Hi! I'm still very new at gardening and still getting around the ropes--recently I've noticed my soil is a bit stiff and tough to dig through, so I'll sort of poke and dig around a bit to aerate it because it's gotten compacted. (Any tips to help with this would also be appreciated! I don't really know what I'm doing, I'm trying to research but more specific advice would be great, since I'm really basing around
what I find on the web;; )

My garden is in planter boxes (pictured) and I just have questions about worms in general! Given that my plants are in planter boxes, would it be okay to use worms here? Should I be using worms? (Is there something else I can help use for this, and any advice on stiff soil) And if so, what types of worms should I be using? The closest nursery near me only sells redworms and I'm not super sure if those would be right to use them. I know people use worms for composting in their own separate bin so I really don't want to mess up and use worms if I shouldn't be. If it helps, I'm growing vegetables/fruit (tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries, cucumber) and some sunflowers on the side.

All that aside, I'd love to have advice on composting and composting with worms! I've been interested in it regardless if I can't use them on my plants. (If someone could direct me on reliable sellers for worms that'd also be great!) I'll definitely start off with composting without worms since I need to get a feel for composting first, but I'd love advice for the future! I'm in zone 10, if that also helps! Thanks again!

Hi Sunnyshinings; go to: https://unclejimswormfarm.com/ and find out all you need about worm composting. Good luck!

Yes, you can put worms in your planting box, I have them in several pots and also in my raised bed. I'm not sure of your gardening zone, but the red worms sold online and in bait shops won't make it through the winter, unless You are in zone 9 or 10. You can also make a "worm pile" by piling a large bunch of leaves on the ground, preferably oak, although pine needles work, too. Keep the pile moist. The worms in the soil will come to the surface where you can easily harvest them. I've used this method for years to harvest worms for fishing and gardening.