Worms Archives - Kitchen Garden Magazine

Improving your soil

22nd April 2020 Shannon Butcher Tips and Advice

Having good soil is the foundation to producing successful crops. You can get a feel for what your soil type is like by squeezing a handful. Does it stay together, moulded in a solid lump, or is it crumbly? The first type may mean it is aclay soil and this can mean aheavy soil that is slow to warm up…

Ten facts about nematodes

14th April 2020 Steve Ott Tips and Advice

Nematodes are microscopic worms found naturally in the soil which can be applied to tackle different pests To mark the 25th anniversary of Nemaslug, here are ten amazing things about nematodes: · Nematode means ‘thread like’ in Greek. They were first identified in 1758 and there are around 25,000 known species, although there could be over a million. · Visible…

Worms you don’t want

30th August 2018 Steve Ott News

The invasive New Zealand flatworm is entrenched in the north of the country, and slithering south. Gaby Bartai talks to the research team who are on its track By the time you find your first New Zealand flatworm, it’s too late. Lurking under stones, planks or pots, they keep a low profile, but they are impossible to eradicate and their…

Go wild for worms!

24th April 2018 Steve Ott News

Learn how you can help your garden worms to thrive Gardeners are being urged to create a more welcoming habitat for worms in this year’s Wild About Gardens challenge from the RHS and The Wildlife Trusts – Go Wild for Worms. The UK has 29 species of worm, and they are vital for good soil structure and fertility, turning the…

Fun, frogs and slow worms!

8th November 2017 Steve Ott Blog

Nicky & Sarah & The Jet Guerillas are a gardening group based in West Sussex, formed to improve their local community through gardening We have a small allotment not far from where we live in Shoreham By Sea. We were given the keys by a lovely lady called Pat who runs the allotment site. Our plot sits to the side…

Help track the New Zealand flatworm

15th August 2017 Steve Ott News

Scientists are asking gardeners to help them discover how far the New Zealand flatworm has spread in the UK… …and what effect it is having on the environment. Introduced on imported plant material in the 1960s, the New Zealand flatworm eats our native earthworms, which are essential to healthy soils and food chains. The survey, which is being coordinated by…

Help to dig up soil secrets

2nd November 2016 Steve Ott Tips and Advice

The autumn relaunch of the Earthworm Watch survey is aiming to inspire gardeners to record the biodiversity beneath their feet. A national citizen science project being conducted by Earthwatch Institute and the Natural History Museum in association with the Earthworm Society of Britain, it has involved gardeners, families and schoolchildren in recording soil properties and undertaking worm counts in urban…

Watch out for worms!

2nd June 2016 Steve Ott Tips and Advice

Gardeners are being asked to sign up to Earthworm Watch Gardeners are being asked to sign up to Earthworm Watch, a citizen science survey organised by Earthwatch, the Natural History Museum and the Earthworm Society of Britain. It’s well known that earthworms increase soil fertility and carbon storage by mixing in dead plant material. However, data about earthworms is severely…