I had to post this as I was outside yesterday and was happy to see the Alabama Jumpers working hard outside in the yard already. In fact, if I did not know better, I would have thought there was a septic tank in the spot where I placed them to migrate out from.
Now for anyone unfamiliar with Alabama Jumpers, these red worms that readily live in clay and sandy soils. They have a tough skin which enables them to survive under the harsher conditions most red worms would have difficulty surviving.
Alabama Jumpers will borough through and aerate your soil. At the same time, they eat organic matter, shredded paper and cardboard, grass clippings (not piled up), hay (not straw) leaves… but will not harm plant roots, or anything else in your yard or garden. They will come towards the surface to release their castings (worm poop) also known as “Black Gold”. This produces a naturally balanced PH soil as well as adds millions of beneficial microbes to the soil.
Just two weeks earlier I placed 1,200 Alabama Jumper Red Worms outside and covered them with some hay, notice I did not say straw as you do not want to use the straw! I placed them outside our main yard area near the edge of the woods since we have ample property here. Now over time these critters will migrate and spread out in the backyard.
Just amazing to see the new growths within two weeks while the surrounding edges of the woods are almost barren of living greenery.
Here is the picture I snapped yesterday.
If you are looking to get your hands on some Alabama Jumpers or other varieties of Red Worms, visit Organic Worm Farm as they offer some healthy worms at a great price.
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Have a Great Day!
Bruce Galle
Can Canadian nightcrawlers be raised outside in SC? I have a 10′x 20′ bed that I’m preparing as a worm bed/ compost pile and was wondering what the servival rate would be? Gerard
Gerard
As I too live in South Carolina, I am familiar with the weather patterns. What concerns me with Canadian Nightcrawlers is the summer temperatures which as high as they are would make survival of the Canadian Nightcrawler very difficult.
I would recommend the Alabama Jumpers as these worms are great for clay soil.
If you plan to add food scraps such as vegetables to the pile, perhaps you could keep this to one side of your compost bed while placing more carbon based products on the side where your worms are…
If you do not have a bottom to the bedding area, the Alabama Jumpers will eventually spread out through your yard!
Bruce Galle
what are some carbon based products?
Phyllis
I apologize for the delay in getting back to you…
Basically you have two groups, green products such as fruit and vegetable scraps, grass cuttings…
Next you have your browns, which are your carbon based products. These would be newspapers, cardboard, hay….
Hope this helps,
Bruce Galle
My question is about feeding the worms pet waste. I’ve heard you can’t feed them cat poo, why? Also, that it needed to be aged or heated before it was fed to the worms. If so, for how long? I thought I could just drop it in the poo box!!
Ron
OK yes you can use pet waste however if using the vermicompost or worm castings on any vegetation which you plan to eat or fruit trees… DON’T do it as you could become very sick.
As for heating time, I am not familiar nor have I ever tried pet waste so I am not sure how long if any time at all. Some animal waste can be applied immediately while others may need to heat a month or so.
Bruce