Some may find them disgusting, but earthworms bring great benefits to your garden. You probably know from childhood that the beneficial insects come to the surface of the earth when it rains. But not only when they are visible, the animals prove to be effective helpers in the maintenance of the ecosystem. They also do a lot of work underground. That's why it's worth using the following tips to lure earthworms into the garden - and not leave it to the rain.
Earthworms loosen the soil and provide it with nutrients
Benefits of earthworms in the garden
- loosen up the earth
- enrich the substrate with nutrients
- improve the soil structure
- do not feed on plants or their roots
- promote lawn growth
Measures to attract earthworms
Three factors determine the number of earthworms in your garden:
- the soil texture
- the temperature
- the humidity
The soil texture
Earthworms feel comfortable with the following substrate properties:
- loose earth
- light soil
- damp earth
- nutrient-rich (preferably enriched with organic matter)
The temperature
Earthworms do not tolerate frost. In winter, you retreat to the deep layers of the earth. Unfortunately, it is difficult to prevent this natural phenomenon. However, you can protect the soil from freezing to a certain extent by applying a layer of mulch.
humidity
Water your beds fairly frequently and don't mow the lawn too often. Low grass allows the morning dew to dry faster. However, make sure that your plants tolerate frequent watering.
The agony of choice
Unfortunately, birds are only too happy to pick earthworms out of the ground. Adding additional nesting boxes is therefore not recommended if you want to attract earthworms to the garden. In this case, you will inevitably have to choose between birds and earthworms. If you choose the birds, you can still attract earthworms, which you feed to tits and blackbirds. The following methods have proven themselves:
- generate vibrations
- salt water
- mustard mixture
generate vibrations
Drive a wooden stake into the ground and rub the top with a metal stick.
salt water
Dissolve 500g of salt in 10L of water and pour the solution over the lawn.
mustard mixture
Mix either 60 g of mustard or mustard flour in 0.5 l of water. Let the solution steep for a day, and then add 9.5 liters of water. Pour the solution onto the lawn.