The Canterbury Garden Club held its meeting in May!  Steph Sosinski from UNH Cooperative Extension provided information about a growing problem with invasive Jumping Worms. We learned how to identify them, their life cycle, when their eggs hatch, and their travel patterns.

Did you know they can travel 40 feet? Be transported greater distances in a rain gully ? And eat wood chips? Adults don’t overwinter and soil temp needs to be about 50 degrees for the cocoons to hatch … so seeing a Jumping Worm in March isn’t very probable … but if you are ordering soil, compost, or bulk mulch now, be on the lookout at the end of the months June and July for the adults, which lay up to 60 cocoons. You do the math!

So what’s the big deal, you might ask?  Find out more here. Best advice of the day: if you go to a landscape supplier and ask what they are doing about Jumping Worms and they respond that they don’t know what they are — reconsider your purchase. 

We also explored garden items we had “never seen before.” This summer, the CGC will be planning some pop up garden visits, exploring some commercial growers, and brainstorming for our 2024-2025 meeting schedule!  If you’d like to be on the email list or involved in this FREE supportive community group, please email canterburynhgardenclub@gmail.com.

~ Mindy Beltramo