How to Provide Food for Earthworms

Earthworms improve the texture of the soil.

Earthworms belong to the phylum Annelida or ringed animals. These simple creatures spend their entire lives under the soil, except for brief excursions to the surface. Earthworms enrich the soil by feeding on decomposing organic matter and returning it to the soil as excrement. Burrowing and feeding both improve the quality of the soil by adding organic matter and aerating the soil. Surprisingly, the size of earthworms varies from tiny 1-inch worms to giant South African varieties that reach 22 inches at maturity. Night crawlers, the largest earthworm in American reach lengths of 12 inches.

Things You'll Need

• Organic matter
• Cottonseed meal
• Mash (corn, oats, alfalfa sprouts, milo)

Instructions

1. Layer the top of the soil with organic material, such as animal manure, garden compost, shredded or chopped wood, paper or cardboard or vegetable scraps.

2. Observe the health and activity level of the earthworms to determine a feeding schedule. Typically food should be consumed within three to seven days. If food becomes slimy or heats up, reduce the amount of food at each feeding. If worms lack growth or cease reproduction, add mash, grain or cottonseed meal to the feed.

3. Feed earthworms mash made with 7 lbs. corn, 6 lbs. of alfalfa sprouts, 5 lbs. oats and 2 lbs. milo to fatten them for sale. Feed them twice a day, if active. Worms double their weight within seven to 10 days, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

References

• University of California FossWeb; Earthworms and Redworms
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Home Worm Production
• North Carolina State University; Raising Earthworms Successfully; Rhonda Sherman; August 2003

Resources

• Colorado State University Extension; Earthworm: More than Fish Bait; Rebecca Ayres; January 2010