coping with invasive jumping worms, with brad herrick of uw-madison

THE QUESTION “What do I do about the Asian jumping worms that are destroying my soil?” has outpaced what was the most common thing I was asked, year in and year out, for decades as a garden writer—the relatively simple challenge of “How do I prune my hydrangea?”

Now gardeners from an ever-widening area of the country are voicing this far more troubling worry about an invasive species that seems to be on a mission of Manifest Destiny.

Today’s guest, ecologist Brad Herrick from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, has been studying jumping worms for a decade and is here to share the latest insights. Brad is the ecologist and research program manager at the UW-Madison Arboretum, where the staff first noticed the destructive handiwork of Asian jumping worms in 2013.

He explained what tactics and products have been explored by researchers to try to limit the spread, and whether we should keep mulching and improving our soil as we always have despite their presence, and more.

Read along as you listen to the Sept. 11, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).

coping with jumping worms, with brad herrick

Margaret Roach: I’m always glad to talk to you. Sort of. Welcome back, Brad. I wish we could talk about happier topics someday together[laughter].

Brad Herrick: I know. Someday we will.

Margaret: I know. Can we talk about a plant or something someday? Oh, my goodness. Remember when we were just gardeners, not warriors, right?

And I learned about the worms, from—I think it was called Great Lakes Worm Watch organization—I learned online about the jumping worms