SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/kid-worms-help-soil

You dig in the garden and find lots of earthworms. How do they help?

They dig tunnels and help feed the soil.

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  1. They eat roots to make space
  2. They pack the soil down hard
  3. They dig tunnels and feed the soil ✔

Why: Worm tunnels help water move and give roots room to grow. Worms also pass soil through their bodies and leave it in better shape.

Huh, didn't know that: Where earthworms are busy, they can turn over the top 6 inches of soil in 10 to 20 years.

The dad joke
Why did the worm take a nap? Because it was tired from turning the spring soil.
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References

Answer: They dig tunnels and feed the soil. Worm tunnels help water move and give roots room to grow. Worms also pass soil through their bodies and leave it in better shape.

  1. USDA Agricultural Research Service: Soils and Organisms www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/sidney-mt/northern-plains-agricultural-research-laboratory/nparl-docs/just-for-kids/soils-organisms
    Earthworms are like underground farmers that create tunnels to help the water move more quickly
    Checked 2026-10-11.

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