no kids at home to help maintain one and too much to do without one.
Just imagine all you gardeners if the production from your gardens had to feed and cloth your children and pay all the taxes and provide you with some income!!!!!!!!
Now your farming!!!!!

 

[ning]

I just read this thread today. A lot of interesting reads.
I don't grow a garden anymore with no kids at home to help maintain one and too much to do without one.
Just imagine all you gardeners if the production from your gardens had to feed and cloth your children and pay all the taxes and provide you with some income!!!!!!!!
Now your farming!!!!!

 

[CalG]

My wife made Pesto today. The entire house filled with the fresh basil fragrance. Even with the windows wide open to the breeze.
Not sure what is going to happen with the Asian Jumping worm thing. They are everywhere, In big numbers. It's getting creepy.

 

[Yander]

My wife made Pesto today. The entire house filled with the fresh basil fragrance. Even with the windows wide open to the breeze.
Not sure what is going to happen with the Asian Jumping worm thing. They are everywhere, In big numbers. It's getting creepy.

you need some chickens or ducks. They would put the hurt on them.

 

[Jstpssng]

you need some chickens or ducks. They would put the hurt on them.

They say it’s a bad idea. The jumping worms store heavy metals, which the chickens will pass on to humans.

 

[ning]

They say it’s a bad idea. The jumping worms store heavy metals, which the chickens will pass on to humans.

I'd imagine you don't want them to be a large portion of the diet, but eating what's there as part of the entire diet wouldn't be any different than them eating other earthworms?

If your soil has heavy metals, probably not a good idea, but otherwise should be fine. Get your soil tested.

 

[CalG]

you need some chickens or ducks. They would put the hurt on them.

We were talking about ducks at the supper table. But word has it (University extension service commentary) that birds and even lizards spit them out.

Still,..... maybe geese, surely pigs ;-)

 

[CalG]

I'd imagine you don't want them to be a large portion of the diet, but eating what's there as part of the entire diet wouldn't be any different than them eating other earthworms?

If your soil has heavy metals, probably not a good idea, but otherwise should be fine. Get your soil tested.

Big thing is there are SO freaking many! A shovel turned shallow anywhere in the woods or lawn will have a dozen of the dang things squirming every which way. And they run quickly.
If birds got into them, a four foot square would be a pound of worms I'm guessing.
I take them out of the compost (hand picked! ;-) in gallon buckets. Drowned in soapy water.

I'm looking for a magic bullet, but as they are all around for miles, I have no assumption that my local activities will have any useful results. They all die in winter, only to hatch out from "cocoons" in spring to start all over. Maybe if we get a dry year, they will not prosper so.

The castings do make nice dark soil, but not sure how it analyzes. It makes pulling weeds a breeze! Loose and crumbly. Plays all heck with mulching though.

 

[Jstpssng]

Big thing is there are SO freaking many! A shovel turned shallow anywhere in the woods or lawn will have a dozen of the dang things squirming every which way. And they run quickly.
If birds got into them, a four foot square would be a pound of worms I'm guessing.
I take them out of the compost (hand picked! ;-) in gallon buckets. Drowned in soapy water.

I'm looking for a magic bullet, but as they are all around for miles, I have no assumption that my local activities will have any useful results. They all die in winter, only to hatch out from "cocoons" in spring to start all over. Maybe if we get a dry year, they will not prosper so.

The castings do make nice dark soil, but not sure how it analyzes. It makes pulling weeds a breeze! Loose and crumbly. Plays all heck with mulching though.

“They” say that the worms extract all of the nutrients, and leave the soil susceptible to erosion.