Freely available glucose improves the conditions for soil microorganisms which are utilized as food by Collembola. We examined the effects of glucose application on collembolan ( Folsomia candida Willem) growth and on several biotic and abiotic soil parameters (microbial biomass, soil respiration, qCO 2, dissolved organic carbon, inorganic nitrogen, and Olson-P) in an artificial system without predatory pressure on Collembola. Glucose addition increased soil respiration and qCO 2, and decreased nutrient levels in the soil. Collembolan growth increased with increasing glucose doses. We conclude that the availability of carbon substrates can sustain collembolan growth via an improvement of microbial growth conditions.