Are Worms What You Need to Help Your Garden?

Looking for something that can help with your garden’s success? It could be as simple as finding some worms! There are many benefits to having worms in your garden. Worms can nutrients available to the plants, improve soil structure, and improve yields. Here are some facts on how to improve your garden with worms and how to introduce some worms to your garden! 

1. Nutrients are More Available!

Worms actually feed on the dead roots, leaves, and manure in the soil! So the worms focus on the organic and mineral constituents in the food they eat, so their casts are richer in available nutrients around them. Nitrogen in the casts are readily available to the plants! 

New Zealand research shows that worm casts release four times more phosphorus than does the surface soil. The worms leave tunnels filled with their casts, in the soil,  making it the perfect home for plant root growth! 

2. Worms Improve Soil Structure!

Good Soil Structure can store a lot more moisture in it. The casts of worms act as a cementing agent and cement the soil particles to make aggregates. These aggregates are good at storing moisture! This would be very helpful if you are growing in a warmer climate and your plants are in need of more moisture. 

3. Improve your Yield of Crops! 

In a study done on Earthworms, it is shown that they increased crop yields by 75%!! With the release of the different nutrients and improving the soil structure, it really helps foster the growth of plants in a very positive way! Earthworms are often termed as the ‘ecosystem engineers.’ 

Now that you know what worms can do for your garden it is important to know how you can acclimate them to your garden, so they can start positively impacting your garden. 

How to Introduce Worms In Your Garden! 

• It is important to increase the organic matter in your garden! Organic compost attracts earthworms. Earthworms feed on soil and decaying organic plant remains, so not having any chemicals helps them feed more and thus creating more casts. So using organic fertilizers, such as AgroThrive, will help them acclimate to your garden. 
• Keep your soil moist! Worms can lose a lot of their body weight in a day because of the castings left, so they need moisture to keep alive. They are the most active when the solid is moist. 
• Having mulch to protect the soil from harsh weather will help the worms stay active in the super hot or cold climates. 

Worms can actually help your garden in many ways. The ecosystem engineers do more than you think to increase nutrients, improve yields, and improve the structure of soil. 

I hope you enjoyed this garden tip! Come back every Friday for tips that can help your garden become a success!

Happy Growing!

Jenna

Sources:

https://returntonow.net/2018/01/30/earthworms-increase-crop-yields-75-percent-study-shows/