Wriggly, Slimy, Nature's plow and the Gardeners Best Friend!
Garden Week Sixteen 7/24/2018
Wriggly, Slimy, Nature's plow and the Gardeners Best Friend!
Busy Worms! running for cover as I prepare the soil.
Whether a compost worm, earthworker worm, or deep soil worm, earthworms are a major player in living soil. Yes, there are different worms for the job. Who knew?
"Organic garbage disposal" The compost worm eats rotting food waste, leaves, manure, your basic compost materials, but not dirt. The use of these worms in composting is called vermicomposting. While compost piles can smell pretty rotten, adding a balance of the proper worm(s) will elevate and eliminate that compost smell, leaving you with worm castings, a nutrient packed and natural fertilizer.
"Gardener's friend" The earth working worm or nightcrawler also called grunt worms, garden worms or leaf worms, are most commonly found in the garden or lawn and what you probably think of as an earthworm. These worms come to the surface at night to gather food, eating leaves, organic matter and soil. As they travel to the surface and back for food worms create tunnels causing aeration, benefiting root stability and access to water and oxygen.
"Deep soil worms" Live deep underground and may never see the light of day. They eat the decay of roots and fungi. Here in Idaho, we have the famous native "Giant Palouse Earthworm", which are white and said to grow several feet long. When frightened this worm spits a lily-scented saliva. Like their shallower relatives, deep soil worms contribute nutrients, aerate the soil, and help prevent soil erosion.
Many worms can be purchased online, but you can encourage earthworms to stay or move in! As with plants, earthworms enjoy a balanced pH, balanced moisture and a steady supply of organic matter. To provide earthworms with a healthy environment, try reducing the use of fertilizer and fungicides, limit deep ploughing or rototilling, limit compaction, and limit soggy or water-logged areas in the garden.
Should you decide to incorporate earthworms into your garden, you will reap the benefits of better moisture retention, more stable plants, less erosion and therefore nutrient retention, and needless to say, more productive plants. Sounds like a win, win, win!
I know in my garden; the friendly earthworm is a much-appreciated garden helper!
