go to fish and tackle and buy a couple of cartons of worms. Poke a hole in the ground for each one and put them in. don't cover them, just let them find their way.

This is how my mom started her composting pile.

 

if you improve the soil it will attract them as well.

compost worms and soil worms are different. There are three main types of worms. Some live in compostables, some in soil and some live in a deeper soil level. They cannot live outside of the soil in which they are used to living. Red worms are composting worms.

If you do a search on this forum on vermiculture, you will find a few interesting threads.

in my experience, once I started amending my soil and it became healthier, I started seeing more worms. We live in almost pure sand so, we have added literally tons of stuff to the dirt here and now, we get wiggly worms digesting and workin the dirt all over!

It is a beautiful thing to watch neglected land become fertile. everyone of those worms is like a pat on the back.

 

interesting, I didn't know that. My mom used her composting pile to generate more worms for her turtles, who were big worm eaters.

Someday I hope to have a little yard so I can garden and compost. Here where I live they give free classes on how to compost.
Thanks for the info!

Quote:

Originally posted by Chanley compost worms and soil worms are different. There are three main types of worms. Some live in compostables, some in soil and some live in a deeper soil level. They cannot live outside of the soil in which they are used to living. Red worms are composting worms.

 

pretty neat isnt it??

I have taken some workshops for farmers on vermiculture and a professor was teaching it. What he knew about worms...

They are really facinating. Did you know that the worms you get at the bait store are NOT native and some of them have nearly wiped out native worm populations??

The ones we know commonly today are from Europe and were brought over in cans of soil by immigrant farmers who knew thier importance. In fact up north, some of the local biosystems in forests are being destroyed by the non-native worm colonies. THey push up so much soil that many of the rare, native plants are being uprooted and it is destroying the forest floor.

fascinating stuff....

 

Thanks for the info! I was digging in my compost pile (my tiny compost pile) and found a huge red worm! I was so excited! If my pathetic little compost pile can attact some nice worms, there is hope for our garden. I dug our first garden bed and added some compost. Hope the wormies come by the time we begin planting our first crops.