Soil Conditioner
for Control of worm casting
for Control of worm casting
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Soil Conditioner
Control of Worm Casts x
WORMS There are some 28 species of worm found in UK soil of which only four are of the casting variety. They are surface feeders and the ones that can spoil the playing surface leaving patches of bare soil after mowing. Casting worms do aerate the lawn but can also cause extensive disruption to the playing surface. In extreme circumstances burrowing animals such as moles and badgers can destroy huge areas of turf in their search for worms. Until now pesticides have been the only effective method of control but these have been withdrawn from the market and are no longer available. However, new methods of controlling worms have evolved and do not require the application of pesticides. In essence the maintenance programme must address the rootzone condition and convert it into an environment that is not favoured by casting worms. The objective isn't to kill worms, just to persuade them to go elsewhere. The most economic approach is to incorporate a root zone conditioner into the annual maintenance programme. It should be applied before significant rain in Spring and Autumn. From trial and error, it seems that at least 15mm of rain or irrigation is necessary for success. However, this could vary with different soil types. From my experience, too much rain doesn't matter. After 40mm (1 1/2") fell in one hour, the product worked perfectly. In view of the cost, the method that I favour is to spot treat areas where there are casts. |
