Interview With The Indoor Earthworm

My name is Stephanie Malench and I am here on Zoom with Nathan Hubbard, owner of the Indoor Earthworm. The Indoor Earthworm is located at 510 W. Highway 50, O’Fallon, IL 62269. 

Nathan said they “have lights, tents, nutrients, anything for your plants, indoor or outdoor. People are getting their gardens ready and we sell castings, soils, one-shot soil additives to get your garden ready. 

When did you start The Indoor Earthworm?

“I started The Indoor Earthworm in 2016 because I have always had a garden and love gardening. I had a buddy that loved gardening and wanted to start a business so now I run it.”

Why did you name your business The Indoor Earthworm?

The Indoor Earthworm is a play on words for marketing combining the names of two grow stores, Worm Play in St. Louis and the Indoor Cultivator here in the Metro East. We picked the name combination to get high up on the Google rankings.

Why did you open your business in O’Fallon?

“I am a lifelong resident of O’Fallon and have commercial property in O’Fallon, so it seemed right.”

What sets you apart from other grow stores?

“Our staff has the knowledge and experience that the employees of bigger garden stores do not have. We don’t sell you things you don’t need. I ask a lot of questions to make sure the customer isn’t wasting money. Some may take it offensively that I ask so many questions. For example, CO2 is a supplement air system to help plants grow better. For those using a tent that is not sealed, not enough of the CO2 stays in the tent to justify the price. But for those who have a sealed room, it is a good investment that can keep the parts per million of the gas up. I don’t try to sell people things they don’t need.”

What are some of the products that you sell that are better than the products you can find at big box garden centers?

“Nectar for the Gods nutrients is one of our flagship lines and SLF 100 bacterial enzyme is good for plants. These companies are involved in the plant community for medicinal purposes or personal use. They give out great information and care about the community. These companies will tell you why things work versus big companies where you can’t get a hold of someone that knows about the product or wants to take the time to talk to you. Another company is Down to Earth. All 3 are headquartered in Oregon. I try to stay with American made products that provide good customer service. When you use high quality products you don’t usually have warranty issues but all three of these companies have good warranties.”

What are your best-selling products?

“Our best-selling products are Nectar for the Gods Soil, SLF 100 and Nectar for the Gods nutrients, and Down to Earth soil amendments.”

Do you offer online shopping or boutique services?

“We do not offer online shopping or boutique services at this time. I am working with my IT person on getting an online store up in the future. Facebook and calling us are the best ways to learn what we have and why we have it.  We may have something better or cheaper than what you are looking for, so call or stop in and tell us what you need.” 

Closing comments?

“If you’re interested in inside gardening or microgreens or self-sustaining foods we would love to help you out and possibly save you money.”

To learn more, contact us at theindoorearthworm@gmail.com theindoorearthworm.com (618)726-7910.