Are worms harmful in a flower pot? How to get rid of worms in indoor flowers. How to control pests on indoor plants

There are two radically opposing opinions about the activity of earthworms in containers with.

Some claim that these creatures harm the root system of the flower, others claim the opposite. In fact, there is no clear answer to this question.

These creatures live in all layers of the soil and play a leading role in creating its fertility. These creatures feed on dead organic matter.

Digesting it, they release a huge amount of vitamins, humic and amino acids, enzymes, antibiotics and a host of other biologically active substances that suppress pathogenic microflora.

Together with plant debris and soil particles, worms ingest harmful bacteria, fungal spores, nematodes and protozoa that are contained in them.

This is their basis protein nutrition. During the day, one individual absorbs and processes a mass of soil with organic matter equal to its weight.

Simply put, they fertilize and normalize the microbial composition of the soil. In addition, they increase the aeration of the fertile layer by making numerous passages in it.

In one summer, each worm creates up to a kilometer of channels through which moisture and air enter deep into the soil.

Availability of water and oxygen – prerequisites for leakage chemical processes, as a result of which substances beneficial to plants are converted into easily digestible compounds.

In addition, moisture and air are necessary for soil microorganisms, whose activity is important for maintaining fertility.

Due to the fact that there are a huge number of species of worms living in different layers of soil, the channels they lay penetrate the soil to a sufficient depth. This is where the bulk is located minerals, .

The waste products of such worms are coprolites. They are small lumps of soil that have passed through digestive system these creatures.

In addition, worm manure contains bacteria that can bind nitrogen in the air. Coprolites are rich in chitinase, a hormone that protects plants from pests, and fungicides that protect against diseases.

Such residents leave piles of manure on the surface of the soil. They are collected and used to make biologically active solutions, which are used as a growth stimulator, fertilizer and protection against diseases and pests.

In the digestive tract of the described creatures there are special glands that produce lime. It neutralizes acids formed during the decomposition of organic matter. Thus, the worms lime the soil.

Results of worm activity in flower containers

Many gardeners believe that these inhabitants harm potted plants by gnawing their roots. This statement is not true. Worms do not have teeth, so they cannot feed on living organic matter, and they do not eat roots.

Another thing is that the benefit of them in a small volume of flower pot is very doubtful.

This can be bad for the flowers. The ready-made soil has already been enriched with the necessary fertilizers and active substances. It also does not need increased aeration, since it includes a significant part of peat, which has a fairly loose structure.

In addition, such soil contains little food for worms - undecomposed organic matter. In search of food, these soil animals will make numerous passages, exposing the roots of the flower in places and damaging them mechanically. As a result, the plant stops growing and may appear unhealthy or depressed.

That is why some flower growers clearly consider such cohabitants to be pests and do their best to combat their presence. Some people simply don't like the slime trails these creatures leave on the surface of the soil. Others don't like worms and their colors at all.

If so, getting rid of or removing them is not difficult. It is enough to immerse the flower pot in water so that it reaches its edge. After some time, the worms will feel the lack of oxygen and crawl to the surface. All you have to do is collect them and throw them away.

There is also a more radical one with unwanted earthly guests - poison. Fumigants and fungicides are poisonous to them. They can be used at home.

Some people confuse these worms with really dangerous pests - weevil and cutworm larvae. They feed on the roots of the plant, causing its death.

Worms or their eggs get into the pot along with low-quality soil purchased at the store, or when using a soil mixture prepared independently.

To avoid the appearance of unwanted guests in flower pot, it is necessary to sterilize the soil used for planting indoor plants, chemically or thermally.

Earthworms will not cause any harm to large plants planted in large containers.

On the contrary, their benefit is in this case undoubted, especially if the pot is filled with heavy garden soil. These tireless workers loosen the soil, fertilize and aerate it.

Some gardeners note that in large pots, such residents. Especially if the flower that lives there needs heavy and very nutritious soil that tends to shrink. But you need to carefully monitor the condition of the plant; if signs of wilting begin, then it may be worth getting rid of the worms.

One of the advantages of earthworms is that they can only eat softened and rotten roots, and this will have a positive effect on the condition of the flower. After all, it will help protect him from further spread of the disease.

If you decide to prepare a mixture for a flower yourself and do not want additional inhabitants to appear in the pot, then we recommend frying the soil collected from the garden in the oven for high temperature. This method helps well against any uninvited guests and a number of diseases, including fungal ones.

While watching the video you will learn how to get rid of pests.

Attention, super FLIGHT!

