Kitchen Garden Forum

I never got a reply from Wigglywigglers to my query about brandling worms and earth worms but I am getting a book from Father Christmas (you see, if you believe in him, he really does bring you prezzies!) about worms so I'll let you know when I know.
But my new question is: when digging recently I came across some short but rather flat not round worms and I am just hoping it's not that New Zealand flatworm, devourer of our local worms. Does anybody know whether these are now nationwide, that is, even here in the frozen north, or are they just very local down south?

Hi Monika,

I am sorry to say but we have them on Merseyside How bad it is I am not sure.


Regards

Kevin

I had a look at the DEFRA website which shows the New Zealand flatworm from several angles and iI don't think the worms I saw were them!!! The NZ flatworm seems to have a sort of edge all along its body whereas mine were smooth all round, though flattened in shape.
Hard luck, Kevin, that you have them, so they are obviously about in the north, too!

We have some flattened worms in Staffordshire: normal size with round heads and flattened middle body. Seem normal otherwise.

As far as red composting worms are concerned, my experience is that if you start a compost heap on bare earth, the red worms will eventually find your heap. And then propagate. And how!

In the summer, they congregate around the top edge of our black plastic composting bin covers: enough for several handfuls...

Those brandling worms are amazing. I can understand them finding a compost heap on soil but what I don't understand is how they can find a carrier bag with kitchen peelings in it which has been standing on concrete for a couple of weeks.

I had a very interesting book for Christmas: "Compost" by Clare Foster, but it still does not explain what happens to the brandling worms when they are spread on the beds with the compost! Maybe I'll never find out now.

I'm sure you lot are going to think i'm mad but i was talking to somebody about worms turning up in funny places, and he told me he was not surprised as it can rain worms, he was convinced it did, as he was always getting worms in the bottom of his water butt, i must say i have had them in my water butt's, but surely they don't come down with the rain, do they.

Worms in your butt -painful
Seedling

Birds (feathered variety OH before you get too hopeful) dropping them?

Seedling im shocked.

Peter it could be the farm girls climbing in my bedroom window with their muddy boots on.

Hi OH,
Even an old man can have his dreams!!
JB.

Dear Johnboy dreams can make life so much more fun.

I put half a melon or similar in the bin and it fills with worms which I then return to the empty bin. I've been known to buy tiger worms from the fishing shop to add to a new bin.

I'm afraid that over here in N Ireland we DO have flatworms -on the upside, the local wildlife seems to be eating them : : at leat they don't seem to have taken over