an earthworm's habitat

Notice the lowly earthworm, squirming away, going about its
everyday business. Simple creatures you may think but they have
quite a important use in the garden. Did you know the earthworms
are nature's first gardeners? They don't exist just for kids to
eat and fishermen to use as bait :)

Some Basic Earthworm Facts

Earthworms are present in almost every type of soil habitat but the
healthier the soil the greater the numbers. A healthy soil
permits lots of air and moisture, both of which are needed by
the earthworm for a continued existence. Earthworms have no
lungs like you or me but instead breathe through their skin.
Their whole skin absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide.
They also need moisture to assist them in respiration but too
much moisture is not good for them.

There are four types of earthworm that you may run into:

Nightcrawlers: 8 to 10 inches long and the fisherman's
favourite.
Garden Worms: 5 to 7 inches long and found commonly in damp
soils.
Manure Worms: 4 to 5 inches long and found in manure rich
soils.
Red Worms: 3 to 4 inches long and the most commercially
available.

Why Earthworms in the Garden?

A garden without earthworms would miss out on all of the great
benefits that they bring to it. Their first job is to till the
soil by tunneling through it. Tunnels created allow air and
moisture to pass easily through the soil, creating a healthy
environment habitat for plants. Tunnels retain water that the plants
can take up and also hold air to help bacteria break down
organic matter within the soil.

After digestion earthworms produce excrement about the size of
a pin head. This excrement is called "castings" or
"vermicompost" and is an excellent soil conditioning material.
It improves properties of the soil such as porosity and
moisture retention, aids plant growth and helps in the fight
against pests and diseases.

Increasing Earthworm Population in the Garden

How does one go about increasing the number of earthworms in
their garden soil? Well the best way to do so is to add more
organic matter to the soil. Earthworms cannot get enough of the
stuff.and will seek it out wherever they can find it.

Finally...

The earthworm is just as important to the garden as the
gardener that maintains it because they till the soil and add a
soil conditioner in the form of castings. They are as much a
gardener as you are. The next time you see one wiggling on the
ground in front of you bend down and say "got any good
gardening tips?" You never know it may answer :)

I will leave the final word to a one Charles Darwin who once
had this to say about the earthworm:

"The plow is one of the most ancient and most valuable of man's
inventions; but long before he existed, the land was in fact
regularly plowed and still continues to be thus plowed by
earthworms. It may be doubted whether there are many other
animals which have played so important a part in the history of
the world, as have these lowly organized creatures."

About The Author: Francis Kilkelly runs one of the fastest
growing home and garden communities at
http://www.gardenstew.com/ that has gardening forums and
gardening blogs ( http://www.gardenstew.com/blogs.php ). Pop
over to see what all the fuss is about.

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