I was turning another bed, getting ready to plant bush beans and lo and behold, here were some friends of mine, earthworms! So, seems like a good time to talk a little about these guys and what they mean for your soil. Earthworms are like mini rototillers. They wiggle around eating soil and making holes where roots and water can follow. They bring nutrients up from the depths and poop them towards the surface. They eat surface nutrients and mix them down where roots can find them. Their excrement, castings, are richer than the decayed matter or soil the worm ate originally. The castings actually chemically changed what was eaten out of the soil and turn it into something soluble and immediately available to plants. If you don't see any worms in your garden, bed, or box, buy some! They are available at some garden shops and all fishing stores.
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