Is it recommended to put worms, like the ones used for fishing bait, in my raised bed?
Question:
Is it recommended to put worms, like the ones used for fishing bait, in my raised bed?
Answer:
This is a really great question.
We do not typically recommend adding earthworms to raised bed fill. The short reason is that if your soil is good, they will probably show up on their own, and if you have good soil and there aren’t any worms, you don’t need them.
The more complicated answer is that earthworms, while ubiquitous at this point, are non-native arrivals to ME, and while they do many beneficial things to the soil in our cultivated beds, they can actually be quite destructive to our native soil ecology if they move out of garden spaces (see this great explanation from the UNH Extension). Which they inevitably do. So, enjoy them and their helpful efforts in your vegetable bed if they show up, but don’t go out of your way to introduce more. One other consideration is the proliferation of the Amynthas jumping worm, which has moved into Maine and is spreading through contaminated soil, compost, and mulch. Your best defense is not to introduce it to your property in the first place (which means you should also carefully vet, inspect, and quarantine any soil, compost, or mulch you purchase).
Happy gardening.