Tag: earthworms

Earthworms: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Earthworms have held a secure place in the hearts of many gardeners for quite some time. Charles Darwin himself was endlessly fascinated by these organisms (publishing an entire book about them in 1881) writing: “it may be doubted whether there are any other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world…”.  

Nightcrawler/Common Earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris). Photo: Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org

Recognized for their benefits to soils, including improvements in water infiltration, aeration, porosity, tilth, organic matter, beneficial microbes, and the list goes on, it is not difficult to see why.… Continue reading this article “Earthworms: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”

Worm Juice!

There’s still snow on the ground, but I know that spring is finally coming to Minnesota because I FINALLY saw a crocus peeking its head out of the ground this week!

So perhaps you wonder from time to time what garden professor types get excited about.  Well, here’s an example.  Tomorrow I’ll be meeting up with a friend of mine, Meleah Maynard, which is nice, we always have a good time chatting, but I’m especially excited because she’s bringing me some drippings from her vermicomposting. … Continue reading this article “Worm Juice!”

Why did the worm cross the road?

…To get to the other side. Of course.

All the rain we’re having is causing the earthworms to crowd the sidewalks and driveways. They fling themselves out of the ground and onto the pavement because they’re drowning, right?  Nope. Urban myth (by the way, why are there no Rural Myths?).  The punchline is not too far off: they can only move about above ground while it’s raining. They use rain events to safely relocate, and can allegedly live for a while in a puddle. … Continue reading this article “Why did the worm cross the road?”

Invasion of the killer earthworms

It sounds like a B-grade horror movie.  Millions of earthworms, moving silently beneath soil, wreaking havoc until the entire planet is uninhabitable.  Sound a little far-fetched?  Not to ecologists that study northern hardwood forests.  While most of us grew up thinking earthworms were ubiquitous, turns out they are not native in parts of North America that were covered with ice during the last glacial period.  Most of us also grew up thinking that earthworms where the good guys/girls (they’re hermaphroditic), churning up compacted soil and leaving nutrient-rich castings behind. … Continue reading this article “Invasion of the killer earthworms”

Of Worms and Fertilizers

Today I’m going to write about fertilizers and worms.  The purpose of this post is not to encourage you to use fertilizers.  I agree wholeheartedly with Linda’s post – we don’t need many of the fertilizers which we’re using.  Still, it’s important to know the facts about anything that you’re doing (or not doing) to and for your garden, and to do them (or not do them) for the right reasons.  With that in mind, I’ve been reading about worms and fertilizers for the last few days and wanted to let all of you know the basics of what I’ve been reading, because it is somewhat contrary to what many gardeners believe.… Continue reading this article “Of Worms and Fertilizers”