If you’ve stood out on your lawn recently and noticed a bunch of small bumps, it could be an indication that you have worms in your yard. Most of us don’t like worms since they are strange little bugs that aren’t too nice to look at. But are worms in the lawn good or bad? Are there any benefits to having worms in your lawn, or are they damaging it? Well, before you make any decisions, let’s take a look and find out.
Are Worms in a Lawn Good or Bad? (The Short Answer)
In general, having earthworms in the lawn is an indication of healthy grass. Worms help aerate the soil, recycle nutrients into the soil, reduce thatching, repair damaged soil, and help monitor soil moisture levels. On the downside, worms create bumps in the lawn that can make mowing difficult and affect the lawn’s appearance, too many castings can suffocate the lawn, and worms can attract pests.
What Are the Benefits of Worms for a Lawn?
So, don’t freak out if you’ve noticed a few worms popping up on your lawn. As it turns out, having earthworms in your yard can actually be a good thing. So, are worms good for your lawn? Let’s take a look.
Worms Aerate the Soil
Earthworms in your yard are continuously creating tunnels in the soil without affecting the grass. Worms burrow deep into the soil to seek nutrients and moisture. These holes are very beneficial because they help to aerate and break up compacted soil. By burrowing, worms help to bring oxygen, water, and nutrients down to the soil, making it easier for your lawn to reap the benefits and giving you one less job to do.
Worms Encourage Root Growth
Another key benefit to the holes worms dig is that they help roots grow. When soil is compacted, it limits how far the root system can reach. A shallow root system can leave your grass vulnerable to pests, drought, and disease. So, by digging holes, worms create the space the roots need to expand and keep your lawn healthy.
Worms Fertilize the Soil
As worms move around your lawn, they consume fallen leaves, dead plants, bacteria, fungi, dead animals, and other organic matter. The worms digest this food and turn it into highly nutritious castings (their poop). According to the Soil Association, “worm castings contain 5 times more nitrogen, 7 times more phosphorus, and 1000 times more beneficial bacteria than the original soil.” So, you can save on some fertilizer and allow the worms to go about their business and boost your lawn’s health in a natural and efficient way.
Worms Dethatch the Lawn
If you have problems with thatch, then having worms in your lawn could be a good thing. Thatch is a build of organic matter that sits on the surface of the soil, blocking nutrients, oxygen, and water from reaching the roots.
Worms naturally consume thatch and decompose it back into the soil. Not only will this help control thatching, but it recycles the nutrients and feeds them back to your lawn. So, instead of adding dethatching to your lawn maintenance routine, you can let the worms do it for you.
Worms Repair Damaged Soil
These days, many harmful pollutants make their way onto our properties, whether they come from our environment or chemicals we put in the soil. Contaminants are not only bad for our lawns, but they are bad for the environment too. When it comes to toxins in the soil, worms are master healers. Worms help to offset contaminants in the yard by eating them and recycling them into non-toxic material.
Worms Indicate Moisture
If you’ve stood out on your lawn after it rained, then you’ve probably noticed the worms wiggling in and out of your lawn. Rainwater floods wormholes and forces the worms to come up to the surface so that they can breathe.
Normally, worms live down near the root system, so if you’re noticing worms on the surface on a sunny day, then it could be an indication that your soil is too moist and might be waterlogged. One of my tricks is to water the lawn before fishing to get some free bait.
Can Worms Damage a Lawn?
Now that we have answered the question, are worms good for grass? Let’s take a look at the bad side of having worms in your lawn.
Worms Create Bumps in the Lawn
If you have a large population of worms in your lawn, then you’re aware of the bumps they create. These bumps come about because of the castings. A bumpy lawn can make mowing difficult, especially when it comes to scalping.
So, if this is a problem for you, then you can rake the castings when they are dry to help level your lawn. Raking will not only remove the bumps, but it will also break up the castings and help spread the nutrients across the lawn.
Worms Can Suffocate the Lawn
If your worm population gets out of hand or the castings accumulate on the lawn’s surface over a long period of time, then you might notice that your lawn will start to suffocate. While worm castings are packed with nutrients, too many castings accumulating on the lawn’s surface over a long period can prevent water and oxygen from reaching your lawn’s root system.
So, if this is the case, you can help your lawn out by raking and breaking up the excess castings when they are dry.
Worms Can Attract Pests
Depending on where you live, a large worm population in your lawn can attract pests like gophers, moles, and armadillos. If you’ve ever had issues with any of these pests, then you’re well aware of the damage they can cause to your lawn.
While worms help your lawn’s health, they might attract creatures that destroy your yard. So, a worm might attract a mole, and a mole under your lawn might encourage your dog or even your neighbor’s dog to start digging.
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