Earthworm

Earthworm (family Lumbricidae, e.g. Lumbricus terrestris) is a soil-dwelling invertebrate that consumes organic matter and plant litter, converting it into plant-available nutrients and improving soil structure as it burrows.¹

Inputs

• Decomposing organic matter: plant litter and soil organic residues in the ground, or — for composting red worms (Eisenia fetida) — vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, and crushed leaves, kept away from pet feces, oils, and glossy paper.¹
• Moisture: skin must stay at least as damp as a wrung-out sponge (roughly 40%+ moisture) to breathe.¹
• Near-neutral soil pH; composting red worms prefer 13–25°C.¹

Outputs

• Compost — castings (“worm casts”) are soil clusters glued together on excretion, resistant to erosion, and carrying far more microorganisms than the material the worm consumed.¹

Functions

• Soil aeration — burrows line the soil with channels for root growth and oxygen, increasing the soil’s ability to accept water and let it penetrate more deeply.¹

Footnotes

1. Earthworms (Backyard Gardener #58) | University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