How to Get More Worms in Your Garden: A Helpful Guide to Learn

Although they may seem slimy and squishy, they are suitable for your garden. They can make your soil more fertile. Worms can eat bacteria and fungi, which could cause damage to your plants. Worms also leave behind “worm castings,” which are worm poop. They’re great for fertilizing and are full of nutrients that plants can eat. They naturally till and aerate the soil. They can also accelerate the composting process and create richer soil with more nutrients. These little guys are essential for your garden. Do you want more worms in the garden? Here’s how.

How to get more worms in your garden

Worms can absorb oxygen through their skin and eat their body weight in soil within one day. They can also sense light and vibrations in soil and navigate using their eyes. Earthworms are hermaphrodites. This means that they have both male & female organs. But they can still be cut in half to make two. This is a myth. Please treat them with the respect and care they deserve. There are many kinds of earthworms, with colors ranging from pink to gray and red to more. Some earthworms live near the soil surface and break down leaf litter and other plant debris to recycle nutrients into the soil.

They are also found in the soil and eat it as they go. Their movements mix the soil and create burrows that allow water and air to flow through the soil. This improves the conditions for plant roots. It is easy to forget about the worms in your garden. After all, they are out of sight and out of mind. However, worms are the foundation of a healthy and thriving garden. Let’s get into the details of encouraging these fantastic creatures in our gardens.

Buy them

Worms can be purchased at any garden, fish shop, or pet shop. They can be found all over. Most stores sell them by the pound. These will add worms quickly to your garden. If your soil isn’t rich in worms, it may not be the right environment. They might move on to better soil.

Create a better worm environment

You can attract more worms to your garden by creating a better environment. This will help your worm problem in the long term, but it takes time to fix it. Nutrient-rich soil is a favorite of worms. You can start there. To attract worms, use compost. Place compost on top of the garden. Let it sit for a while. Once you have placed the compost in your garden, do not disturb it.

Let your garden sit and wait for the worms. The compost should not be turned to discourage worms from setting up camp. While you wait for the worms to arrive, you can keep adding compost to your garden. After a few weeks, dig a hole in the garden to see if there are more worms. It likely has. The soil should be healthier. There may be another reason your soil isn’t producing worms. At this point, you can mix and smoothen your garden.

Worm compost

There are also composting worms like the super-hungry Tiger Worm. These worms are attracted to nutrient-rich organic material, so if you dig in a well-functioning compost heap, you will likely find them. The composting worms accelerate decomposition and do a fantastic job of turning organic matter into plant food.

Worm casts make a portion of high-quality plant food. They form a fine-textured, natural fertilizer rich in nutrients, microbes, and beneficial bacteria. The worms provide food for other animals, such as birds, frogs, and toads. These creatures can be hugely beneficial for gardeners and significantly impact pest populations such as weevils, snails, and slugs.

Help worms

Your soil is your best friend, and so will the worms! It is the easiest way to increase your worm population. Keep your soil covered all year. This is why vegetable gardens are a great place to grow worms. The organic matter in your soil creates ideal conditions for worms and plants. Organic matter that you place on the soil surface will be slowly absorbed by the worms. The more organic matter you add, the more worms you will get. This organic matter should be added to the ground whenever it is bare. It can be used in the fall after most of the season’s crops have been harvested and in the summer as a top-up mulch. This will lock in soil moisture and continue feeding the soil and its worms.

Digging can cause soil to be disturbed, ripping its fabric and destroying a lot of the hard work of earthworms. Don’t dig! Lay your organic matter on top and let the worms work it in. This is the best way to create a strong soil structure that will support the optimal growth of your plants. You must avoid digging, such as when you lift potatoes or dig larger planting holes. How can you prevent worms from being hurt when digging? Use a fork to dig when possible. This simple change will reduce the chance of accidentally cutting one in half.

How to keep worms out of your garden

Your soil must be healthy for worms to stay in your garden. Your soil must remain healthy. You should notice a decrease in worms if you have any doubts. It’s easy to see worms. When things aren’t right in their current environment, they leave. Continue to add compost and mulch to your garden. It will be a delight for the worms!

Improve soil conditions to combat worms

Natural surfaces encourage living soils. You can enrich your garden by allowing worms to thrive on paved or artificial surfaces. You don’t need to worry about how many worms are present but rather their concentration. Your soil has become very dry. Mulch-loving worms prefer moist soil, so water it thoroughly before applying mulches. Then, check the soil moisture regularly and water if it gets scorched.

Once the compost is spread on your garden beds, it creates a beautiful environment for worms. It’s always possible to start a compost pile. Also, remember autumn leaves to make leaf compost or leaf mold. As a guide, use the worms from your compost bin. You should find the fully decomposed material below the line of active worms. Dig this out and then return them with all the other non-decomposed material to continue the process.

There are also lawns. Lawns left to grow for a bit longer will provide better ground conditions. Don’t cut the grass. Instead, let the clippings fall to the ground, and they will return their goodness to the soil. Worms can be sensitive and should be avoided. You should work with the natural world and opt for organic, natural methods of controlling weeds and pests.

Benefits of earthworms

Worms can absorb oxygen through their skin and eat their body weight in the soil. They can also sense light and vibrations within the soil and navigate using this navigation method. The earthworms move upward in the soil to find mates when the frost has gone. One might be seen disappearing into the ground if you look closely. They break down leaf litter and other debris to recycle nutrients back into the soil. Their movements mix the soil and create burrows that allow air and water to move through the soil.

This reduces erosion. Earthworms are an essential component of the global soil ecosystem. They have been around for approximately 300 million years. Although they are widely distributed, we consider them native to our soils. However, most of the native earthworms that were initially found in colder climates like the USA and Canada were destroyed by the glaciers. We now have a lot of worms because of the soil and plants brought over from Europe by settlers.

Conclusion

Worms are capable of doing amazing things to the soil in your garden. Find a way to add worms to your garden if they don’t exist. Either you can purchase them or create one. Worms can enrich your soil and make it more nutritious. It can fertilize your garden and aerate it. Worms could be just what you need to transform your garden from an average garden to a top-notch one.