Experienced flower growers advise starting the fight against dangerous guests with proven and effective means.

Causes of cultural defeat

Factors that provoke the invasion of dangerous arthropods and insects:

Mealybug

This small insect It is very difficult to recognize with the naked eye; for this you will need to use a magnifying glass of at least 6 millimeters. Characteristic features:

Means for fighting:

Aktara;
Fitoverim;
Calypso;
Biotlin.

Traditional methods of treatment

tincture with orange or lemon zest;
soap-alcohol solution;
garlic tincture;
plant treatment running water;
mixture olive oil and liquids;
tincture of horsetail.

Spider mite

Over time, the discolored leaves begin to dry out, curl, and fall off. Throughout time, the flower becomes weaker and weaker. The places where small ticks are located are covered with a thin layer of cobwebs. Adult mites are red-brown or green in color and are very difficult to find among the leaves and stems of the plant.

Female web spiders are very fertile and can lay hundreds of new eggs every three days. Without regular inspection, thousands of small mites quickly drink all the plant juices, and the indoor flower begins to quickly die.

Thrips lesions

Trips- these are small flying insects with an elongated body, their color combines a dark brown-black tint, with reddish speckles above and yellowish below.

Insects lay their eggs mainly on leaves and stems, and do not descend to the ground. Recognizing thrips on a plant is quite simple: the leaves turn grayish-brown at the bottom, with a predominant silver color on top.

In the process of active reproduction harmful insects indoor crops begin to weaken and lose all decorative qualities.

What you need to fight thrips:

good watering: thrips simply cannot tolerate moisture;
regular inspection, mechanical removal thrips;
treatment of the crop with fungicides and systemic insecticides that penetrate into the root system, into the leaves and stems of indoor culture.

Effective ways to control insects

There are more effective methods for pest control:

Dangerous diseases of house plants

Leaf spot (anthracnose)- the foliage of the crop begins to become covered with small spots brown, the edges dry quickly. For treatment, the crop is isolated from other plants, as the disease spreads quickly. Afterwards, the plant is treated with a product that contains copper. Watering continues moderate.

Gray mold (botrytis)- a characteristic characteristic appears on parts of the plant white coating as a result of overflow. For treatment, you need to place the diseased plant separately, remove all affected parts from it and significantly reduce watering.

Sooty mushroom- black spots appear on the leaves of indoor plants, which are the result of sticky secretions of aphids, photosynthesis in the crop almost completely stops, and a noticeable lag in growth occurs. You should clean the wet deposits on the crop with a napkin or soft sponge and spray it with a Fungicide against the disease.

Brown rot on the plant- characterized by brown-red spots on the leaves, which quickly and short term increase in size. If treatment is untimely, the flower dies. Most often, the factor leading to flower damage is excessive moisture and rotting of the root system.

Powdery mildew. With such a lesion, the entire plant becomes covered with white powder. The disease is fungal in nature, so the soil is affected by fungal spores. Plants with reduced immunity are especially susceptible to the disease. It is best to isolate the crop and thoroughly treat it with a fungicide.

Downy mildew- such a lesion is very similar to the previous illness. Main feature lies in the fact that when a false powdery mildew, the lower area of the leaf is most often covered with a white coating, and the upper area is strewn with light yellow specks. Remove all affected leaves, buds and shoots. Treat with fungicide.

Cercospora- the disease is caused by a fungus, manifests itself in the form of many black spots on the back of the leaf; as the disease progresses, the leaves begin to lose chlorophyll and quickly dry out. The plant should be treated with Fungicide and Dinocap.

Rust on roses- development of pustules, different colors from reddish-orange to dark brown. Upper part leaves are strewn with a large number of red spots. Remove all affected parts of the flower. Follow optimal indicator air temperature and humidity.

Fusarium- this fungal infection most often begins with rotting of the root system, and then the infection spreads throughout the entire flower. The plant begins to weaken, quickly withers and often dies.

IN advanced case This disease has almost no cure. Eliminate or destroy the crop along with the soil mixture, disinfect the pot and window sill with a five percent solution copper sulfate will be the best option.

Attention, TODAY only!

There are two radically opposing opinions about the activity of earthworms in containers with indoor plants. Some claim that these creatures harm the root system of the flower, others claim the opposite. In fact, there is no clear answer to this question.

Noticed a mistake? Select it and press Ctrl+Enter to let us know.

