The Magical Little Earthworm

Once upon a time, during the dead of winter, something unseen and magical was happening.

It appeared that the backyard garden lay quiet and dormant, yet underneath a blanket of brown, crunchy leaves, little miracle workers were busily turning the leaves that fell to the ground in autumn, into rich, black soil.

The next spring, when the seeds sprouted into flowers, they were bigger and more beautiful than ever!

While this may seem like a fairytale, the “little miracle workers” are actually earthworms—and these tenacious little workers require very little to make their magic happen. Like all organisms, they need food, water, and shelter, but their standards are fairly low.

Dead leaves along with fruit and vegetable scraps are the food of choice for worms. They also love used coffee grounds. To create a haven for worms, you can simply begin by putting food scraps on a small area in your garden.

Place a layer of newspaper over the food to help to insulate and create a safe space for them to live and do their magic. Soak the paper with water or let rain and snow do the work for you. You may need to begin by purchasing a few starter-worms. The little crawlers will create a fortress underneath the newspaper.

When spring has finally sprung, the result of their work throughout the winter will be rich soil you can use in planting flowers or vegetables. Taking a few worms to their new location will help to keep the soil aerated and healthy.