• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Worm Friendly Seed Starting

 
pollinator
Posts: 384
Location: Zone 8b Portland
73
3
forest garden fungi food preservation
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I know this might be taking things a little too far. I brought in some compost today from the bin to start my seeds. When I started putting the compost into the seed trays I noticed that every square inch contained many worms. I felt a little uneasy knowing I was killing hundreds of worms to start my seeds off. Do you have any ideas about how I could make this process a little more worm friendly? My only thought has been to keep a small cup and collect the worms as I find them. Then take them back to the bin when I'm finished. I appreciate the amazing job the worms do with my compost. Thanks for your ideas!

Side note - Compost seems to not get that damping off mold like miracle grow seed starting mix or any other mix for that matter. My seeds really love it!
 
steward
Posts: 3999
Location: Wellington, New Zealand. Temperate, coastal, sandy, windy,
115
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I feel your pain Chris! I pass my comost through a drum sieve before using for seedlings, so I'm actually squashing and abrading the poor sods to death
I just chuck them onto the garden in the hope that they'll join the rest of their compost worm friends under the mulch, or get eaten by the birds as payment for their insect patrols.
While it feels a bit brutal, I know there's a zillion more breeding right now in the bin.
If I wasn't sieving the compost, I think I'd just leave them in. Worms only eat decaying stuff, so the seeds are fine.
 
Well don't expect me to do the dishes! This ad has been cleaned for your convenience:
heat your home with yard waste and cardboard
https://freeheat.info
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic