![]() ![]() The New Zealand flatworm was inadvertently introduced to the UK in the 1960s, probably on plants sent to Scottish and Irish botanic gardens. ![]() Flatworms like cool, damp conditions, so gardens and allotments, with well-watered soil, plenty of earthworms and lots of refuges to hide under, make attractive habitat. No longer: the infestation is spreading south, and gardens are especially at risk. Most Scottish gardeners know to be vigilant, but gardeners in England tend to be less well informed, or to assume that it’s a Scottish problem. The good news is that forewarned, you can keep flatworms out. This time he is taking no chances: any plants he is given are quarantined and repotted, no soil or compost gets moved in, and the boots I wear there stay there. Today, my father gardens in central Scotland, and as we work the soil there, uncovering fat pink earthworms in every spadeful is a delight. Flatworms – thought to have arrived with topsoil for a local building project – were squashed on sight, but it was a losing battle. By the end of his time there, hardly any earthworms were left. Enriched with barrowloads of compost, it should have been teeming with earthworms. I first encountered flatworms some 15 years ago, in my father’s Shetland garden. Enjoy more Kitchen Garden reading in the monthly magazine. ![]()
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