Houseplants

So that the flowers in the vase do not wither

How to properly fertilize indoor plants

Among some part of flower gardeners there is a widespread opinion about the harm that can be caused earthworms. Which (allegedly) gnaw roots in pots, gnaw at young shoots, eat seedlings, sprouts, seeds, etc. To destroy worms they come up with different ways, the most harmless of which is soil freezing.

Fertilizers for gardenia

Good luck in your fight against these wormy pests.

Rose food

Fungus gnats. Midges in flowers.

Ash for fertilizing flowers

earthworms in a pot are a disaster - this year I experienced the hard way of their eviction, and I always buy land - I don’t save, one of the packages was with... (under the ellipses read the bad words) the arrowroot almost disappeared until I realized that with now there is only one small leaf, and in order to remove them I had to completely wash off the soil from the roots, all other methods did not work, the Amazon lily had dying coencentric circles on the leaves, it was not possible to save my favorite rose, I suffered all summer and to this day I am not sure that everywhere I did it, I soaked the myrtle 4 times - it’s big and complete replacement the earth is like death for him, and he feels bad from potassium permanganate

Garlic revitalizes plants

Always fresh geranium

Worms in indoor flowers

they feed on the most delicate small roots

Worms in a flower pot, what to do?

Elena*

dilute a weak solution of potassium permanganate and pour it in

Murmur

Flowers in a vase will not wither longer if you change the water every day and add an aspirin tablet to it.

Alexander

The earthworm fertilizes and enriches the earth

Valentina Dylgina

It's possible. My fisherman husband will really like them.

Emilia Bilyauer

And what’s most offensive is that they say (especially on the Internet) all sorts of unfounded nasty and stupid things about earthworms...

Vladimir Emelianenko

You need to go to the garden store. there is a means for disinfecting the roots of leaves, and best of all a book about flowers!

compas

This is perhaps the most “favorite” pest. Why don't they poison them? Fungus gnats look like annoying little midges that hover around flowers. They hatch from larvae in the soil, which look like white worms about three millimeters long.

olga

show me that idiot the cat lets them in there on purpose

Irina*

Harmful effects

Lydia

Vera Shelest

pour very warm water (40-50 degrees) into the container

Katya Kotovich

Throw it away quickly, it’s a nightmare and unsanitary!!
Flowers in a vase will stay fresh longer if you add 4-5 drops of lemon juice to the water.
You need to get rid of them, they multiply very quickly. Water the plant with actelik or actara a couple of times.
pour over with a strong solution of potassium permanganate

Alinka Malinka

Features of digestion make earthworms detritivorous, i.e. they feed on detritus - decaying plant organic matter (in combination with soil particles) located on the surface of the soil or in their underground burrows, as well as in the soil itself. Therefore, the coprolites that the earthworm leaves behind are lumps of soil enriched with nitrogen, microelements, and having low acidity thanks to the alkaline environment of his intestines.

Lady with a dog

This is not normal. They will devour them. Change the ground.
These worms are capable of damaging delicate plant tissues, but they cause much more trouble to humans by the very fact of their existence :)
And I put an earthworm in each pot. The flowers and I are happy, the worms, I don’t know, but they’re alive.

Methods of struggle
and place a flower pot in it for 5-10 minutes
Dig and go fishing... all year round, worms, by the way, are useful for plants - they loosen the soil.
If the roses are drooping in the vase, dip their tips into a bowl of water to which 5-6 tablespoons of vinegar have been added.
They are of course very harmful to the flower, try (don’t be lazy) to change all the soil, and carefully examine the roots. The flower will not grow as long as there are worms there.
Potassium permanganate, but not strong, otherwise the roots can be burned.

Catherine

Because of its slowness and thoughtfulness, the earthworm does not have time (and is even embarrassed by prying eyes) to eat detritus, and therefore drags it into storage deep into the soil, saturating it with organic matter and feeding its smaller brothers.

Marina Mirutenko

Try pouring a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The worms will come out. The flower girl advised me.

Natalie Filini

Interestingly, midges are an excellent indicator of improper care. They start only with excessive watering.

It’s bad for flowers, but I don’t know for you.

Earthworms spoil the soil in flower pots with their liquid sticky secretions, clog the drainage, causing the soil in the pot to turn sour.

so that the water level does not reach the top of the pot 2 cm
The soil will have to be thrown away, the roots of the plant should be washed in a light solution laundry soap. Rinse the pot and pour boiling water over it. New land Before use, bake in the oven...

Never place fertilizer under a plant that needs watering. Water the plant first, and then apply fertilizer, otherwise you risk burning its roots.

