Worms: Our Useful Neighbours

The common earthworm, known by its Latin name as Lumbricus terrestris, is the magic behind composting hundreds of tonnes of garden and food waste. The common earthworm’s diet consists of decaying organic matter which it eats and digests and then excretes this digested material as worm casts, these are very rich in nutrients which in turn providexxx nutrients for plants and trees. This humus can contain up to five times more nitrogen, seven times more phosphorus as well as an increase in carbon, it also helps to improve the structure of the soil.

Image by Gavin Anderson via Flickr

The earthworm’s body is made up of small segments called annuli, which are covered in tiny hairs and allow the worm to move through the soil, the smooth section of the worm is known as the clitellium and this is responsible for secreting a sticky mucus which covers the worm.

Image via Wikipedia

Composting with worms and micro-organisms is called vermicomposting and has become quite popular (just see all the websites offering information on the process). This kind of composting has been used in classrooms as an example of how worms break down vegetation and also by people destroying confidential papers by letting the worms destroy the paperwork.

But I think the best thing about vermicomposting is that it is free! Once you have your compost bin, all you need to do is just top up the layers, aerate the compost every now and again to allow oxygen into the mixture and the worms will do all of the hard work.