How to support the worm populations in your ARK

Earthworms have two primary requirements: moist soil and an organic matter food source.

Compost! Rather than throwing food waste in the bin, where it becomes a methane producer in the dumps, create a wormery for the cooked food and meat waste, and a compost heap for the vegetable scraps and waste cardboard. Both of these will be the ultimate habitat and food supply for many worm species, that in turn will become a vital food supply for our hedgehogs, birds and foxes, among others. This will create nutrient dense compost for your vegetable garden in a wonderful cycle. A successful compost heap needs air, food and garden waste and water. A simple heap, at the far end of your garden, covered by a tarp, turned occasionally, is just as effective as a compost bin, if not as tidy. In small gardens and balconies, a wormery may be a better option. Good wormeries can be easily built or you can purchase them. Fruithill Farms in Bantry do very nice ones.

Don’t dig your soil. Unless you are planting a tree or a shrub, you should never turn over your soil. Over exposure to oxygen kills off most of the life in the soil, removing the food sources for the earthworm and the disturbance also physically destroys their populations. Earthworm populations can be virtually eliminated within a single season by conventional ploughing and tilling practices.

Leave the leaves! Letting leaves lie where they fall will support a myriad of creatures, including earthworms. Just use a stiff brush to get them off paths if they are causing a slipping risk.

A wood pile will slowly break down, providing a good source of

worm food.

Mary Reynolds no longer describes herself as a gardener but as a guardian, focusing on restoring native biodiversity to our gardens (and balconies and terraces), enhancing their natural beauty, while encouraging wildlife, working with the seasons and helping conserve native Irish species. wearetheark.org