I’m often asked exactly what to do with Alabama Jumpers.  Specifically, how to release them into the garden.  Today’s question from Rhonda S.  reminded me that I need to touch on this.

Hey Worm Dude!

I see your orders of Alabama Jumpers come in packages of 1,000 worms.  How do I know how many worms to order? Are they buried under ground with some wet shredded paper?  Would that work?  If so do you bury them 4-6 each hole?  I’m not sure what to do with these.  Do you also fertilize plants as much (say, for example, blooming plants)?
Thank You-Rhonda

Hi Rhonda,

You are confusing composting worms (RedWorms), with aeration worms (Jumpers). 

Redworms are soft bodied and can only live in a top layer of compost.  As soon as the compost breaks down…so do the worms.  Jumpers are true dirt worms.  They have a thicker skin, and are much stronger.  This enables them to “Jump” out of your hand, and also to traverse soil. 

Jumpers are not composters…they do not swarm food like redworms.  They do not live in paper bedding, instead preferring mulch, or leaf litter.  What I’ve done to create an infestation of these awesome worms is laid a thick layer of leaves on top of the soil.  As the leaves break down (Jumpers can only eat organic-dead material), they become food for the jumpers.  The Jumpers will not and cannot harm your plants. 

Releasing the Jumpers is easier than digging a hole.  Simply make sure your area has some leaf litter, a little dampness, and let the jumpers loose.  Unless your soil is like concrete, they will burrow down….aerating your soil in the process to allow water to the roots of your plants. 

As a rule of thumb, I recommend 3 jumpers per sq foot that you want aerated.  Instead of spreading them out, just dump them by the handful in certain places….worms will spread out naturally when there are too many in an area.  

They will fertilize plants, but because they don’t process as much food as redworms, their primary function is aerating your garden.

The Jumpers are on sale right now!    It’s the best time to buy.  Come spring, there is always a waiting list..

 

  

After going through almost 1,000 emails, I can cluster almost all of them into two groups:

1. I tried raising Red Wigglers before and killed them. Can you help me?
2. Please tell me how to raise the Alabama Jumpers?

This evening, let’s talk about raising Alabama Jumpers.

Alabama Jumper Characteristics:
*Clay soil dwelling (Unlike Red Wigglers)
*Thick skinned
*Navigate through thick clay soil with ease
*Extremely powerful (Allows them to leap off the ground)
*Large extruding probiscus
*Adults grow as long and as fat as a pencil

How to prepare your garden for Alabama Jumpers:
*Collect all the leaves in your neighborhood and place them on top of your soil. Yes, you can be that crazy person that rakes all your neighbors lawns! A 12 inch layer or more would not be too much! If you do not have leaves, you can use a bale of straw, or compost. Any of these organic materials makes a perfect food source for your Jumpers. If you have heavy clay soil, amending with organic material on a regular basis is a very good practice. Remember, these are strong worms, not Jackhammers!

Drop the worms in one area containing the organic material and walk away! It’s that easy. When you start seeing baby jumpers, you know you are successful. Even the babies jump like crazy. They are very distinctive.

Here is the science behind the instruction:
Worms reproduce best when they can easily find each other. Instead of initially spreading the jumpers out, keep them together so they can do what worms do….

MATE! A LOT!

As the density of your squirm (Look it up, it’s a real word), increases, your worms will naturally start to spread out. As you get congested with worms, you can introduce some to other areas.

So when people ask you how to breed Alabama Jumpers? Tell them the truth…they breed themselves.