Worms to improve soil and drainage

[eyup]

Hi all

I have begun to look at using the option of worms to help improve our garden soil and drainage. The garden we inherited from the previous owners (elderly), while being maintained, has had little or no real consideration or work resulting in what I suspect is a very compacted soil which is not helping the drainage situation. In wet weather as now, some areas are extremely wet and hold water for a number of days, much of which lies on the surface. A full working/digging etc of soil is not an option and longer term I am to consider some drainage pipes for the worst areas but would adding earthworm at this time help? Would it be wise this time of year or wait till another season?

Any success stories or down sides I should consider?
Thank you. Any help appreciated

 

[gregers]

wouldnt bother,as there soon drown.

 

[Deleted2797112]

If your soil is so compacted, worms aren't going to make a significant difference. And it's the wrong time of year anyway. They go deeper and hibernate in winter. I have a wormery and it has to go under cover in the winter or they freeze to death (they're mostly water). They're very inactive at this time of year.

Is this area grass or flowerbeds? Spiking a lawn and brushing in sand will help open up the structure. Forking over/ rotavating and digging in organic matter is the solution for planting areas. I think you're looking for a quick fix that doesn't exist.

 

[r896neo]

hollow core aeration and the top dressing with sand as ceres said is the best bet short of digging it up and installing drainage.

That said aeration will help relieve compaction and improve the lawn rootzone but it will have no effect on your subsoil which if very heavy clay will be the reason for your water problems

 

[pinenot]

Evidence shows that worms are indeed the best aerators for soil, creating a multitude of tiny holes which has been natures drainage for a very long time. But you don't add the worms, you add the food on top of the soil that generates the worm population.
Here's a link I think you and anybody else looking, might want to check out - http://www.vaderstad.com/uk/know-how/let-nature-do-the-work/earthworms

I met up with a guy (he owned a stone working company by day, M. T.) and he ran a worm factory, big business by all account, in the Highlands of Scotland, where drainage is an issue! and he told me he was in the worm business because these little beasties did the job better than any mechanical ideas, which simply don't work (check out most new housing sites where the soil's been lifted and replaced as gardens , biggest complaint land drainage, even though the land prior to mechanical shifting was very arable) the difference lack of worm holes...pinenot

 

[eyup]

Thank you all.

 

[Deleted2797112]

Evidence shows that worms are indeed the best aerators for soil, creating a multitude of tiny holes which has been natures drainage for a very long time. But you don't add the worms, you add the food on top of the soil that generates the worm population.
Here's a link I think you and anybody else looking, might want to check out - http://www.vaderstad.com/uk/know-how/let-nature-do-the-work/earthworms[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't argue at all that earthworms are good for your soil but I don't see how the process suggested in that link for agricultural land can be translated into a domestic garden situation. Most of us don't practice crop rotation and don't have the space, or indeed the inclination, to let our garden lie fallow then sow green manure crops year after year. And even if we did, it would take several years to achieve anything approaching the desired effect.

That article points out that compaction is the enemy of the earthworm so it's a chicken and egg situation. In the OP's place, my approach would be to remove the compaction by the means previously mentioned and the earthworms will follow along and continue the good work.