Worms are valuable helpers in your garden, improving soil structure and nutrients, and supporting healthier plant growth.
The good news is that if you create the right conditions in your garden, worms will naturally find their way in and make themselves right at home. By focusing on feeding the soil rather than the worms directly, worms will move in and help your garden to flourish.
Garden earthworms live in soil and help improve garden beds by tunnelling and breaking down organic matter. Worm-farm composting worms are better suited to rich food scraps. For garden beds, the goal is to improve the soil so local worms move in naturally. Don’t buy compositing worms and release them into the garden.
How to build healthy soil
The key to attracting worms is building healthy soil. Worms thrive in environments rich in organic matter. Regularly add these key ingredients to your soil:
- Compost
- Aged (not fresh) manure
- Leaf litter
- Sugar cane mulch, pea straw or lucerne mulch
- Grass clippings in thin layers.
As these materials break down, they become a food source, drawing worms into the soil and encouraging them to stay.
For step-by-step advice, see How to make compost for your garden by Bunnings Workshop resident horticulturalist Noelle.
Keeping your soil consistently moist also makes a big difference. Worms breathe through their skin, so they need damp conditions to survive. Dry, compacted soil will drive them away, while evenly watered garden beds create a much more inviting environment. Mulching helps too, as it locks in moisture and keeps the soil cool.
Do not disturb
Try to disturb the soil as little as possible. Frequent digging, turning or cultivating can damage worm tunnels and disrupt the soil structure they help create. A no-dig or low-disturbance approach allows worms to move naturally through the soil, improving aeration, drainage and root growth over time.
Consider mound planting particularly in heavy clay soils. Instead of digging down, build up your garden bed with layers of soil, compost, and organic matter. This method improves drainage while protecting the existing soil structure and worm habitat.
Careful with pest control
What you use in your garden is also important to ensure a healthy worm population. Choosing organic pest control products helps support worm populations and the wider soil ecosystem. Avoid broad-spectrum pesticides where possible, and always check product labels before applying treatments to soil or garden beds.
By only using targeted treatments when needed, you can protect your garden’s organic matter and microorganisms that worms rely on for food, creating a more balanced environment where they can flourish over time.
Adding organic matter directly to the surface, such as leaf litter or grass clippings, can also encourage worms to come up and feed. Over time, they will pull this material down into the soil, enriching it as they go. This natural process improves soil fertility without the need for heavy intervention.
For more tips on reducing chemical use and supporting soil health, check out Noelle’s guide How to create an organic garden.
What discourages worms?
Worms are less likely to thrive in garden beds that are:
- Very dry
- Compacted
- Regularly dug over
- Low in organic matter
- Exposed to harsh sun with no mulch
- Treated frequently with strong pesticides
- Waterlogged for long periods.
The benefits of healthy worm populations
As worm populations grow, you will start to notice the benefits. Soil becomes looser and easier to work with, plants grow more vigorously, and water drains more effectively. You may also notice small worm castings on the soil surface, better crumbly soil texture, fewer puddles after watering, and healthier root growth.
By focusing on soil health, moisture, and gentle care, you create the kind of environment worms are naturally drawn to, turning your garden into a thriving, self-sustaining system.
In addition to encouraging worms throughout your garden, a dedicated worm farm can also be a great asset. See How to start and maintain a worm farm to turn everyday kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich fertiliser and help your garden to thrive.
