EARTHWORMS

The Architects Down Under

A native earthworm burrows towards safety within the soil after being exposed

Fresh vegetable scraps are regularly buried in the soil within the fruit and vegetable garden. Worms will gather in around food scraps

This worm has come to the soil surface in order to deposit its waste known as a casting. Not all worms travel to the surface of the soil to release castings, some leave waste deeper within the soil

A domestic worm farm can house and produce worm juice, the liquid extracted from the base of the worm farm

These pink coloured worms often called ‘Tiger worms’ have been bred for domestic worm farms. They breed rapidly and also produce excellent compost for use in the garden

A cloth cover is needed to protect worms within the worm farm from fluctuations in temperature. Care needs to be taken not to add excessive moisture to the farm. Fresh scraps need to be placed near the surface of the farm regularly

The value of these quiet and unassuming little creatures should not be underestimated. The presence of a large number of worms in the garden or on the farm is a clear sign that the soil is healthy.

Worms Keep Soil Healthy

Worms live by ingesting great quantities of soil in order to extract vital nutrients. During this process, the soil is aerated as well as enriched with organic compounds giving plants a natural boost. Fresh organic matter is broken down and worms also help to break down toxic chemicals within the soil.

Earthworms On My Hobby Farm

Earthworms were hard to find when I purchased the farm 2 years ago. A combination of dry conditions, a lack of organic matter being their food and over cultivation of the soil made it very difficult to find worms anywhere on the farm. I could not find worm castings near the surface of the soil and action was needed.

Looking back, not having a large population of worms did have a big impact on the fertility of the soil. Plants did not thrive, the soil was very hard forming large lumps when dug and water failed to penetrate the topsoil. Not all of the improvements seen on the farm are the direct result of worm activity, but their increasing presence is a sign that the soil is are improving.

Earthworms In Action

Having put a large quantity of organic fertilizers as well as incorporating a lot of vegetable scraps from the kitchen into the fruit and vegetable garden, worms are now rampant in this area. All of the fruit trees have shown a great deal of growth this spring, also, the foliage of the fruit trees is a dark healthy colour. Worms have allowed plant roots to penetrate deeper into the soil and extract more nutrients as well as moisture. Water is able to penetrate within previously compacted soils allowing the soil to retain more moisture as well as reducing the amount of evaporation from the soil’s surface.

Enticing More Earthworms

Following the successes of the fruit and vegetable plots, the next important task is to get more worms into the rest of the farm. This will be a slow process due to the dryness of the soil, but by not cultivating the soil, adding a lot of animal manures and by reducing the drying effects of wind over the farm things should eventually improve.

Given time, I feel optimistic that our little friends the earthworms will be enticed back to the farm and will once again resume their architectural work - building tunnels and highways in the soil.