At Highlands CC, Earthworms are a challenging part of fairway maintenance. While they are a sign of a healthy soil, their castings (look at the last photo) are a headache, creating "muddy" fairways. During periods of rain, which is often in Highlands, the problem is even worse. There are no pesticides labeled for earthworm control since they are such benficial organisms. Therefore, we rely on products that are known to irritate their skin, causing them to seek refuge elsewhere. One product that recently came available is an organic fertilizer known as Early bird. Perhaps it is called this because it gets the worm! We tried this last fall and I am trying it again this spring. The 3rd fairway is my initial test plot and I will expand from there. This fertilizer is very expensive at over $60 for a 50 lb bag! The rate to acheive 4-5 weeks of earthworm control is 6lbs/1000ft. This means it would take about 150 lbs to treat #3, or $180 every 4 weeks. Let's hope this offers some suppression.
Below, the dreaded earthworm castings!
