The power of the worm

Whether you are talking about vermiculture, vermicompost, worm power, worm castings, worm doo or just plain worm poop, the power of the worm in the realm of today’s gardening leaves little to doubt.

Both organic and non-organic professional growers are using worms, or that which they leave behind, to enhance soil chemistry, improve the physical characteristics of soil and increase plant health. Gardeners are growing worms in buckets and worm farms in back yards and golf courses are applying worm casting composts to keep the turf green and strong. It is said that Cleopatra recognized the value of the worm in the earth of the Nile Delta and declared the worm to be a sacred creature whose removal from Egypt would be punishable by nothing short of death. Charles Darwin studied earthworms for 40 years and is quoted to have said, “It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as have these lowly organized creatures.”

High praise for such creepy, crawly little guys, don’t you think? So what’s all the fuss about?

According to the folks at Worm Power, one of the world’s leading producers of worm casting-based organic soil fertilizers, earthworm compost has been reported in scientific literature to enhance plant germination, plant growth and crop yields. They attribute this to its ability to unlock soil nutrients for plant growth as well as the increased presence of microorganisms, which in turn influence the increase of substances such as growth hormones.

They further claim that reliable reports have shown documented cases of earthworm compost-medicated plant disease suppression, apparently due to greater health to the plant and the possible biological activity of the worm castings themselves.

Home gardeners have been using worm castings for years and claim many benefits, including:

• Stimulation of root growth due to improved porosity of soil.

• Slow, steady release of fertilizing qualities into the soil, thus no risk of fertilizer burn or toxicity.

• Reduction of transplant shock in seedlings.

• Improved moisture retention in soil.

• Increased water soluble nutrients available to plants.

• And, of course, the always popular “kids love worms” ploy that gets kids of all ages into the garden and out of the house

Using worm castings is really quite simple. They can be applied in one of several manners similar to other fertilizers. They can be mixed into the soil itself, laid on top soil or made into a tea to water plants. In any of these forms they seem to do their magic, so choosing the one that works for you would be the telling factor. If it’s for a house plant, perhaps the tea will work, if it’s a perennial bed maybe mixing worm castings into the soil from time to time would be best, and if you are growing outdoor container gardens, laying it on the surface would be your choice. Any of these methods will introduce the benefits of castings into your soil and allow improvements to begin.

We can constantly top-feed plants, hoping to keep up with their nutritional demands, but this is time consuming and turns out to be a bit like feeding a teen-age boy. The minute we stop they begin to whine and demand more. Or, we can feed the soil in which the plant dwells, keeping it healthy and alive. The success of plant life in soil that is healthy is a natural result, not a nonstop regiment of chemical fertilizers, growth hormones and pesticides. Worms can be a useful part of stopping this cycle and it really is a kick to watch them do their job. Seemingly they just wiggle about in the soil, eating up garbage and food by osmosis, but in reality they are ingesting and digesting around the clock, leaving behind a gardener’s gold. What a truly amazing thing to have at our disposal.

Why bring up worms at this point in the summer? Because they are a great winter project with many indoor worm farms being available online at relatively low prices. If used properly they are odorless, do not attract flies and are a fabulous way to cut down on winter kitchen waste while composting for next year. If you start shopping now, you can be good to go when that first frost hits. You can even feed the crawlers your frozen dahlia and tomato bodies! Now that’s what I call full-circle gardening.

Sally Koppenberg is a garden and food designer. She is the owner of Stonehill Gardens and The Red Beet, nursery and catering companies specializing in Alaska Grown foods, trees, shrubs, perennials and native plants. Contact her at redbeet@mtaonline.net.