Garden Worms Information
Garden worms form the basis of the ecological system by establishing optimal soil conditions for plants to grow and thrive in. A healthy garden is host to thousands of worms, which function as miniature tillers, recyclers and live fertilizers. Earthworms in a garden, in particular, are indicators of its health. They consume organic matter, break it down into its nutrient components and recycle it back to the soil, where plants use it as a source of nourishment
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Types of Garden Worms
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The most common types of garden worms include earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris), European nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis), redworms (Lumbricus rebellus), red wigglers (Eisenia foetida), tiger worms (Eisenia fetida), blueworms (Perionyx excavatus), and white worms (Enchytraeus albidus).
Purpose and Uses
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Garden worms are good for the health of the garden. They are beneficial in converting organic materials in the soil into nutrients that are easily absorbed by plants. Garden worms burrow deep in the soil and help loosen its structure. This facilitates the flow of water and oxygen in the soil and allows it to retain excess water effectively.
Garden worms assist in composting and warding off soil diseases and pests. They excrete nitrogen-, phosphorus- and potassium-rich casts, which help maintain an optimal pH level of the soil for plant growth. Many gardeners add living composts to gardens, which are essentially compost bins with live worms (also called wormeries or vermicompost). These wormeries speed up the composting process and are able to recycle any organic matter to nutrient-rich plant food. Some species of garden worms, including earthworms, are raised as fishing bait.
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Preferred Living Conditions
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Garden worms prefer well-hydrated soil that is rich in organic matter. They favor neutral to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 7.0 and above) and are scarce in acidic soils (pH of 5.0 or less).
Advantages
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Garden worms help till and aerate the soil by burrowing deep in it and effectively channeling the flow of water, nutrients and air. Their castings promote healthy root growth and feed other beneficial soil dwellers. Garden worms are excellent tillers and mix up layers of soil as they burrow in it. They bring up lower, inaccessible layers of soil to the top, where plants use up its nutrient content.
Interesting Facts
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Earthworms are able to digest and convert their weight in organic matter daily, converting it into nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. According to Sally Jean Cunningham in the book "Great Garden Companions," a single earthworm can produce 5 oz. of fertilizer a year. This translates into 55 to 80 lbs. of fertilizer in an earthworm-ich 10-by-20-foot garden annually.
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References
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- Photo Credit Earthworms image by Ana Dudnic from Fotolia.com