I don’t agree with many of the answers! Earthworms are useful for garden soil, but not for flower pots. I was convinced of this myself. I brought hot peppers with a lump of earth from the garden and planted them in a pot. At first it grew well, but then it began to fade and there was still no pepper. When I dug up the ground, I was amazed. I discovered an earthworm, and at the bottom of the pot the soil was so compacted that I had to pry it out with a knife (even though it was wet). Therefore, I advise you to definitely remove them from the soil. At the flower shop, ask for pesticides from them.
They do not need to be removed; they loosen the ground and do not harm the flower.

Elena

In addition, thanks to the numerous passages and burrows of earthworms, the air supply to the soil and all its inhabitants and plant roots is significantly increased.

An ordinary earthworm can be driven out of a pot by placing the plant in a solution of potassium permanganate, so that the solution is above the soil level. The worms will begin to suffocate and crawl out of the ground. After that, start “hunting” them.

samuel etoo

What measures should be taken to get rid of them?

Tell me, if there are worms in indoor flowers or pots, is this good or bad?

clinical blonde

Any worms (even earthworms) are very dangerous for indoor plants: the plant slows down its growth and then dies.

s-elena66

If there are earthworms in the earthen coma, characteristic lumps of earth appear on the surface, thrown out by them from their passages. If there are earthworms in a pot, the plant becomes lethargic and stunted in growth.

Alexander Pushkin

Personal Account Removed

afterwards the worms will crawl to the top

Puppeteer

I think that it is best to change the soil, even if it is purchased, you never know what kind of worms they are, what if you don’t get them out? Wash the pot, change the soil and let your palm tree rejoice.
The best fertilizer for gardenia is coffee grounds. Dilute it slightly with water and pour it into a flower pot.

and I have one in my monstera. Everything would be fine, but today my sister broke off a new leaf from the monstera. What is more dangerous: a worm or a sister?

There is no need to remove it in principle, but if it gets irritated, place the pot in a pot of water, the water should reach the edge of the pot. The water will be absorbed through the bottom hole and fill the container, the worms, ticking from the water, will crawl out. Then remove the pot from the pan, the water will flow out. Potassium permanganate and other strong chemicals will damage the roots.

What practical conclusions can be drawn from the above reasoning?
We need to catch them all.
Firstly, it is necessary to normalize the watering regime. But this alone will not bring them out. To finish them off, they will help systemic insecticides. “Aktara”, “Confidor”, dimethoate. The Regent also helps against them.

It is urgent to change the soil, wash the roots with running water and weak solution potassium permanganate. Before planting, “roast” the pot in the oven and cool.

Methods of struggle
you can decide here which worms are in your pot

Natalya Kalantyr

You collect them for fishing, as advised above:0)))

tonyte

I had the same problem - three cacti were eaten (((they also recommended potassium permanganate to me... watered it, the fourth cactus still seems to be alive. Only the solution should be very weak

Lena

Pour the water in which you cooked the spinach without salt over the rose. This is very good fertilizer. The rose will get stronger and the leaves will become shiny.

Nifri

You can get rid of worms by drying the soil. They themselves will die. Dry your camellia, loosen the soil. I started them in a barrel with ficus. He grew up normally. Sometimes they came across in other colors. Yes, worms feed on plant debris. But I didn’t notice that indoor flowers were being harmed. And in the previous letter, the worm was not to blame for the death of the pepper. It was necessary to place drainage at the bottom of the pot. And peppers transplanted from the street generally do very poorly at home. Even those grown in a greenhouse. They don't cope well with this stress. Immediately light temperature regime, humidity, even the location towards the sun is different. And also autumn. I also take it home almost every year. The result is the same. Sooner or later it will dry out. Houses grow well, which are immediately left in seedlings. Only the spider likes to grow on peppers in the summer.

Im@go

P/S. I agree with “Peganov Yuri”

Natalia

1. There is no need to be afraid of worms, expecting any harm from them. They cannot cause it because of the peculiarities of their diet (Nature acted very wisely...). Although they do have teeth! As for their life in pots (with indoor plants or seedlings), there is only one extreme case that it is advisable to avoid: when the volume of the pot is so small compared to the size of the worm that it turns it (the worm) into Ivan Matveich living in a crocodile... :-))

love it

But if the plant is small, it is easier to change the soil.
It is necessary to shed the soil once and spray the plant. The flies won't bother you anymore.

