Last updated on October 25th, 2023 at 01:22 pm
Introducing earthworms into plant pots, a practice known as vermicomposting or worm composting, can be highly beneficial for your plants and the overall health of your garden. Earthworms play a vital role in enhancing soil structure, promoting nutrient cycling, and improving aeration. Here’s a breakdown of why you should consider putting earthworms in your plant pots:
1. Improved Soil Structure: Earthworms burrow through the soil, creating channels that improve aeration and water drainage. Their movements help loosen compacted soil, making it easier for plant roots to spread and access nutrients and water.
2. Nutrient Enrichment: Earthworms consume organic matter like dead leaves and plant debris, breaking them down into nutrient-rich castings. These castings are an excellent natural fertilizer, providing essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients to your plants.
3. Increased Microbial Activity: Earthworms excrete mucus that contains enzymes, promoting the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the soil. These microorganisms further break down organic matter, releasing nutrients that are readily available to plants.
4. pH Balance: Earthworms help maintain the soil’s pH balance. Their activities tend to neutralize overly acidic or alkaline soil conditions, creating a more hospitable environment for plant roots.
5. Pest Control: Earthworms consume various organic matter, including small insects and larvae. While they won’t completely eliminate pest problems, they can help control certain insect populations in your pots.
6. Reduced Need for Chemical Fertilizers: By enhancing nutrient availability through their castings, earthworms reduce the dependency on chemical fertilizers. This eco-friendly approach benefits both your plants and the environment.
How to Introduce Earthworms to Your Plant Pots:
- Choose the Right Earthworms:
- Red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) are popular composting worms. They adapt well to confined spaces like plant pots and are prolific in producing nutrient-rich castings.
- Prepare the Pot:
- Add a layer of shredded newspaper or dampened cardboard at the bottom of the pot to create a comfortable bedding for the worms.
- Introduce the Earthworms:
- Place the earthworms on top of the bedding material. Avoid overcrowding; the number of worms depends on the pot size and the amount of organic waste they will receive.
- Feed the Worms:
- Earthworms require a diet of organic waste like kitchen scraps (fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, etc.). Bury the food scraps in the potting soil, and the worms will naturally migrate to the food source.
- Maintain Moisture and Avoid Overfeeding:
- Keep the potting mix moist, as earthworms need a damp environment. Be mindful not to overfeed the worms; add food only when the previous scraps have mostly disappeared.
While introducing earthworms to your plant pots has numerous benefits, it’s essential to maintain a balance. Regularly monitor the moisture level, avoid adding too much food, and provide a suitable environment for the worms. With proper care, the earthworms will work their magic, contributing to healthier, more vibrant plants in your pots.
Earthworms play an important role in the life and balance of the soil. To put it simply, let’s say that they participate in the fertilization of the soil by decomposing the organic matter they devour on the surface (compost worms), but also in the aeration and decompacting of the soil thanks to the galleries they dig (earthworms). The idea of incorporating earthworms in a pot can be interesting in order to limit the settlement of the substrate and to generate a natural amendment. However, there are some limitations.
If you put worms in a pot, you will have to feed them. Indeed, there is not much to eat in potting soils, as most of the organic matter (peat, compost, fibers…) is already decomposed. It will thus be necessary to place a permanent mulch on the surface of the pot as a pantry. To keep it aesthetically pleasing, prefer plain plant mulches, but if possible composed in part of moist and supple nitrogenous materials (hedge shredding with leaves, grass…) that they can devour directly. Or, well hidden under a mulch of dry organic matter (bark, wood …) insert peelings, remains of tea or coffee.