Ground professionals

Specialists in hiding

Everyone knows them when they wriggle out of the ground, are on the move in compost heaps or can be found on roads and paths when it's damp: Earthworms are everywhere and there are 46 species of them in Germany and Switzerland alone. Worldwide, around 670 species have currently been identified, but researchers assume that many more species of the genus Lumbricidae remain undiscovered.

The earthworm, which is a soil-dwelling worm and should actually be called "earthworm" (in French and English therefore also "Ver de Terre" or "Earthworm"), is one of the most important species in the soil. Depending on the quality of the soil, between 120 and 400 specimens can be found per square metre. The worms are irreplaceable for nature because they shape the soil by digesting fresh and dead leaves and plant parts, ploughing the soil from top to bottom and thus ensuring a loose soil structure.

Their small, above-ground droppings are indicators of earthworm activity and numbers, and are also full of minerals and concentrated nutrients. They ensure good water absorption by the soil, and the well-aerated soil structure promotes the development of the roots, which can thus optimally absorb water and nutrients. In organic farming and in every organically managed garden, rain and compost worms are cultivated, because they are the guarantee that healthy plants in healthy soil produce good yields. Gentle soil cultivation, low soil compaction and varied crop rotations support the work of the earthworms.

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