Soil Benefits of Vermi compost

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Earthworms are accountable for a variety of soil elements including the amount of air and water that travels into soil. They break down organic matter and when they eat, they leave behind excrement that is an exceptionally valuable type of fertilizer. Worms, by simply eating, excreting, and living turn common garden soil into soil of superior quality.
• Increases soil fertility. Earthworm castings in the home garden often contain far more nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium than the surrounding soil.
• Secretions from the intestinal tracts of earthworms, along with soil passing through the earthworms, make nutrients more concentrated and available for plant uptake, including micronutrients, such as calcium, zinc and boron.
• Burrowing earthworms increase soil aeration and water transport. Worm castings when mixed with garden soil create better texture and soil-enhancing properties including increased porosity, aeration, and drainage.
• Enriches soil with micro-organisms, adding enzymes such as phophatase and celluase, and plant hormones such as auxins and gibberellic acid.
• Earthworms stimulate microbial decomposition and improve soil structure by encouraging aggregation of particles. Microbial secretions and growth of fungal hyphae stabilize the worm castings. Microbial activity in earthworm castings is 10 to 20 times higher than in the soil and organic matter that the earthworm ingests.
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• Improves water holding capacity. Worm-worked soil is relatively water-stable and will resist soil compaction and run-off due to rains.
• Vermi compost offers plants disease-fighting properties; lower anaerobic rotting odors; and enhanced microbial activity. Harmful organisms such as Salmonella bacteria are destroyed at a higher rate.
• Attracts deep-burrowing earthworms already present in the soil.
• Earthworm activity decreases the amount of heavy metals present in the soil.

Experiments have shown that as earthworms ingest soil particles they absorb heavy metals in their gut, decreasing bio-available metals between 35 percent and 55 percent in two months.