How to breed earthworms?

Earthworms, also known as earth dragons , feed on decomposed plant residues and other organic matter. Their activities help loosen the soil and promote the penetration of water and nutrients, thereby improving soil fertility, which is extremely beneficial to plant growth. In addition, earthworms themselves are a good feed for poultry and have a considerable market demand in the freshwater fishing field. In recent years, with the growth of demand for earthworms, earthworm farming has also flourished. Although earthworms have strong vitality, reasonable breeding methods are essential to ensure their reproductive capacity, improve yield and increase economic benefits. Let’s learn how to breed earthworms.

1. Provide a suitable environment

The first condition for earthworm farming is to create an ideal living environment for them. In rural areas, the ideal place for earthworm breeding is a special earthworm bed, which uses a mixture of straw and cow dung in a ratio of 1:3 and is covered with a layer of soil about 10 cm thick. The earthworm bed needs to go through a fermentation process of about 10 days until the straw is completely decomposed and the soil becomes darker, forming a fertile environment suitable for the growth of earthworms.

2. Control the appropriate temperature

The optimal temperature range for earthworm growth is 15-20 degrees Celsius. Temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius may kill earthworms, while temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius will slow down their activity and reproduction. When the temperature drops to around 5 degrees Celsius, earthworms go into hibernation. Therefore, temperature control is crucial for earthworm farming, and the temperature can be regulated through greenhouse farming.

3. Provide adequate food

Earthworms mainly feed on organic matter. When raised artificially, they can be fed mainly with decomposed organic fertilizers , supplemented with crushed fruits and vegetables. Cow dung is an ideal food source for earthworms because it is rich in crude fiber and can also expand the earthworms' activity space. The sugar provided by fruits and vegetables helps promote the reproduction of earthworms.

4. Maintain appropriate humidity and air

Earthworms like a moist environment but are afraid of waterlogging. Dry conditions may kill earthworms, while too much moisture may cause them to escape. When breeding earthworms , the air humidity should be maintained at around 75% and the soil humidity of the earthworm bed should be maintained at around 30%. If it is greenhouse farming, drainage ditches should be set between each earthworm bed to reduce humidity and prevent earthworms from escaping.

In general, although earthworm farming has good market prospects, it is useless if there is no market, so you should not be blind.