Some people find them disgusting, but earthworms bring great benefits to your garden. You probably know from your childhood that beneficial insects come to the surface of the earth when it rains. But it's not just when they're visible that the animals prove to be effective helpers in maintaining the ecosystem. You 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 them to the precipitation.
How do I attract earthworms to the garden?
To attract earthworms in the garden, you should provide loose, moist and nutrient-rich soil, water regularly, mow the lawn less often and mulch the soil. Avoid placing nest boxes and creating vibrations or using s alt water or mustard solutions for attraction.
Benefits of earthworms in the garden
- loose 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 condition
- the temperature
- the humidity
The nature of the soil
Earthworms feel comfortable with the following substrate properties:
- loose soil
- light soil
- moist earth
- nutrient-rich (preferably enriched with organic material)
The temperature
Earthworms cannot tolerate frost. In winter, you retreat into the deep layers of the earth. Unfortunately, it is difficult to prevent this natural phenomenon. However, you can protect the ground from freezing to a certain extent by applying a layer of mulch.
Moisture
Water your beds quite often and don't mow the lawn too often. Low grass allows morning dew to dry faster. However, make sure that your plants can tolerate frequent watering.
Spoiled for choice
Unfortunately, birds are only too happy to peck earthworms out of the ground. Installing 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 birds, you can still attract earthworms to feed tits and blackbirds. The following methods have proven to be effective:
- Create vibrations
- S altwater
- Mustard mixture
Create vibrations
Drive a wooden stake into the ground and rub the top with a metal rod.
S altwater
Dissolve 500 g of s alt in 10 l of water and pour the solution over the lawn.
Mustard mixture
Mix 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.
