Ode to a Worm

Digging in the dirt, I am reminded of your beauty

You wriggle quickly away from my spade

Please stay!

You are the air in my soil

You make it loose and richly brown

You add the nutrients my baby plants need

Thank you, my garden friend

And Happy Mother-Father’s Day!

You know your garden soil is healthy when it is alive with worms, but did you know the micro-nutrients produced through their castings are the true stars of compost? The earthworms in our yard tunnel through the soil providing vital air while increasing the micronutrients available to our plants.

If you can’t get enough good compost, perhaps are landlocked in an apartment or condo, you may want to try vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is done inside with special worms called "red wigglers." These worms are different than our earthworms and cannot survive in the heat of our summer or our frigid winters.  Their home is a bin you can make. The worm casting they provide are dense with microorganisms that in-turn provide an abundance of micro-nutrients our plants need to grow strong and fight diseases.

If you’d like more information about these special composters, please join us at the Civic Garden Center the evening of Tuesday, June 19. We are partnering with the Civic Garden Center to hold a special worm bin workshop where you can learn how to vermicompost and can even build your own worm bin if you choose. Learn more when you click here.

Post by guest-blogger and compost-lover Jenny Lohmann