Gritty heroes: earthworms

Gritty heroes Earthworms in your soil do much of the hard work for you

VERMICULTURE This is the process of cultivating worms. It is a kind of “worm farming” with the goal of using worms to decompose organic food waste, turning the waste into worm castings that can be used to supply the nutrients needed to grow strong and healthy plants. They work as your personal gardener. Besides making organic fertiliser, they help rid your soil of disease and pests.

eARTHWORMS are an important part of a garden’s ecosystem, also providing a tasty meal for birds who visit. As earthworms tunnel down, they aerate the soil, providing better water penetration and space for roots to grow. Earthworms feed on decaying plant matter and micro-organisms in the soil. Their castings (waste) are a rich fertiliser which supply nutrients to plants.

Earthworms won’t stick around in poor soil, so encourage them to stay by improving your soil quality.

Dig in organic matter such as compost, manure or leaf litter and add organic mulch to the soil surface. Earthworms don’t like to be disturbed.

Use a fork when you dig. Garden earthworms should not be confused with red wigglers (Eisenia fetida), the earthworms used in vermiculture to compost waste matter. These earthworms cannot live in garden soil.