Earthworms - A Gardeners Best Friend
by John Yazo
Earthworms are a gardeners best friend. They have a important part in improving garden soil. Worms exist in a lot of different types of soils but the healthier the soil the more earthworm activity you will see. A good healthy soil is a soil that is full of organic matter , has good aeration and retains moisture well. Earthworms don't have lungs. They breath through there skin by absorbing the oxygen in from the soil and releases carbon dioxide.
There are three types of earthworms that are the most common. Nightcrawlers are the largest, they are eight to ten inches long and can be seen in lawns and gardens after dark, Garden Worms are five to seven inches long and are found in healthy, organic rich and moist soil and Manure Worms are four to five inches long and found in soil that is rich in manures.
The activity of earthworms in your garden soil is a big benefit. They convert organic matter into nutrients for plants to absorb. They also tunnel through soil loosening it helping to improve the tilth of the soil. The channels that the earthworms create by tunneling allow air and water to be retained by the soil improving the soils structure.
Earthworms need air and moisture to exist. A good healthy organic rich soil is the ideal condition for them to live. A good soil structure, tilth and a high content of organic matter can support about twenty five earthworms per cubic foot.. Each earthworm produces about one third of a pound of high grade natural fertilizer per year. The castings or vermicompost that the earthworms excretion produces is full of nitrogen, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium and other minerals found in the soils.
The population of earthworms in your garden is easy to maintain and increase. The best way to do this is by adding organic matter to your garden soil. This is the one thing that earthworms can't get enough of and if the supply of organic matter gets low they will seek it out else where. Keeping them happy with a steady supply of organic matter will increase the population and they will work hard for you in improving the soil structure in your garden.
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