Hope you can help with the following:

I garden on the Southern tip of the Cape Peninsula near Simonstown. My indigenous garden is high on the slopes of Elsies Peak overlooking False Bay.

I am thinking of introducing earthworms into my garden as the soil is poor and very sandy (although heavily mulched). I want to try and improve it and increase the water retention as the soil (sand) is hydrophobic. Although the conditions are not suited for earthworms I want to start creating pockets of suitable soil for them and allow them to 'colonise' the garden(1200 sqm).

However, I do not want to introduce worms into the garden until I know that they will be 100% beneficial and ecologically acceptable as the region is sensitive and under stress due to alien infestation (Wattle,Hakea, Argentinean Ant etc). The information on the 'net is overwhelmingly US based and does not examine the ecological impact that the introduction of exotic earthworms might have on a region.

I have been unable to find a SA based supplier of worms that could advise me. Increasingly, it seems that I will have to order worm capsules from the US.
My questions are as follows:
>> Is the Eisenia hortensis or the European Nightcrawler the same earthworm that we find in SA? Similarly, is Eisenia foetida or the Redworm found in SA?
>> If not, would you know where I could find the local variety? Or how I could breed sufficient stock?

It must seem strange to seek help on an US site but I am hoping to run into a worm lover who has done some research and/or has experience in this matter or could refer me to an academic journal or site. I have had very little luck locally as vermicomposting does not seem to be popular or, at least, has a very low profile. Even the National Botanical Institute has been of little assistance.

Any other general info would be appreciated.
Regards
Charl

PS I will post this on the vermicomposting site also.

I would not exactly call myself a worm lover, I can't even find the scientific name of our local earthworm anywhere, but here I am anyway. ;-)

I would be extremely scared to import any living thing like that. If it is not the same species as ours, it might easily get out of hand - perhaps not in our generation, but somewhere down the road somethig could go terribly wrong.

I would contact the Agricultural Research Council and enquire there. (link at the bottom) I only dealt with them in connection with bio control of Opuntia, but they are extremely helpful, and supplied me with a whole big box full of wonderful cochineal! :-)
They might even breed earthworms themselves, or at least put you in touch with the right people.

If all else fails contact me, and I will dig some up in my garden and send them to the Cape!

Good luck with your search.
Maddy
Edenvale, Gauteng

Would you like to explain?

Dig up South African earthworms. It's not as if they don't exist.

Japies - Term for the expat SA community in London as well as travelling/back-packing South Africans . On a par with 'Paddy' for the Irish or "Bruce' or "Sheila' for an Australian.

Why not dig them up, you ask? None in my garden as the soil is very dry, sandy and acidic, so would have to locate them, get permission and then dig. In terms of time and opportunity cost it is much simpler to buy.

I have found (via a a gardenweb member in Washington State) a local breeder who lives 20 minutes from me. I will be able to buy stock from him at $4.00 for roughly 200 worms (1 litre) and have decided to start a worm-bin as a first step.

Regards
Charl

Here are some of the issues Americans are facing with earthworms here in the US-

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2003/07/24/144840-ap.html
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/agricultural_sciences/report-12677.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/01/0102_030102_earthworms.html

South Africa is absolutely breathtaking. We Americans have made many mistakes that have negatively impacted our breathtaking lanscape... I can honestly say some just aren't worth repeating a second time.

We used to call people from the farms 'Plaas Japies' so I suppose it means people who are from a certain place ie farms. Would this mean that people from the city wondering around in the rural communities are 'Dorp Japies'?

There must be a place to get earthworms in SA without having to import them from North America. We used to sink a fork into damp ground just about anywhere but especially along river banks and wiggle the fork. The worms would come up to the surface on their own. - I miss fishing for mud tasting fish on the Vaal.....

If there are no worms there naturally, then introducing them might not be a good idea because they might die in that soil type. Perhaps amending the soil, by adding organic matter might be the key.

Chris - in beautiful but cold Canada.

ps Japie is pronounced sort of 'yaapie'

I found a source of local worms and they are the same Eisenia foetida or redworm that is found in the States. I have started a wormbin for organic kitchen waste and I am already seeing a significant increase in numbers after 2 months. They consume, on average, about 1/2 a bucket of waste a week.

I am also composting dogwaste in a bin that is open to the ground in a secluded corner of the garden. This will apparently attract earthworms to the immediate area of the bin. The bin 'cooks' at quite a high temp so I doubt whether they are present in the bin. Perhaps they move in and out as the temp fluctuates? The bin is amazingly efficient and odour free and I have already got two of my neighbours using the system.

Anyway, it is very entertaining and educational keeping a worm bin. Not least is seeing the amount of food that is wasted by my (small) household. Highly recommended.

Thanks for all the feedback.

Regards
Charl