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The Best Garden Worms

Garden fertility is measured by the presence of worms wiggling in a handful of soil. More than a million earthworms inhabit an acre of healthy soil, creating nutrients in their bodies that cycle into the root systems of plants. They digest minute insects and other organisms in soil and convert them to nutrients plants need. Their tunneling creates passages for air and water to reach plant roots. The best garden worms create and enrich the soil with nitrogen, the nutrient most needed for plant growth.

  1. Garden Worm Types

    • The best garden worms are the three types of earthworms: anecic, endogeic and epigeic. Anecic worms are the familiar bait worms, dew worms and night crawlers. They build permanent burrows deep in the soil, incorporating surface organic matter as they move. Endogeic worms are whitish-gray and live only in the soil or under logs. They help mix the mineral layers and organic matter layers of the soil. Epigeic worms are the red wigglers that are used to make worm compost. They feed exclusively on decaying organic matter at the soil's surface.

    Encourage Garden Worms

    • Encouraging worms in the garden increases soil fertility and plant health. Earthworms thrive in garden soil that is left undisturbed and untilled. Excessive tilling destroys their burrows and cuts them in half. Garden worms prefer soil temperatures from 40 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and soil that is moist but not soggy. Waterlogged soil drives out the oxygen garden worms need to live. Good food sources for worms are layers of mulch, soil amended with compost and green manure cover crops.

    Harm to Garden Worms

    • Garden worm populations are severely reduced by contact with some pesticides, according to Colorado State University. Carbaryl insecticide creates a 76 to 100 percent reduction in population; while 2,D4 type herbicides kill up to 25 percent of garden worms. High rates of synthetic fertilizers kill earthworms and other beneficial organisms that improve soil health. Dry or overly-salty soil also damages garden worm health.

    Increase Garden Worm Populations

    • Soil with the best garden worms is easily transported to other garden areas to begin improving the soil. Dig a shovelful of healthy wormy soil and take it to an area with low soil fertility. Indent the soil slightly and place the shovelful of wormy-soil into it. Spread a layer of organic mulch materials such as shredded leaves, mature compost, pine needles or shredded bark over the area. Sprinkle lightly with water to ensure a moist-but-not-soggy environment. The garden worms begin to reproduce and create nutrients immediately.

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Soil
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