Got Worms?

Worms really are pretty wonderful. Yes, I know they’re not pretty and tend to creep some people out, but they’re extremely important in the world of gardening. In fact, if you don’t have worms in your soil, I’m betting you haven’t been as successful growing things as you would like. Basically, worms are the bomb dot com for making good soil because they break down organic matter and poop along the way. Yep, you heard that right… poop… glorious poop.

That poop, (aka worm castings) is some of the best organic fertilizer you can have, and it’s free. As worms are doing their thing, you know, like eating and pooping all day, they make tunnels and trails in the soil as they search for more food to eat. This helps to aerate the soil and allows water to penetrate deeper. See where I’m going with this? Aeration, moisture, drainage, and fertilizer, all of which are critical,to plant health, and all provided free, courtesy of these little poop factories. We’ll get into the benefits more in detail in a minute.

First things first. How the heck do you know if you have enough worms? Well, you can easily do a quick patch test to see if you’ve got a healthy amount of worms. Take a shovel and dig a patch of soil that is about 12″ square. Go down about 8″ deep. Turn the patch over and onto a piece of cardboard, burlap, or in a large tub trug. Break up the soil and check for worms. If you’ve got at least 10 in the patch you dug, then you’ve got healthy soil. Yay!
But, what if your patch is a wormless wonder? There’s a few reasons worms aren’t taking up residence in your soil and the good news is, you can do some things to attract and add more worms. So, fret not my friend.

If your soil lacks worms, it could mean that...

• there isn’t enough food for them. They need organic matter to eat.

• soil is too sandy. Worms are soft bodied and to them, sand feels like a baby’s skin would feel if you used cheap wool sweater from the dollar store as a diaper.

• soil is too dry or too wet. Worms need moisture but not overly wet conditions. They aren’t Olympic swimmers.

• pH is too low or too high. There are quick and cheap testers that you can get. Besides, you’ll need certain pH for crop health anyway.

• the soil has been over worked, overturned or tilled too much. Otherwise, overused and depleted.

• chemicals, weedkillers and pesticides have been used.

Lastly, it is possible that you have worms but they’re deep in the soil where it’s more cool and moist. One last test you can do is to bury a banana peel about 6-7 inches underneath the surface. Wait a few days and then inspect for worm activity. If you think it’s possible that you have toxins in your soil, get a soil test done. If it’s too unhealthy for worms, it’s too unhealthy for crops. Want a bountiful harvest? You will need plenty of worms.

I mentioned earlier that worms improve the quality of the soil. Let’s look at how those little squigglers get it done. Worms work in harmony with fungi and bacteria in the soil and feed on plant matter like leaves, dead roots, grass clippings, etc. The material moves through their digestive systems and the worms essentially poop it out and produce fertilizer. Since a worms day revolves around eating and pooping, they are constantly burrowing through the soil to find more food. As they do this, it loosens and aerates the soil, improving drainage up to 10 times more than soil without worms. Good drainage means fertilizers and nutrients can penetrate deep into the soil. Speaking of fertilizer, worm poop is the best. It’s so good that it’s even sold in bags. Imagine how many worms are needed for a bag of worm poop? Yikes! Worm poop (castings) are great to top dress and add around plants and in containers. The castings contain calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium, and unlike other animal manures, it doesn’t need to be aged before applying.

What are some things you can do to make you soil more attractive to worms? First and foremost, avoid chemicals. I can’t stress this enough. Chemicals are bad for worms, bad for the environment and bad for you. Chemicals are responsible for so many ailments and diseases in humans… but that’s a blog for another day. Back to the subject!

Soil that is cool, moist, and out of direct sun is optimal for worms. Use mulch, or ground covers where appropriate. Keep the soil pH above 4.5 and add organic matter or matured compost. Lastly, you can also add worms to your soil. Yes, they multiply! Be sure to know your source for worms though. You don’t want those nasty “jumping worms” that are infiltrating so many areas. Jumping worms are BAD! They not only deplete the soil, but are responsible for killing entire forests. I’m not even joking. If you’ve never heard of them, just google it. Scary stuff!

A source for quality worms, that I recommend is Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm. I’ve always been impressed with their worms, products, and service. You’ll get instructions how to release them as well. You can even purchase vermacomposting supplies through them and start your own worm farm. Check them out here:

Before releasing worms, just make sure you’ve improved the quality of soil so that you give your worms a nice, clean, chemical free home to flourish in. Happy worms are productive worms. The soil shouldn’t be too dry, too wet, or too compact. Otherwise, your worms won’t stay or they’ll die if they can’t survive in their new home.

So, are you ready to get your worm on? Every garden needs plenty of worms! Let’s hear it for the worms! (yes, that was sung like Deniece Williams straight outta Footloose!) LOL!

Until next time…

Dream Big, Plant Love, and Grow Where You’re Planted

XOXO – Laurie