How To Attract Worms To Your Garden

Not everyone likes earthworms, but you can’t deny that they’re extremely beneficial. Worms can increase the nutrient availability in your soil, aerate the soil, and support healthy plant growth. You can make a huge difference in your plants’ success this summer if you attract worms to your garden.

The best way to attract worms to your garden is to keep the soil damp and apply organic mulch. It also helps to put nutrient-dense organic matter, like coffee grounds, in your soil. Maintain neutral soil pH and avoid tilling the soil with heavy tools, so you don’t deter worms.

Today, you can buy earthworms to put in your compost bin or your garden. That’s a great option, but naturally attracting them is easy and more cost efficient. Follow along as we explore how to attract worms to your garden.

How To Get Earthworms In Your Garden

Attracting worms to your garden is easier than you may think. However, you must change some of your yardwork and gardening habits, as you may be keeping worms away. You can attract earthworms to your garden using several easy steps, such as:

1. Keep The Soil Damp

Have you ever seen a dried-out worm? If the answer is “yes”, then you probably understand how important moisture is to worms. Without moisture, worms can’t breathe, as oxygen can’t pass through their skin unless it’s damp. You will find more worms in your garden if the soil is consistently damp enough for them to thrive. That’s why you probably find more of them in your yard and garden after it rains.

Moisture helps them breathe, and also alllows them to navigate the soil. Use sprinklers to water your lawn and as many parts of your garden as possible. Manually water potted plants and soil beds as needed to ensure the top 2” of soil stays damp. Consistent moisture will encourage worms to linger around your garden.

2. Don’t Use Chemicals

There are many reasons why you shouldn’t use commercial pesticides, especially if you want to attract worms. Pesticides contain dangerous chemicals that can kill beneficial insects, harm animals, and impact the atmosphere. The chemicals in pesticides, weed killers, and fungicides can seep into the soil and kill worms. They can also affect pollinators, like bees and hummingbirds, as well as frogs.

You must weigh the pros and cons of using harmful chemicals in your garden. You’ll deter aphids and spider mites, but you may also deprive your garden of worms. Note that some natural pesticides, such as citrus peels, cayenne pepper, and garlic, can also deter worms. The scents and oils in these products can irritate a worm’s skin and make it leave the area. Anything spicy or acidic can easily keep worms away, even if it’s not a commercial chemical. 

3. Use Mulch

Anyone who takes pride in their garden should embrace mulch. It helps retain soil moisture, suppresses weeds, regulates soil temperature, and prevents soil erosion. More importantly, mulch can also help attract worms to your garden. Organic mulch is the best option because the shredded bark, grass clippings, and other organic materials attract worms. Artificial mulch is traditionally made of rubber, which lasts a long time, but won’t do your garden any favors.

The harmful materials in artificial mulch can also deter worms. You can also add more organic matter, such as straw and compost, to further protect your soil and attract earthworms. Ideally, you should replace your mulch once every 1 to 2 years for the best results. You can put your old mulch in the compost bin to ensure it doesn’t go to waste.

4. Don’t Use Heavy Tools

Many people till and aerate their yards and gardens each year. While that’s a good idea, doing so with heavy tools can kill and keep earthworms away. Worms naturally aerate soil without damaging it or harming other organisms. You can till the soil, but don't use heavy tools if you want to attract worms to your garden. Instead of a spade or rototiller, use a garden fork or a broad fork to aerate the soil.

The key is to work slowly and not go too deep right away. That way, you can slowly work through the process and make sure you don’t harm any worms. You may accidentally expose some worms during the process, leaving them vulnerable to predators. In that case, gently cover them with soil so they are protected.

5. Scatter Coffee Grounds

Some household items, such as cayenne pepper and garlic oil, can deter worms, but coffee grounds can attract them. Coffee grounds are great for compost and gardens because they are rich in the essential nutrient nitrogen, which attracts earthworms, and it helps them grow. Coffee grounds also contain potassium and phosphorus, which support plant health and attract worms.

Some people scatter coffee grounds on the soil’s surface, while others bury them a few inches deep. You can also steep the coffee grounds in a bucket of water, let it sit overnight, and use the water on the soil the next morning. This is a better option than synthetic fertilizers, which are bad for the environment.

6. Start Composting

Composting is one of the best thingsyou can do for your yard and garden. It involves recycling organic waste, like grass clippings and food scraps, in a bin or pile until it decomposes. This process will create an organic, nutrient-dense fertilizer, which you can use to support your garden’s soil. When your compost is ready, you can mix it with topsoil to infuse it with nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.

These nutrients can also attract worms, but many people intentionally put worms in their bins long before the compost is ready to harvest. That’s because worms can break down the organic materials faster. This is called vermicomposting, and the rapid decomposition is unparalleled. Once you put the compost in your garden, it will likely attract earthworms. It also helps to remove some worms from the compost bin and put them in your soil beds to attract others. 

7. Fix Soil Acidity

Soil acidity is so important that it can affect plant growth, nutrient absorption, and crop yield. It can also affect what type of beneficial organisms you attract to your garden. Neutral soil acidity can attract worms, while acidic or overly alkaline soil can deter them. Ideally, you should maintain a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0, which you can easily test. You can find rapid soil acidity testing kits at plant nurseries and home improvement stores.

If your soil is too basic, you must add acidic materials, like peat moss and elemental sulfur. You can fix overly acidic soil by adding basic materials, like calcium carbonate, ground oyster shells, and bone meal. You might have to experiment a bit before you can achieve neutral soil acidity. This won’t take too long if you regularly test the soil and avoid using extreme products, like acidic fertilizers.

When Should You Put Worms In Your Garden?

Early spring is the best time to put worms in your garden. They are sensitive to extreme cold and heat, so spring is the perfect time for them to get comfortable and reproduce. It is also the time when your garden starts to thrive, and worms can help your plants grow. Till your garden before putting worms in the soil. Otherwise, you may inadvertently kill them and other beneficial organisms in your garden. By aerating first, the soil can breathe well, and the worms can thrive.

Is It Worth Buying Worms For Your Garden?

It’s only worth buying worms for your garden if you can’t attract them, no matter what you do. However, the fact that you can’t attract worms should tell you that something is wrong with your soil. In that case, you should reflect on what chemicals you use outside and cut back on them. In the meantime, buying worms can at least help you improve your soil’s nutrient availability. That said, the worms won’t thrive or live long if you continually use harsh chemicals and can’t maintain soil neutrality.

Summing It Up

Keep soil damp and avoid using harsh chemicals if you want to attract worms to your garden. Mulch, coffee grounds, and compost can infuse soil with key nutrients that attract worms. Don’t dig deep or aerate your soil with harsh tools, or else you may kill and deter worms.

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