[tode]

I cant help wondering what effect rotavators have on the worms. When digging by hand, you cut a few in half, which supposedly doesnt kill em. But a rotavator must make mincemeat of them ?
Won't it end with no worms left?
Any ideas?

[fekq]

we rotavate autumn and spring and are very wormy

[pushrod]

I cant help wondering what effect rotavators have on the worms. When digging by hand, you cut a few in half, which supposedly doesnt kill em. But a rotavator must make mincemeat of them ?
Won't it end with no worms left?
Any ideas?

Urban myth - cut 'em in half and they die. Loose soil with a high humus content and the survivors will quickly repopulate.

[Paul Plots]

Minced worms is a worry but - as has been said - adding compost or laying it on the surface very soon lightens the soil and replenishes the worm population. I guess some of them are deeper down in the soil than the rotovator blades can reach.... either that or they hear the machine coming and scarper!!

[peterjf]

you could always rotavate at a slower speed to give the critters a fighting chance , lol ,

[Paul Plots]

you could always rotavate at a slower speed to give the critters a fighting chance , lol ,

My old Howard 200 doesn't go that fast to start with - mind you it does try to escape at the end of rows unless you are quick off the mark either turning or taking it out of gear!

[tode]

The way our soil packs down, you'd have to give them a months notice to leave 
Last year we were in such a hurry to get started, we didnt add any compost at all. This year will try to get as much in as possible.

[Aidy]

As my mate Shaun would say, they hear it coming and duck they little heads.

[Paul Plots]

Compost, compost, compost - worms and rotovators love it!!

It's gradually turing my new half-plot clay-pit into reasonable soil. 

[Zippy]

There is the no-dig method where you just pile the compost on top of the plot and let the worms do their thing as they drag the good stuff down and create a good tilth for plating in.

I have tried this with both clay and sandy soil with great success as you are not upsetting the soil structure every year, though the soil is good for planting seedlings into but not so good for some finer seeds.

Saves a lot of back ache though - I haven't owned a spade for some years just a good fork and trowel.

[tode]

Great stuff compost, but last year I put a good 3 inches of council cmpost round my roses and it was catastrophic 
The stems on about 3/4 of them started going black, and the strong new growths just wilted and died away !  Lost about 6 rose bushes completely 
Looked like really good stuff, too.
So now Im putting a lot of effort into making my own, but in the meantime the new veg patch is more like concrete than than the sort of stuff that Adam the Gardener would have.
Just as well I didnt put round my blackcurrants 

[Yabba]

As my mate Shaun would say, they hear it coming and duck they little heads.

We must have some wild ones, they ride the tines!

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