Knowledgebase

Garden Soil Concerns #871574

Asked June 04, 2024, 4:20 PM EDT

Hi, I live in Minnetonka and am having soil issues in one of my gardens. Some of the plants are dying and the soil looks like coffee grounds. When I walk across it, the ground feels soft and I’m starting to see exposed roots all over. I dug the dirt up in various places of the garden and saw it looking like coffee grounds - all over my garden. I did see some centipedes and worms. I’m not finding mold, a bit of white mold on old mulch, which we were replacing in a couple of spots. I called Bachman’s in Eden Prairie and they recommended I reach out to you. They were concerned with the possibility that I may have a jumping worm issue. I have a back yard garden that I don’t think has yet been affected. But the front yard is getting bad. I have attached some pictures of the garden and soil -- though it's not very easy to see. Can someone please help? I can be reached via email or on my cell at<personal data hidden>. Thank you so much in advance for your help. Nodira Ismoilova

Hennepin County Minnesota

Expert Response

Hi Nodira,

Boy, this sounds bad. It sure sounds like Jumping Worms. The link below has all the information you need;

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/jumping-worm/index.html#:~:text=Jumping%20worms%20can%20dramatically%20change,may%20have%20difficulty%20growing%20plants.

Look at this link, very interesting;

https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/UVM-Extension-Cultivating-Healthy-Communities/horticulture/webinars/JumpingWormsGorres_3-3-22.pdf

I'm sorry for your situation but, there are some things you can do.

Sally Granath

St. Louis County MG

Be sure to report this ( there is a person listed in the DNR article to contact).

An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 07, 2024, 4:22 PM EDT

Loading ...