How Do Earthworms Improve Gardens?

Earthworms makes a garden greener.

Earthworms are an important part of the soil foodweb. The soil foodweb refers to organisms like fungi, bacteria, nematodes and earthworms that live underground and help plants in your garden grow.

Soil

Earthworms eat soil and the bacteria and organic matter in the soil. The feces of earthworms, called castings, are full of organic matter and nutrients that plants need.

Water

When earthworms burrow in the soil they leave behind tunnels. These tunnels help the ground hold more water and allow plant roots to grow deeper in the soil. This means less watering in your garden.

Organic Matter

When organic matter decomposes it adds nutrients back into the soil that garden plants can utilize. Earthworms speed up the decomposition process.

Types

There are three basic types of earthworms: surface species, upper species and deep-burrowing species. All of them help the garden soil in different ways. Surface species often live right under leaf litter and in compost piles. Upper species live in the top part of the soil and feed on organic matter in the soil. Deep-burrowing species like night crawlers have permanent burrows and take organic matter from the surface into the lower levels of the soil.

Fun Facts

The longest earthworm ever found was 22 feet long. Earthworms are so strong they can move rocks up to 60 times their own weight.

References

• Michigan Department of Agriculture: Earthworms and the Soil Foodweb
• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Soil Biology: The Soild Biology Primer