|
| Greetings,
This is my very first post and I promise I've tried to find an answer to this all over. I have a 100' x 100' garden containing 18 raised beds. My soil is clay-based. Last year, we tilled some sand into some of the worst beds. This year, I had a serious hand injury and did not plant any veggies because I would not be able to weed and preserve due an upcoming surgery. I am, however, able to work on the soil. I have fresh cow/horse manure from our winter pasture/shelter that I'd like to put on the beds. I'm thinking of tilling the manure into the soil and cover the soil with biodegradable paper to prevent weeds. On top of the paper, I'd like to put hay and let all that rest until next spring when I will till again. Does this sound like a good plan? As I was shoveling the manure into my wagon, I found white curl grubs. I'm so confused as to whether these are beneficial or not based on my internet search. For what I plan to do, would the grubs be ok to have in the manure I place in my garden? Thanks for your help!!! |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| I have found grubs, the larva of several beetles, in the manures, boh fresh and well aged, that I have spread. I did pick out as many as I could and fed them to the birds. Those grubs feed on the organic matter in the soil, and they may be at the stage they are changing into the adult beetles so may not be much of a concern, now. |
|
| Your plan sounds good to me, incorporate manure into the soil, cover for weed control. I would not worry at all about the grubs. If they are in manure they most likely don't eat plant material. They probably would be benificial if they survive the tilling. However, my comment is related to your garden boxes. I figure that, among other benefits, one of the main points to garden boxes is that you can put whatever substrate/soil you want into them so that you don't have to use the soil you have. If I had clay I would have put loam or even a soil less substrate into my boxes. A friend of mine uses only a 50/50 mixture of peat moss and dried cow pies collected from the pasture with no soil at all in his boxes. As the peat and manure breaks down he just adds a new layer, so no tilling. His garden grows great! |
|
| When I had raw or not yet composted coffee waste in my garden, it was full of these grubs, never had a problem with them, not even on my fig trees(I have four kinds of figs). I Have ten kinds of fruit( email for a List)& not one problem with the adult beetles. The grubs are as good as earthworms, in my beds of raw coffee waste,I spread & till the coffee into the bed in the Fall.Well i did, now most of my 10 ton(that I have left) of coffee waste is composted. I do have some earthworms, but they do not like the Southern heat, with out shade. My garden gets shade about 5:00 pm till sun rise. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Green Fruit Beetle or compost grub
|
| In small numbers in your soil those grubs, the larva of various scarab beetles, are not of much concern, usually less then 5 per square foot. However, in large numbers, more than 10 per square foot, they can be which is why some people spend tons of money every year to try to eradicate them. I am not sure I would put these grubs in the same category as earthworms. |
|
- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Thu, Jun 28, 12 at 10:30
| Yeah, it all depends on the numbers and whether you see damage in garden or lawn. IMHO the tendency of many gardeners (present co. excepted) to kill everything they see is literally overkill. There has to be some life to have a healthy ecosystem. I've had some orange headed white grubs in my soil every since I moved in 20 yrs ago, but never any evidence that they're responsible for major problems, so I let them be. Birds love em tho and since they are probably Japanese beetles I pick em out when I dig and throw them out for the birds. |
|
| These grubs do NOT eat roots or living plants, only composted matter. The Japanese Beetle, which looks like, but are not the same grub, eats grasses root & is the grub that people spend tons of money on. As for Green Fruit Beetles up against earthworms from Europe. The grubs will work compost in the heat of the Summer, when the earthworms wimp out for deep shade. So I will put them above the earth worms, regardless what the paper pusher print in their Studies. I know first hand what these beetle have done all Spring & Summer long. This is not the first time some garden snob has made fun of the compost grubs, but they do the work, when pill bugs,slugs,snail,earth worms are all hiding in the shade. Yes this is (IMO) from first hand Knowledge, the best compost I have ever had. |
|
- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Fri, Jun 29, 12 at 12:45
| I don't see any snobbery in this thread, but I've certainly learned a few things about grubs and beetles here. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Soil Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.