Reusing your soil. What to do with the roots?

Apparently worms are super charged at composting, something to do with the bacteria or enzymes in their gut?
It's not something I know anything about other than they catch fish however I watched a documentary about worms and their benefits to gardeners, if I were composting I'd have worms in there.

PadawanWarrior said:

I got mine from Uncle Jims.

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Does it matter?

Raspberrykiwi said:

Does it matter?

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Don't buy night crawlers. You want some red wigglers.

I stumbled across this I thought it might be useful to anyone composting.
It's interesting even if you don't.

PadawanWarrior said:

Don't buy night crawlers. You want some red wigglers.

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Can you link me to the right ones? I found some but they say night crawlers

Raspberrykiwi said:

Can you link me to the right ones? I found some but they say night crawlers

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Ya, get the Red Worms.

Like these, but this is only 250. I don't know how many you need.

PadawanWarrior said:

Ya, get the Red Worms.

Composting Worms for Sale Archives

Get the best deals on live composting worms at Uncle Jim's Worm Farm! Choose from Red Wigglers and European Night Crawlers for your composting and gardening needs. Shipped with care, guaranteed live.

unclejimswormfarm.com

Like these, but this is only 250. I don't know how many you need.

250 Red Composting Worm Mix.

100% Guaranteed Live! Instructions on how to add to lawn/garden/composter Great Composting Worm Excellent Trout Fishing Worm

unclejimswormfarm.com

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Do they reproduce?

Raspberrykiwi said:

Do they reproduce?

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Yes if you keep them fed and happy.

Chronicle_02 said:

I have taken the root ball out of the soil and threw it away but there is still a lot of little pieces of root hairs in the soil. Is it ok to use it as is? And top dress on top of it? Or should i try my best and remove all the hairs of roots

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I turn my bags or buckets out roots and all. Along with males and wimpy plants or seedlings. It gets rained on. It’s reused regularly. Of course I keep it simple with nutes and use none the last couple of weeks. Or at least 10 days.

hotrodharley said:

I turn my bags or buckets out roots and all. Along with males and wimpy plants or seedlings. It gets rained on. It’s reused regularly. Of course I keep it simple with nutes and use none the last couple of weeks. Or at least 10 days.

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What do you mean, turn your bags out? Are you saying you just toss everything and buy new each time?

PadawanWarrior said:

What do you mean, turn your bags out? Are you saying you just toss everything and buy new each time?

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No. I turn the medium and stumps right out into the recycle pile. I only buy when I don’t have enough on the ground. I leave it all together. Like I said with males or culls. By Spring it’s all mulch.

Well more or less. I get the occasional spruce tree sprouting in a plant. Otherwise it’s good to go even for seedlings

PadawanWarrior said:

I'd compost it first if you can.

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Would it naturally compost it self if I leave it there for a few weeks?

As well as worms some insects springtails for example do a good job in composting, they eat dead and decaying matter and excrete nutrient.

@hotrodharley
Have you ever picked up any unwelcome guest with composting outside?

Star Dog said:

As well as worms some insects springtails for example do a good job in composting, they eat dead and decaying matter and excrete nutrient.

@hotrodharley
Have you ever picked up any unwelcome guest with composting outside?

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Just spruce tree sprouts and a weed or two. No bugs. No funguses or blight.

Getting the roots out.... Kinda funny.

If your growing in the ground and have Bermuda grass you got to get every bit out or all the bits will grow more grass.

I basically flip my soil in my buckets, root ball goes back in the bottom. Would just be stupid to throw them out.

Star Dog said:

As well as worms some insects springtails for example do a good job in composting, they eat dead and decaying matter and excrete nutrient.

@hotrodharley
Have you ever picked up any unwelcome guest with composting outside?

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So is it simple as putting some worms in the soil after I put the root ball out?

PadawanWarrior said:

Ya, get the Red Worms.

Composting Worms for Sale Archives

Get the best deals on live composting worms at Uncle Jim's Worm Farm! Choose from Red Wigglers and European Night Crawlers for your composting and gardening needs. Shipped with care, guaranteed live.

unclejimswormfarm.com

Like these, but this is only 250. I don't know how many you need.

250 Red Composting Worm Mix.

100% Guaranteed Live! Instructions on how to add to lawn/garden/composter Great Composting Worm Excellent Trout Fishing Worm

unclejimswormfarm.com

Click to expand...

How many worms would you put in a 4x4 bed?

vitalsine said:

How many worms would you put in a 4x4 bed?

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I dont know, but I feel you keep them happy they'll multiply.

PadawanWarrior said:

I dont know, but I feel you keep them happy they'll multiply.

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Word. Well, just for reference, how many did you initially put into your bed/pots? lol Just trying to get an idea of how many worms per gallon of soil or something.

HydroKid239 said:

I sift my soil and soak my perlite. Saves cash and trips to the hydro store.

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Interesting. I'll have to keep that in mind. When you say 'soak your perlite' what exactly do you mean? Separate it from the soil after sifting and put it in water?