Subject: Re: Not very many earth worms in the soil...
From: stownshe@chat.carleton.ca (Stephen Townshend)
Organization: Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
Date: 15 Oct 1997 19:33:32 GMT
Message-ID: <MOD$971015.13645@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$971011.21440@rec.gardens.ecosystems>



Earthworms will return by themselves if they are available in the local
ecosystem. However, they cannot survive well in a soil which is subjected
to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Even if you do not use these
things in your garden, if they are in heavy use in your area, earthworms
may be (literally) thin on the ground. If you buy some earthworms as
stock, they will re-establish themselves more rapidly.

Think of it in these terms: can you breed a large herd of cows faster
from 2 cows or 10 cows. If there are very few earthworms remaining in
your soil, it will take much longer for them to repopulate the garden.
Add some more to give them a larger initial population. Last time I
checked, earthworms were pretty cheap.

Did you know that earthworms are so effective at fertilizing the soil
that ancient human civilizations never arose in areas where the soil had
no earthworms? They were so valuable in the eyes of the ancient Egyptian
farmers that they considered them sacred. Charles Darwin did extensive
research on earthworms. Their favourite foods are apple tree leaves and fat.