[AlaninCarlisle]

I've noticed a massive increase in small earthworms. Many would say this is good news and indicates the soil is in good heart but there's a downside to this. Almost everything I harvest (leeks, cabbage, lettuce, celery are typical examples) needs to be carefully dissected to remove small (about 1 - 2 inches long) earthworms. We find them everywhere - they even manage to climb up into buckets and watering cans.

Is there a simple cause and therefore an easy solution? We never find earthworms in supermarket food, so why in mine?

[Kleftiwallah]

The presence of earthworms are a very good indicator of the presence in the soil of vegetable matter and the overall good condition of the earth.   Consider yourself very lucky as their tunnels will ensure there is a good air supply round the roots and the soil remains friable.    Clearing them from your veggies is a small price to pay.   

Supermarket veggies don't have earthweorms because there are no earthworms in the soil.  It's all chemicals and not 'composted material'.       Cheers,     Tony.

[viettaclark]

You obviously have a worm nirvana garden!
Is your soil full of humus or have you got trees? Also it shows you haven't got many worm predators such as birds and frogs. Are your beds netted? Got cats?
Supermarket veg is grown using nasty chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides.
I think I prefer the baby worms! They wash out easy enough.
I dug up some parsnips today and there were loads wriggling about.......and the soil was beautiful and crumbly.
Worm bolognaise, anyone?

[AlaninCarlisle]

Yes, the soil gets a lavish helping of well-rotted horse manure every year plus home-made compost, so I suppose in terms of green ecology we're doing OK. It's just all those damned little worms that seem to get everywhere. I've even picked them off the glass panels on the back door

[viettaclark]

They're swarming......

[savbo]

climbing like that, they could be brandlings...good for the compost heap.

[aelf]

climbing like that, they could be brandlings...good for the compost heap.

I agree, brandlings live in and eat rotting organic matter (like compost and manure) so if your plot is well manured, you will have loads of them 

[rainie]

Hello.I'm currently supplying a couple of people on the local allotment with a weeks supply of  horse muck each week. Their soil has no worms at all. They do have hedgehogs and birds there. Am hoping if they dig the muck in over this winter they will somehow create better soil and therefore worms. 

Maybe if you have worms in abundance you could recycle a few to less fortunate lottie neighbours?