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 nature of the soil
- the temperature
- the humidity
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The nature of the soil
Earthworms feel comfortable with the following substrate properties:
- loose earth
- light soil
- damp earth
- nutrient-rich (preferably enriched with organic material)
The temperature
Earthworms do not tolerate frost. In winter you therefore retreat into the deep layers of the earth. Unfortunately, it is difficult to prevent this natural phenomenon. However, you can protect the soil from freezing to some extent by applying a layer of mulch.
humidity
Water your beds fairly often and don't mow the lawn too often. Low grass will allow the morning dew to dry faster. Make sure, however, that your plants can tolerate frequent watering.
The agony of choice
Unfortunately, birds are only too happy to peck earthworms out of the Earth. Attaching additional nesting boxes is therefore not recommended if you want to attract earthworms into the garden. In this case, you will inevitably have to choose between birds and earthworms. If birds are your choice, you can still attract earthworms to feed tits and blackbirds. The following methods have proven effective:
- Generate vibrations
- Salt water
- Mustard mixture
Generate vibrations
Drive a wooden stake into the ground and rub the top end with a metal stick.
Salt water
Dissolve 500 g of salt in 10 l 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 on the lawn.