Earthworms in the lawn - big nuisance or valuable helpers?
Unfortunately, some of you will have already experienced it. You've meticulously tended your lawn for months, and after a rainy night in the fall, everything changes. Suddenly, the lush green is covered with numerous small piles of excrement.
The culprits are earthworms, which at worst turn the beautiful lawn into a no-go area, because unfortunately you can also expect residue on your shoes when you step on them. Before you prematurely declare war on the little pests, we'll explain the benefits of earthworms and how to get along with them.
Little earth dwellers as industrious garden helpers - what are the benefits of earthworms?
Basically, the small creepy-crawlies are only found where they find good living conditions. So there is also a reason to be happy, because your soil seems to be healthy and rich in humus. Earthworms are perfect soil looseners, even if they are blind, deaf and dumb. With their many muscles they can tirelessly dig tunnels, which additionally aerate the soil, for this they lift up to 60 times their body weight.
Even though they have no teeth, they eat a lot of organic waste. Each night, up to 20 dead leaves are eaten from the surface and distributed in the soil as biofertilizer. Some good gardeners even buy earthworms by the kilo in an air bag together with the valuable worm humus to improve the nutrient content of the soil and accelerate plant growth.
Terrifying garden inhabitants and the reasons for their presence above ground
Normally, the worms stay in deeper soil layers and dig their tunnels there, which they also use as a toilet. But when it rains and the drops patter on the earth, their flight instinct is probably awakened. Then they push their way to the surface as quickly as possible, along with their excrement.
Loamy, dense soil intensifies these rain vibrations, whereas they are weakened in a loose, sandy soil.
You can also test this yourself by causing the soil to vibrate slightly. Another trigger for the rise of earthworms can be moles. Their tireless digging panics not only every gardener but also the crawling insects that do not want to end up as a snack.
Sanding and lawn squeegee - so the worm stays where it belongs
How useful earthworms are, is already clear. But how to get them not to leave the soil? A good method is to scarify the lawn already in spring and then sand it. This creates a buffer on the surface that softens vibrations in the soil. Thus, the sensitive senses of the little helpers are not disturbed and the worms can go about their work in a relaxed manner without fleeing upwards.
The sand layer can be distributed quickly and easily with our Rasenrakel . The result is happy insects and a beautiful lawn. The combination of sand and Rasenrakel also evens out unevenness and provides natural drainage.
Infobox "What to do in case of earthworm infestation?"
- In sunny weather, the manure dries out and can be leveled directly with our Rasenrakel - creating perfect biofertilizer for your lawn!
- Wait and see, because the next heavy downpour will probably wash them away
- If you want to do something good for other garden plants, collect the humus with a small shovel and dry it. So it can be spread next year as a natural plant fertilizer.
- For the nocturnal and impatient among you is a relocation in damp weather.Tip: Since the light of a flashlight would scare away the worms, it is recommended to cover them with red foil. Then nothing stands in the way of a relocation in the bucket and the earthworms can perform valuable services in another place in the garden.
