Do you know your worms?

Slippery, slimy - and the best indication of robust garden health.

Earthworms do wonders for garden soil. As they tunnel and chew through the soil, earthworms create deep channels which are perfect spaces for air and water to reach where they need to, and for roots to grow. Their burrowing helps to loosen the soil, dispersing nutrients and organic matter- all crucial for plant life to flourish.

Knowing your wriggly little helpers is useful, as free-range earthworms are different to the red and tiger worms, the two types commonly found in worm farms. Farm worms are high-care critters, constantly requiring a moist supply of partly composted food and mild temperatures. With so much care demand, they can be tricky to maintain. Also as surface feeders, they live in the top 5-10 cm layer and don’t tend to do well in garden soil.

Conversely, earthworms move freely in soil to seek out their food, and naturally congregate in places abundant in organic matter. Free-range earthworms want to be where the action is - which is why they’re so important to the ecosystem and a good sign of healthy activity!

Like with everything in nature, you can let things take their course or you can give them a little help to prosper - simply by providing food they like. With a regular supply of the rich organic feast available in compost soil, earthworms thrive and multiply, spreading out to enhance soil health in your garden. A little bit goes a long way.

The best part is, by returning your kitchen scraps to the earth, you’re not only creating the abundant food sources for a healthy garden, you’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions and locking carbon back into the ground.

Make compost soil to put the goodness from your wastes back into your soil, and give those wonderful earthworms the healthy ecosystem they need to thrive. These amazing creatures do the hard work for you - so look after them!