Earthworms are as important to me as compost. They work hard for me. I took these pictures in the greenhouse yesterday. The worms are active in there but outside they’re under 18-20″ of snow. We won’t see those worms for about a month.
The tunnels worms make are helpful. They provide aeration for the soil and let water deeper into the soil so that it’s closer to roots. As long as the soil isn’t compacted the tunnels drain quickly. You probably won’t find many worms in compacted soil anyway. Worms carry organic matter into the holes with them as they go back down. This improves soil texture and drainage and makes nutrients more readily available.
Petroleum fertilizers and pesticides can damage the earthworm population. Adding organic matter to the soil will help counteract the problems.
The small piles of dirt at the top of soil, sometimes hiding a worm hole, are worm castings. In other words, worm poop. It’s an excellent amendment. You won’t find many worms in dead dirt. They need to eat. If you bring a handful of worms to a patch of soil they’ll stay if there’s something to eat. If there isn’t anything there for them they’ll move on. Worms eat by ingesting soil and organic matter.
Before the small compost pile in the greenhouse froze I added all the earthworms I took into the greenhouse to the pile. When it was 20* in the greenhouse in the morning the center and bottom of the pile were warm. The worms were active. As the pile heats up the worms move away from it. As it cools, and if it’s cold in the gh, they return to the pile. They were a big help to the small pile that wouldn’t have gotten as far as it did in decomposition without them.
Filed under: Farm, Garden, Greenhouse, Growing Vegetables | Tagged: earthworms
Fascinating! But that top hole looks big enough for a mouse or a vole.
Compare the size of the hole to the size of the tiny beet seedling. That was a fat worm but thankfully not a vole. I’d have to track it down and STOMP on it if it was.
Earthworms are the reason I hate turning over my garden in the spring. I’m afraid I’ll hit and kill the poor darlings. Of course, I always do and the two halves are there wiggling on the end of the shovel. They do such good work!
I thought of them yesterday when I was working in a bed that I’ve had a terrible time keeping things alive in. I’ve amended and amended the soil, but it always seems to go back to the “dead dirt” that you speak of. I didn’t see one earthworm in the entire time I was in that bed.
I bought one of those fancy worm hotel things to gather castings, but never bought the red wigglers. Oh well.
Love those earthworms! Thanks for the aditional information, too.
I was recently surprised to see alot of earthworms around our septic tank and drain field. Must be some yummy stuff there for them. ewww…
Ha! Stomp the Yard has just taken on a whole new meaning for me.
You could do a Broadway show…stomping all the devious garden critters that seek to eat or destroy your garden. I thought of you yesterday when my husband had to set a mouse trap in our pantry. It was eating our crackers and pasta and…dog food. I told him he should just stand there in the dark and stomp it when it came out. 
I am glad to see this posting on earthworms…I was out planting the other day when I noticed that the part of the garden I had seeded previously had a ton of earthworm holes in it…so I am wondering if the worms can a) have a negative effect by dislodging the seeds or b) just downright eat the seeds…
Earthworms can move seeds but it’s probably not noticeable other than a pile of castings.
OK, thanks, just seemed like a lot of holes and moving earth around…