LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — It takes more than water to keep your plants and gardens growing during Southern Nevada summers and one thing in the soil to help might not be what you’d expect.

Worms, worms, and more worms. It’s not for the squeamish. Thousands of these worms are safely kept in Dennis Witcher’s garage.

“The worm farm all started out with my wife [and] she had a garden, we were moving the garden and I found out there were tons of worms in it,” Witcher said.

He said there are many benefits worms can provide to your garden.

“The main goal of the worm farm is to be able to recycle and reuse what is currently going to the landfill and be able to provide others with a reusable, renewable soil amendment,” he said.

Witcher is talking about worm composting and there’s a specific composting worm that tends to work better in the desert heat.

“I chose the red wiggler because the climate that they live in there’s a lot of composting worms out there, but they won’t live in our climates,” he says.

These slimy critters create wonders, turning your food scraps into rich soil.

“The sole purpose is to be able to recycle what is currently waste and a by-product,” Witcher said.

Meaning, the plants feed the soil, the soil feeds the worms, and it is a continuous feeding cycle.

Showing 8 News Now his backyard, Witcher said because of worm composting he hasn’t tended his garden in two years.

He also said summer is the best time to prepare your garden for the fall.

Witcher suggests if you want to start your own worm farm at home you can buy a worm bin, 500 to 1,000 worms, some bedding, and finally the food scraps that all go in the worm bin.

Worm bedding can consist of shredded newspaper, cardboard mix, biodegradable materials, and more. The food scraps can consist of vegetables and fruits.

“On occasion, they’ll get sweets so they really like pumpkins and watermelons,” Witcher said.

Putting any candy or dairy products in your worm bin can attract rodents. Witcher said to keep the worms happy and healthy in the bin, spray them with some water, but not too much.

You can message Witcher via his Facebook page about worm composting.