In this day and age it seems the direction most people are taking is leading away from living in harmony with nature and the soil which is the very life line of our physical existence. Soils are becoming depleted of organic matter and living organisms because they are not being replaced as needed. If we do not regularly add organic matter (manure, compost, humus) to our soil or keep it covered with these, our soil will become a lifeless pile of matter. Organic matter produces living organisms within the soil structure which are vital to the plant's ability to draw from the soil the needed minerals to grow.

Did you ever wonder why store bought produce is not as tasty as home grown? Two of the reasons are: 1. It has to be harvested partly green so it doesn't spoil by the time it gets to you. 2. Most commercially produced food is grown in soil which has been "nourished" with chemical fertilizers. These can produce a cosmetically good looking fruit or vegetable that lacks taste. Chemical fertilizers kill earthworms and soil micro-organisms if applied heavily and repeatedly.

If there is no life in the soil the plant cannot draw from the soil everything it needs to produce good, healthful, tasty fruit. The process of a plant taking a nutrient from the soil through the roots and utilizing it for growth is called cation exchange. This process is hindered if our soil does not have adequate soil micro-organisms. This is partly why foliar feeding fertilizers are so popular and why they can make such a great difference in plant performance. If the soil is what it should be foliar feeding is not as necessary, although it can help.

Foliar feeding and soil drenching with liquid seaweed or fish emulsion does help the plant's cation exchange capabilities. Organic fertilizers, compost and humus help this exchange and also add nutrients to the soil.

When adding anything to the plant or soil make sure it promotes earthworm activity since they play a vital role in improving soil quality.

I met a family who used the earthworms to build up their soil by feeding them and providing them with the right conditions for rapid reproduction. They raise most of their own food. Their garden is very large consisting of raised beds separated by grass paths.

The Shell family lives in Burnsville, Virginia in Bath, County, the county without a single traffic light. The elevation there is 2400 ft. When I met them, Timothy, the oldest son living at home, told me they never till their garden. This was different for me because I was used to tilling my garden several times a year. He said the earthworms do the tilling. He feeds them by covering the ground with a mixture of leaves, animal manure (horse, chicken, cow, rabbit, sheep or other domestic animal or fowl) and vegetable matter which can be grass clippings or kitchen garbage. All green stuff is desirable for earthworm reproduction. The finer the material, the better. However, good results can be obtained by mixing coarse materials and allowing the earthworms to break them up.

Did you ever notice the hundreds of little worms you find near ground level when you overturn a shovel full of partly composted matter? The perfect environment for them is in matter that is not composted because during the decomposition process the earthworms can do their work They feed on the un-decomposed stuff turning it into rich castings. When the pile is completely composted they move on looking for more green matter to eat.

Earthworms also eat soil turning it into rich castings while burrowing through the ground making little tunnels which also supply plants with needed air and make the water holding capacity better because the water can soak through instead of running off.

When ideal conditions are provided the earthworms can turn a heavy clay soil into productive soil in a matter of months.

Earthworm population per acre ranges from a sparse few thousand to several million per acre in favorable environments. One million of these in one acre can produce 5 tons of castings per year. 50,000 earthworms can completely transform one cubic yard of material per month.

While earthworms inhabit the surface layers of the soil, absorbing nutrition from the organic content of the soil by swallowing the soil with all it contains, they also burrow deep into the earth riddling and honeycombing it to a depth of several feet. They come to the top to deposit their castings in the loose surface layers, bringing the subsoil to the top and mixing it with surface soil. In its passage through the worm the mineral subsoil undergoes chemical change making it immediately available for plant nutrition.

Where there are numerous earthworms, the soil also has a greatly increased number of soil bacteria. Decomposition of vegetable matter is much more rapid under the influence of earthworms.

Through the action of the earthworms the fertility of the soil is rendered available by the fact that in the digestive process of the earthworm, the elements of plant nutrition are made water-soluble. Resistance to pests and plant diseases is increased by action of earthworms due to the production of a more balanced soil without deficiencies such as are found in soils dependent on chemical fertilizers.

Were earthworms ever used in general farming? Yes, we have a true story of a large Ohio farm which was operated with full use of earthworms. Originally the farm size was 1800 acres but it had been sold off in forty acre tracts to former tenants until there remained only the farmstead of 160 acres. The homestead was located at the center of the farm. Four acres of orchard and garden furnished an abundance of fruits and vegetables that lasted all year. Root cellars, vegetable banks, canned and dried fruits and vegetables provided for the winter months. The house and orchard were backed by 40 acres of timbered land. There were maple, hickory, black walnut, burr oak, and many other trees native to Ohio. The rest of the farm was divided into four equal sized tracts. And now enters the earthworms. For more than 60 years these 160 acres had been farmed without a single crop failure. This farmer was known far and wide for unequaled excellence of his corn and other grain and a large part of his surplus was sold at top prices for seed purposes.

The farm combined general farming and stock raising. He had horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, chickens, and ducks.

Usually about 300 head of stock were wintered. This establishment was maintained in prosperity and plenty. He contributed his success as a farmer to his utilization of earthworms in maintaining and rebuilding the fertility of the soil in an unbroken cycle. The heart of the farming technique was the compost pit. In summary, what is the easiest way to increase earthworm activity?

Step One:
In the fall, spread manure or compost several inches thick (or whatever amount is available) over the entire garden; or you can plant a cover crop such as annual rye. The main idea is to keep the soil covered over winter.

Step Two:
When tilling the garden in spring, don't till too deep and try to till when it is cool and you think the earthworms are down lower. Ploughing or spading can be done at any time.

Step Three:
Mulch your garden between rows to keep weeds down instead of tilling the bare soil all summer. The mulch will encourage earthworm activity.

The Shell family maintains this several inch thick layer of mulch all year round on their raised beds, never tilling it. When planting they just push the mulch aside, place each seed in the ground and cover it up. As plants grow they push mulch back around plant as desired. In curiosity I shoved aside some mulch and found nice, dark, loose soil with a smell resembling wood dirt. Just by smelling it you can tell plants would really grow in it. So in final summary, if you want to improve the soil, feed the worms.

Sustainably yours,
Edward Beachy Berlin Seeds
5371 CR 77, Millersburg, OH 44654