Northwest Gardening--Part 1 -- Meet the Symphylans (Centipede-Like Root Eaters)

Ok.  So it rains A LOT in Seattle.  But did you know that you can garden YEAR-ROUND here?  You just need to know what and when to plant.  Steve Soloman is one of the guru's of northwest gardening.  His informative books have made it a bit easier to understand why things go right and why they go wrong with Northwest gardens. 

Another great source of information is Seattle Tilth's,

The Maritime Northwest Garden Guide.  This is a a must-have resource for the northwest gardener and is available from the Seattle Public Library, Seattle Tilth, or via Amazon.com.

ROOT EATERS!

I didn't know that we had pesky little critters in our soil.  These little centipede-like creatures are called  Symphylans (no I'm sorry there isn't an easier common name for this little bugger).  They LOVE to reproduce in compost and tend to populate when there is too much of the stuff placed around their food source.  They have a taste for broccoli roots and other Brassicaceae  family plants, and they appear to love spinach. 

Have you had plants wither, or do they start to grow but then stop?  Did your spinach start bolting in the early spring?  When this happened to me I thought that my  plants weren't getting enough nutrients, and when I piled on the compost it just got WORSE!  I had too many symphylans!  (say that 3 times fast)

The best thing to do is check your soil. These little critters are native to Washington State and they keep our soil in balance so you don't want to eradicate them all.  Use only organic means of control.  The best way is check your soil and plants regularly. 

Be aware of compost that is too rich..........and be careful not to pile to much of it around your plants.    Need nutrients? Amend your soil with liquid fertilizer instead. 

Picture --Ralph E. Berry. 1998©. Insects and Mites of Economic Importance in the Northwest. 2nd Ed. 221 p.