About earthworms in the soil. Darwin wrote a book "The Formation of Vegetable Mold". The book, which also have large and lasting scientific value, is about the importance of earthworm humus formation. The fertile top soil layer is transformed by the worms thereby, that the soil physical and chemical changes by passing through their intestinal tract, it is an observation that no one has made before Darwin and later scientists confirms.
I've always felt that if your soil is good then the earthworms will just show up. Mixing in lots of organic matter (such as leaf mold mentioned earlier) or peat moss will have the worms flocking. Oh, and mulch - worms love mulch. Here in San Diego my soil is baked nearly as hard as concrete, but come the Winter rains the soil will "fluff up" and the worms will show up again. I wonder where they are now?
