First, I just want to say Thank You to everyone who takes the time to give support, advice, and tips on this forum! I have been reading a lot since I am a 21 year old student that is a beginner in gardening!
I just planted a bunch of herbs, cucumbers, tomatoes and lavender in the garden (I love it!) and noticed today that there are little clearish/white balls in the dirt that when squeezed has liquid in it! Are they eggs?? What are they and is it good or bad for my plants??
sounds like eggs,like earth worm eggs, how big are they?..like 1/16th inch or smaller, little bitty things burried just below the surface?..if so it sounds like earth worm eggs. If bigger than that, 1/4 inch or larger, I dont know for sure, could be anything.Could be anything anyway. Could you by some chance get a pic posted for us?..that would help
Am I in my cabin dreaming? Or are you really scheming, to take my ship away from me? You better think about it. I just cant live without it. So please dont take my ship from me!!!
Posts: 903 | Location: North Central Texas zone 8. 35 miles North of DFW airport | Registered: February 11, 2002
Welcome to the Organic Gardening forum VegetarianLiving. Where are you located? If we know more about what climate you have we will be able to better answer your future questions.
I hope you will stick around and donÂ’t ever be afraid to ask more questions or just share with us.
If the balls are under the surface I am not sure, they may be worms like farmhound said. If they are on top of the dirt and just hidden under debris like leaves or boards then they are probably eggs of slugs or snails. II would get rid of them if they are slug or snail eggs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LAUS DEO, Where ever I go, there I am. ..... major at nwi dot net ..... Zone 6a, Eastern Washington, sagebrush high desert, Columbia plateau.
Posts: 2889 | Location: Eastern Washington State, zone 6a. | Registered: December 13, 2004
The little balls are very teeny tiny. I live in Central Florida and the weather here is around 90F most of the day. The balls are Clearish/White and have this liquid in them! ?:| They are on top of the soil scattered around my herbs. I picked the ones I saw out today. I haven't seen any slugs around my plants so I don't know.
While warm, Florida can also be moist and humid at times and can have a heavy dew on the ground by morning. Most slugs and snails come out to eat at night so you may not ever see them unless you set traps for them. Have you seen signs of your plants leaves having the edges chewed on?
As for wisdom, LOL, it is more guess than knowledge at the moment. I just used to live in the Pacific Northwest and we had lots of slugs and snails there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LAUS DEO, Where ever I go, there I am. ..... major at nwi dot net ..... Zone 6a, Eastern Washington, sagebrush high desert, Columbia plateau.
Posts: 2889 | Location: Eastern Washington State, zone 6a. | Registered: December 13, 2004
I wouldnÂ’t worry very much unless you start seeing lots of damage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LAUS DEO, Where ever I go, there I am. ..... major at nwi dot net ..... Zone 6a, Eastern Washington, sagebrush high desert, Columbia plateau.
Posts: 2889 | Location: Eastern Washington State, zone 6a. | Registered: December 13, 2004
Hi Veggie, Welcome to OG. I hope you stick around awhile so we can get a chance to get to know u... What if u keep a couple of them separate in their own container, but within the same type of conditions (u know soil, air exposure,etc) and see what they hatch into? I'm curious now! Kim
Kim
ROLL TIDE!!
Posts: 149 | Location: Zone 8b, Southwest Alabama | Registered: March 09, 2006
One other possibility I thought of is that they could be leftover plant food from the previous year. Back when I still used store-bought chemical fertilizers in my garden I used some stuff that was little tiny balls with liquid inside. They were supposed to dissolve in the soil, but they were old when I bought them and it took a couple years for them all to dissolve.
Any chance this is your first year on that site and someone else gardened there last year?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Zone 3 NW Wisconsin: Left the city in '98, hardly been back since!
Sounds to me those clear balls are hydrating TerraSorb. If it is, it is in the potting soil. Some potting soil for containers have water absorbing crystals that once you water, the substance swells up with water...it is clear, ball-like, and gelatinous.
"Maybe one of the secrets of survival is to learn where to dance." Stanley Kunitz
Posts: 906 | Location: New Hampshire Z4 | Registered: February 11, 2002
Yes! It could be from the soil because I don't see and creatures in the garden or chewed leaves, everything is growing wonderful, thank God!
I just noticed it after planting them a month ago in Miracle Gro Organic Potting Soil and they are geletine looking. Here in Florida it ir REALLY Humid and hot so I do water them frequently.
I never knew that there could be little balls in the soil that swell up with water but that sounds like the answer! Thanks~
Miracle Gro Potting Soil? Yep, that's your answer. It definitely sounds like they are water absorbing crystals. Their potting soil contains those polymer crystals which will "swell' up. Don't be surprised if you still see some of them there next year! :O
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "To Live Is Not Just To Survive, But To Thrive With Passion, Compassion, Humor & Style." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My Blogs: GardenzOwn OurGardenEarth
Posts: 2516 | Location: Linda in N.J./Zones 7 & "Twilight" | Registered: February 11, 2002
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LAUS DEO, Where ever I go, there I am. ..... major at nwi dot net ..... Zone 6a, Eastern Washington, sagebrush high desert, Columbia plateau.
Posts: 2889 | Location: Eastern Washington State, zone 6a. | Registered: December 13, 2004
