Ugh, another reason to avoid store bought compost

No_Such_Reality 10/27/2017, 3:55 pm

Last weekend I topped off the new raised wall planting bed. Having run out of my homemade compost to mix with the soil, I supplemented with some local store bought 'garden soil' (composted forest product) and composted steer and chicken manure.

Today for the first time, I've seen this unfriendly... the land planarian, AKA hammerhead flatworm.

Ugh, another reason to avoid store bought compost Flatwo10

Ugh, another reason to avoid store bought compost Flatwo10

Granted, the above flatworm may have been in my own compost or soil, however, never having seen one around in the last seven years of working in the morning in the garden, odd that I find one a few days after adding store compost.

This creature measured in around 6 inches, so on my computer screen, the image is somewhat smaller than real life. Shocked

**sanderson** 10/27/2017, 5:51 pm

plantoid 10/27/2017, 7:11 pm

Was that worm six inches long when contracted . ?

I unearthed an eight inch on Monday afternoon . It stretched to a good foot or more when fully extended .
Whatever the length , worms like that mean your garden / compost is good , no worms means not good soil .

My beds have three types of worms these days :- Big lob worms like the one in th picture , smaller ones and striped brandlings that work their way through newly composted matter I've recently added to the beds .

**trolleydriver** 10/27/2017, 7:55 pm

If that is a hammerhead slug/flatworm, you do not want it in your garden. They feed on earthworms (the good worms).

http://www.strangeanimals.info/2014/11/hammerhead-slug-worlds-largest-flatworm.html

**Scorpio Rising** 10/27/2017, 9:25 pm

YUK! I have never seen one of those....glad.

countrynaturals 10/28/2017, 11:53 am

Scorpio Rising wrote:YUK! I have never seen one of those....glad.

We've seen a few. Didn't know they were bad guys. If we see anymore, we'll relocate them to the woods behind us. Shocked

**donnainzone5** 10/28/2017, 11:59 am

I read about this evil creature some time ago, but fortunately have never seen one.

Perhaps, if one needs to purchase store-bought compost, sifting would be one way to detect this worm.

Rather than re-locate, I think it would be best to search and destroy!

has55 10/31/2017, 6:47 pm

donnainzone5 wrote:I read about this evil creature some time ago, but fortunately have never seen one.

Perhaps, if one needs to purchase store-bought compost, sifting would be one way to detect this worm.

Rather than re-locate, I think it would be best to search and destroy!

+1
I never saw one but if I do, it will be eliminated like a roach.

BeetlesPerSqFt 11/3/2017, 12:00 am

I'm wondering if they 'surface' seasonally. I see them more in the fall. Today I saw more total than the past three years. They were mostly under plastic items on the concrete driveway - including underneath unopened bags of compost.

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Ugh, another reason to avoid store bought compost

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