Do rototillers kill worms?

[sixdogs]

It's a tough question but do large rototillers kill earthworms by chopping them into little pieces?
I have a six ft tiller I use to chop up and bury standing sweet corn stalks and residue. It takes two passes going slow at 540RPM and I don't till very deep.
I never thought about it but am I pulverizing the worms along with everything else? If I was, I suppose I could try to leave strips untilled every given number of feet?
Anyone have any ideas about this?

 

[johnrex62]

Yes, you are killing worms. I wouldn't get overly worked up about it, there are lots more that will come in to the loose soil to replace them. Leaving santuary strips will save some worms, but only those not in your tilled areas. I do not know what depth your worms will be resting in or where they will be moving when the vibrations from the tiller begin.

My advice would be to feed your surviving worms well and keep the population high enough to withstand your periodic genocide.

 

[Haywire]

I wish they would kill moles.. I'd buy 2.

 

[D33r3 6r33N]

I noticed a definite decline in the number of worms after I used my new tiller last year. It is reverse rotate so I don't know if that makes any difference or not. I plan on leaving untilled strips in mine this year also. Partly because the tiller leaves it so fluffy it feels like you are walking across a mattress, and the mulch will much less muddy.

 

[Onthesauk]

If you've got worms, you've got egg casings for worms. If the ground is rich, they will be replaced. Have read somewhere that there are worm egg casings everywhere on earth.

 

[Don87]

When a worm is cut in half, the tail dies, the front part will grow a new tail.

 

[bilrus61]

When a worm is cut in half, the tail dies, the front part will grow a new tail.

Are you sure about that???

Anyhow if your tilling shallow most worms will be too deep for the tiller to reach. If your soil has humus for them to consume they will bounce back pretty fast. Worms move around pretty good. Much more so than folks think. Tilling under food will make them move in and eat just like folks do at Outback.:confused2:

 

[mjncad]

"Do rototillers kill worms?" sounds like the beginning of a GEICO TV ad.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

"Do rototillers kill worms?"

If they don't , you need a bigger tractor

 

[Skyco]

Uh oh....here comes PETE with their protests....

 

[Haywire]

People Eating Tasty Earthworms? Yuk!

 

[Don87]

Are you sure about that???

Anyhow if your tilling shallow most worms will be too deep for the tiller to reach. If your soil has humus for them to consume they will bounce back pretty fast. Worms move around pretty good. Much more so than folks think. Tilling under food will make them move in and eat just like folks do at Outback.:confused2:

I'm positive:

Earthworm Regeneration

 

[Don87]

People Eating Tasty Earthworms? Yuk!

I think Skyco may have meant 'PETA'

 

[WM75Guy]

I am a member of PETA

People Eating Tasty Animals

 

[Skyco]

PETA has a branch, PETE.....People for the Ethical Treatment of Earthworms.

I once raised my own earthworms under the house in a box of "worm bedding"....it is pretty easy to make more....

 

[RalphVa]

They pulverize the soil, removing and killing many worms and nematodes, but also destroy the worm and nematode air and water circulation cavities. I've made raised rows and just mulch them, no till. Used my soil ripper once to destroy the mess I had and used disc hillers once to create better, more uniform raised rows. These implements are now stored until who knows when.

Ralph

 

[RalphVa]

PETA - People Eating Tasty Animals.

Ralph

 

[sixdogs]

Let me describe exactly what I do a little better.

The tiller is set to go maybe two or three inches deep and I drive in first gear (Kub L4300) over two rows at a time to chop--- and bury-- to some degree. I then reverse direction and skim the surface again. The tilling is done immediately after I pick the corn since it works best if the corn is green and the clay ground is bone dry.

Now, because a tiller can form a "hardpan" in clay, I bring a heavy shank ripper through on a 75HP tractor and make two passes to rip down about 12 inches deep and shatter the pan. I may do this right away or, if no heavy rain is forecast wait a week or two. The stalks are in little pieces and some of that trash is brought to the surface.

Now, something is going on---and I never really paid attention or thought about it-- but maybe that year or the next year it's as though I farmed worms and I have a huge number of them.
I mean, I have to be chopping some or most of them but I don't understand what's going on. I have to chop the stalks to shred the trash. Any comments welcome.

 

[Ford850]

My thoughts on your method:
-You are tilling when it is very dry, so most worms are not at the surface. They are down deeper looking for moisture.
-You are only tilling a couple of inches deep so you are not getting to the worms anyway.
-You are tilling at a slow speed so the worms are feeling the vibrations coming and are going deeper before you hit their area.
-You're adding orgainic matter to the top couple inches, and that along with the moisture in it is attracting and supporting better worm health.

 

[Agrantina]

NOt to be a smart a%& about worms but what do they do that is so special? I understand that they aerate the ground but what else do they do? Really they have not done anything to me so you guys are really making me feel guilty- I was so happy with new tiller purchase now I am affraid of using it..

AndyG