Haywire
Veteran Member
People Eating Tasty Earthworms? Yuk!
Do rototillers kill worms?
- Thread starter sixdogs
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Don87
Elite Member
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
Elite Member
WM75Guy
Elite Member
I am a member of PETA
People Eating Tasty Animals
People Eating Tasty Animals
RalphVa
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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
Ralph
RalphVa
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PETA - People Eating Tasty Animals.
Ralph
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sixdogs
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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.
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.
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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.
-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
Platinum Member
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
AndyG