Question
We started a community garden at our condo complex this year. The radishes I planted in a raised box 4X8X12" were eaten by a tiny whitish worm.
The box was filled with a soil with compost,peat etc. bought new and used to fill our boxes for the first time this year.

I'm wondering how the worms got into the soil?  Other boxes in our community garden also had wormeaten radishes.  Could they have been in the soil?  What can be done to prevent this happening next year?

There are also many ants in our soil.  Do ants eat away at the vegetable leaves?  My beets, zucchini, cucumbers and cabbage all have evidence of a chewer at work.  We need advice please.

Answer
Worms can be the larvae of several varieties of moths, including the coddling and cabbage moths. The best control for worms and ants is a product called BT, short for Bacillus thuringiensis. It is more commonly sold under the brand names Dipel or MVP. It is a dust that is non-toxic to humans and beneficial insects, but highly effective against caterpillars, worms, and other crawling insects that infest plants. These products can also be purchased through on-line catalogs such as Gardens Alive and Planet Natural or locally at many garden centers.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever provide assistance.

Regards,

Mike