By their activity in the soil, earthworms offer many benefits: increased nutrient availability, better drainage, and a more stable soil structure, all of which help improve farm productivity. Worms feed on plant debris (dead roots, leaves, grasses, manure) and soil. Nitrogen in the casts is readily available to plants.

Earthworms are among the most important soil dwelling invertebrates. Their activity affects both biotic and abiotic soil properties, in turn affecting plant growth. This suggests that earthworms stimulate plant growth predominantly through releasing nitrogen locked away in residue and soil organic matter.

One option you may have overlooked is adding earthworms to the soil. Though earthworms do not directly aid the growth of your plants, they enrich the surrounding soil in a number of ways which helps your plants grow by giving them a better growing environment.

Worms can be harmed by more than just the chemicals in potting soil. Because it is intended to drain quickly, potting soil is a poor choice for a worm bin. Worms must have some moisture, but not enough to pool in the bottom of the bin. Worms not kept moist have trouble burrowing and often fail to reproduce.

Called “nature’s plows,” earthworms’ tunnels improve soil aeration and drainage, making it easier for plant roots to penetrate the earth. Their movement mixes up the soil while creating a network of burrows to help air and water move through the soil.

Even though worms are beneficial, they don’t have to be added to a container garden. Some raised-bed container gardens contact the ground below them, but many container gardens, such as those made from pots or more creative means, are closed off and less likely to benefit from worms.

Worms eat dirt, animal manure, and organic matter such as leaves, dead roots, and grass. Their digestive systems turn their meals into humus full of necessary plant nutrients.

If an earthworm is split in two, it will not become two new worms. The head of the worm may survive and regenerate its tail if the animal is cut behind the clitellum. But the original tail of the worm will not be able to grow a new head (or the rest of its vital organs), and will instead die.

Oxygen diffuses easily through air, and the soil stays aerobic because oxygen comes in from the surface.” But after a rain, the soil pores and the worm burrows fill with water. “The worms can’t get enough oxygen when the soil is flooded, so they come to the surface to breathe.” Beats drowning.