2018 Annual Running of the Worms

[flowerbug]

Did anyone dissect a worm in high school? I did and it was fascinating. Also a fetal pig and that led me to dissecting other things along the way...most recently a gopher snake that I accidentally killed in some netting a few years ago. I froze it and then dissected it in front of a Grand and my niece. Interesting.

no, the year i had biology in high school the budget for the school was so bad they didn't have money for things to dissect. i'm not sure why you needed a smelly preserved specimen anyways. it would have been much more interesting if we'd had a chance to go out and collect something and then they would show us how to prepare it for dissection, but that didn't happen. i was so bored in high school i took every science class i could, even the weather/geology class that was toned down for the kids that were not going to college. i repeated electronics and the teacher was also the chemistry teacher so instead of having me sit through the lectures again he had me making up the unknowns for his chemistry class.

all of which has very little to do with worms...

i think all living creatures are interesting, but i am not fond of getting my hands into the insides of animals and the smells definitely put me off. funny, i can be fine cooking and such, but have a definite squeamish streak in some regards. i know i can do it if i have to as i've cleaned plenty of fish. just don't want to.

 

[flowerbug]

I did, and managed to get thru it.

I remember rinsing the fetal pig again and again before leaving it to my lab partner. Couldn't get past the formaldehyde!

The earth worm is one of the reasons I like both burying compostables directly into garden beds and having permanent paths. When I dig out a bed every couple of years, I disturb worm habitat. If they have burrowed under the paths, they are safe.

Steve

have you ever looked at the different kinds of worms you find to see if you can tell them apart? we have this worm which is often down deeper in the soil and it's very pale and almost greenish white in color, it's very stark in contrast to the more lighter pink earthworms and the more reddish compost worms that are more near the surface.

i like to bury stuff down somewhat deeper in spots in the gardens because it does help give them a place to hide out when the weather gets hotter and dry.

i know it helps because when i dig up these spots later i often find worms in there. before when i would dig in the gardens there'd be no earthworms at all.

now it is very rare that i redig an entire garden. i may prong it or loosen the soil in spots where i'm planting a row, but don't till or turn the whole thing.

 

[digitS']

Might come across this one ..

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Palouse_earthworm

.. but I never have .

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

Might come across this one ..

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Palouse_earthworm

.. but I never have .

Steve

yeah, those could do a good job of improving drainage in heavy clay soils...