How to Protect Garden Earthworms

Earthworms are an essential ingredient in creating a successful ecosystem that will ensure your organic garden thrives. Not only do they process the soil into nutrient-rich humus, earthworms help to aerate the garden, helping to create a healthy pH balance that will keep the system self-sustaining and organic, season after season. To keep earthworms safe, follow these simple steps.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Only till when absolutely necessary, as it can harm the soil and kill earthworms.

2. When you do till, try to keep it under 3 inches deep unless you have a pest problem that you are trying to solve. If you need to rid your garden of vegetation-eating bugs, dig up to 6 inches deep and leave the soil exposed for up to 3 days so that birds can prey on the pests. Then rake and mulch heavily after a few hours. This will keep the soil from drying out and give the beneficial earthworms a moist, warm home.

3. Do not use chemical fertilizers in excess because they can harm the soil, making it harder for earthworms to survive. Even organic nitrogen fertilizer can damage the nutrient content of the soil, which will send the earthworms looking for a better place to live and eat.

4. Do not use manure as fertilizer unless it has been thoroughly composted to at least 160 degrees F first. Fresh manure may contain diseases that can damage the soil.

5. Keep the soil moist by watering regularly as needed. Do not overwater or allow the soil to dry to the point of cracking, as this can kill many of the microorganisms that make up its content and earthworms will not be able to survive without them.

Resources

• More tips on organic gardening