Gavin

[GavinR]

Worms query

Fairly recently working an allotment bit by bit and now able to di reasonably since we've had some rain. I'm concernend for our worms. We never saw any last year but now with some donkey droppings and stuf they are BIG. While digging I worry and feel guilty that so many ge divided.

If, hypothetically, there are 100 worms in a bed when I start to di and, when I've dug it, every worm is chopped in two, how many worm would there be in the near future? Is it zero because all die or i its 200 'cos tails and heads grow new bits or the same number (100 because pointy ends grow new tails but the tails die (or vice versa) o something else?

I think I like worms because I read that they 'do the digging for you (up to 1% or 2% of it, perhaps, based on the performance of ours last months to September)

-- GavinR

[Snooze]

It depends on the earthworm species, some can, in general they can regrow a new tail, a few can regrow a new head, and in theory create 2 new worms. The few that you dig up and accidently cut are a tiny fraction of the total worms on the property, so i wouldn't worry about feeling guilty.

Worms do all kinds of good things for the soil, their tunnels soften the soil, and bring water and air further into the soil. Worm castings (poop) is a good source of nitrogen. Worms bring surface leaf litter further into the subsoil, and other things that would be impractical or impossible for a human to replicate.

-S

[GavinR]

Many thanks for info Snooze. I shall sleep better now. I just went t Wikipedia and I see there's enough there to do a Masters in worms (5,50 kinds of earthworm) so perhpas I'll be up all night studying now.

; if interested. Gavi

-- GavinR