More than fish bait or a snack for robins, the lowly earthworm determines the success of a garden as much as the gardener.
Daily earthworms consume their weight in fallen leaves and other organic materials.
They grind large particles into smaller ones. Soil microorganisms consume the small particles completing the conversion of once-living plants into living soil. From spring until fall, earthworms burrow through the upper two feet of the soil. By day, they lie in burrows with their heads near the surface. On warm, damp nights, earthworms stretch out in search of food, using their tails to anchor themselves for a quick escape into their burrows.