Key Takeaways
Nutrient-rich lawns offer:- Enhanced Growth: Nutrients support vigorous lawn growth and greenness.
- Disease Resistance: Proper nutrition helps lawns fight off diseases more effectively.
- Drought Tolerance: A well-nourished lawn can better withstand periods of low water availability.
If you want a thriving lawn, you must focus on creating a nutrient-rich lawn with plenty of fertilizing creatures. One fantastic example of nature's fertilizers is earthworms, which help to build the nutrients in your yard simply by living in it.
Many lawns are already abundant in earthworms, but this can depend on the location and how healthy your property is. If you notice a significant lack of earthworms, use some of these tips to invite them to your yard. Keep reading to discover why earthworms are beneficial and how to attract more to your soil.
How Do Earthworms Contribute to a Nutrient-Rich Lawn?
When developing a nutrient-rich lawn, you may consider most worm and bug species a nuisance. The reality is that worms play a significant part in this process since they live in the soil.
Earthworms are a particular type of worm that lives deep in the soil, consuming organic matter and tunneling through the ground. These worms are beneficial because they eat organic matter and then excrete it back into the soil through their waste. This waste is packed with nutrients that are now in a form that microorganisms and plants can use.
Because earthworms tunnel through the soil, this also helps improve the soil texture and breaks up larger or more compressed dirt areas. This increases the air in the ground, encouraging more microbes and insect life. The improved texture of the soil also increases water retention, helping the soil stay moist more consistently, which is perfect for plants and grass.
Unlike some other types of worms, earthworms tunnel deep into the ground, which helps to disperse nutrients to more deeply rooted plants that would otherwise be neglected.
Attracting Nature's Fertilizers to Your Lawn
Now that you know why earthworms are so crucial for a nutrient-rich lawn, what do you do if you don't naturally have them? The good news is that these worms are not picky and will gladly move in if you encourage them.
Keep the Soil Moist
Like most types of worms, earthworms love moist soil since they can lose up to a fifth of their body weight every day if they don't have access to enough moisture. Because of this, if the soil is dry, that will dry the worms out and ultimately kill them. Keep in mind that waterlogged soil can be just as bad since it can suffocate the worms.
To encourage earthworms, you should water the soil consistently and have plenty of drainage sources. This will ensure that the soil does not dry out in certain areas while becoming waterlogged in others.
Increase Organic Matter
As we mentioned, earthworms consume organic matter as the central part of their diet. If your soil does not have enough of this matter, you won't attract new earthworms since there isn't enough food to go around. The good news is that this problem can be easily solved by composting, mulching, and adding other sources of organic matter to the soil.
Because earthworms dig deep into the ground, it is a good idea to disperse the organic matter throughout the soil instead of simply leaving it on the surface. An additional bonus to this is that more organic matter will help with drainage and moisture, which will also attract more worms.
Leave the Soil Alone
Even though earthworms are expert tunnelers, they will struggle to tunnel through heavily compacted soil. That is why it is essential to leave the soil as untouched as possible so that the consistency is desirable for worms. You can do this by avoiding areas of exposed soil since walking over them will start to compact it.
Another thing to remember is that you do not want to disturb the soil since this disturbs the earthworms. For instance, digging or causing other soil disturbances could hinder the earthworms from laying their eggs and ultimately kill off any worm life you have.
How to Tell If Your Lawn Has Earthworms
Before using these tips, you first want to check your soil for any earthworm life. You can easily do this by digging a hole 6 to 12 inches deep to see if you come across any worms.
Earthworms are easy to identify since they are one of the most common. They have a body made of many small segments and have a pinkish and purplish color. They can also grow larger than other types of worms, so they are hard to miss.
You may also be able to tell that your lawn has earthworms if you notice small mounds of fresh soil sitting on the surface of your yard. In particularly wet areas, you may even be able to find small earthworm holes.
Conclusion
Having a nutrient-rich lawn means sharing the soil with other living creatures, such as earthworms. These worms naturally help to improve the soil texture, moisture, and nutrients available for plants.
Most lawns will already have an abundance of earthworms but that may not always be the case for your property.
The good news is that earthworms are very easy to please, and it isn't difficult to attract them to your lawn if you want to improve your soil. Contact us today at Cory's Lawn Service for more information about improving the health of your lawn and soil.