Pest Management Science, 75, 2071-2078.In 2021 I moved to a rural setting and soon realized my survival gardening skills had big gaps. Ecology and management of earthworm casting on sports turf. Reference:īoyle, P.E., Richardson, M.D., Savin, M.C., Karcher, D.E., & Potter, D.A.
For more information, check out our article “ Managing Earthworm Casts on Golf Courses” or reach out to me. If these products are not part of your turf care program, waiting until castings are dry to mow or blow them off playing surfaces will make cleanup much easier and less damaging to the turf and mowers. It’s worth noting that if saponin-based fertilizers are used, be ready for a rapid cleanup since some golfers may find worms on the turf surface objectionable. Controlling pest pressure and promoting turf growth with these types of products during peak earthworm casting periods can be an effective strategy. However, fungicides containing thiophanate-methyl, some insecticides and saponin-based fertilizers have secondary effects that can help reduce the number of earthworms feeding at the surface. Currently, there are no pesticides labeled for use on earthworms. Over the years, many people have thought that sand topdressing would discourage earthworms from feeding at the surface and subsequently leaving a casting when they were done, but some researchers have found this not to be the case (Boyle, et al., 2019).Ĭhemical control products that worked well many years ago are no longer available or allowed.
Based on observations during recent USGA Course Consulting Service visits in the Pacific Northwest, we have hit the seasonal sweet spot for earthworm surface feeding.įor decades, superintendents all over the world have been looking for the magic bullet to control earthworm castings. In winter and summer, when soil temperatures are too cold or too hot – i.e., below 50 degrees F or above 68 degrees F – earthworms move deeper into the soil profile and rarely come to the surface to feed. In most parts of the country, there is typically heavy earthworm casting activity for one to two months each spring and fall.
While earthworms are desirable in many horticultural situations, having an abundance of them in closely mown areas on a golf course causes problems. When smashed by foot, cart or mower traffic, the casts smear and cause turf thinning. Castings interfere with ball roll and mowing. Abundant earthworm castings and high-quality turf conditions are mutually exclusive.
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