Galina

You need to place the pot completely in a vessel with water so that it is completely filled, the worms do not like excess water and will crawl out

Irina Kirilova

Soil from the street can contain not only adult individuals, but also eggs. Therefore, it is better to sterilize garden or forest soil in one way or another before use. If plants are taken outside in the summer, place the pots only on pallets and so high that earthworms cannot climb into them. At the same time, worms rarely appear and reproduce successfully in pots with indoor plants due to the peculiarities of preparation soil mixtures and watering regime.

Lyudmila Otradnaya

the only one minus - earth gets wet through

how to get rid of worms in a flower pot?

GALINA VLASOVA

A slug crawled out of my purchased soil in a sealed bag. Lively, it immediately crawled to eat the leaves. This is the kind of land we pay money for! I now began to steam the soil on the stove in a saucepan. I advise you to remove the flower from the pot and steam the soil.

Tatiana

Ash from burning wood is rich in metals, especially potassium. Use it as fertilizer for indoor and garden flowers.

Dimm

if you can’t put it in water, then change the soil or the worms will eat all the roots)

Karym

They are loosening the earth... But a pot of indoor flowers is a small container, and over time the soil in it will become unusable from these worms. They will pass it all through themselves several times, taking nutrients and turning it into small crumbs. I had this story.

Natalia Lagunova

2. Knowing the digestive characteristics of a worm, you need to create appropriate conditions for it in the garden for life, rest and reproduction. And then all problems with the quality (structure, fertility, etc.) of the soil in the garden will be solved by themselves. More precisely, earthworms will do everything for you.

There are worms in houseplants...

Bark

Or “Iskra”, it has a lethal effect when sprayed, maybe it will help against worms.
Nematodes.fields with potassium permanganate solution
But if they have already appeared in the pot, you need to immerse the pot with the plant in warm water for half an hour - the worms will either crawl to the surface, where they can be easily collected, or drown. It is also quite easy to collect large worms when replanting. You can water the soil in the pot well with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
from 1cm-4cm pale pink color
This should absolutely not be done in cold weather
These are most likely trimatodes (small, white), they are not so easy to get rid of, potassium permanganate will not help here
If your houseplants look sick, bury a clove of garlic in the ground. In a few days the flowers will change appearance for the better, and even their color will change.
People always ask about worms! ! Yes, all my pots are full of worms (you’ll go broke buying land), I have more than 50 pots. They loosen the soil and process organic matter (if necessary). . they don’t eat the roots (or gnaw??). Well, if only some people are disgusted by their presence, then I won’t argue
Why breed them? We specially plant them in flowers, but in this case, don’t forget to sometimes water the flowers with tea leaves, which is good for the flowers and good for the worms too.
I can say that in my garden, when I try to open the soil (in any randomly chosen place in the garden), I certainly find living and thriving worms, in a wonderful mood...
I heard on TV, but haven’t tried it: a flower pot with a flower must be placed in a container of water, so that the soil turns into mud - worms will crawl out of the soil. To prevent them from curling again, treat the soil with special means.

Can worms be brought in from purchased soil? Yes. But this is a problem of low-quality products, especially if the mixture includes turf or deciduous soil, poor vermicompost, or compost. The worm is a very rare guest in peat and can get there in two cases: during careless storage or when exposing plants outside. Earthworms, despite the huge amount of undecomposed organic matter, do not live on industrial peat bogs. Probable cause is an acidic reaction of the environment and is very high humidity(in an acidic environment below pH = 5 or above pH = 9, all worms die within a week). At the right technology extraction, transportation and processing of peat, as well as delivery of the substrate to the consumer in packaged form, infection with live worms or their eggs is excluded. Worms do not live in high-moor peat, so with a high-quality peat substrate, worms cannot get into the pot. Most often, worms or their eggs get into the pot when using unsterilized garden soil. Usually, they come with unsteamed soil in the form of eggs.

Natasha

I don’t know, but because of them my shefflera died;

Elena

Oksana Prividentets

So it is. DON'T LISTEN TO THE BULLSHIT. WE NEED TO BRING THEM OUT!! ! everything is connected with their nutrition, they not only loosen the soil, they feed on organic matter, when the rotting is over, they will start eating the flower...

Spring Melody

There are three groups of nematodes.
I completely agree with the previous speaker... Maybe it’s not worth kicking out? Well, if they decide, then very easily with the help of vibration they run away from it and climb out. Samm saw how a man used such a thing: he stuck a pin with a winding and a core at the end into the ground and plugged it into the network and they, i.e., pearled worms out even if you collected them with a dustpan and a broom;-)
that’s bad, change the soil, it’s better to buy it in a store, there definitely won’t be any larvae there.

Sofia Prutnikova

This is bad. Replant the flowers.

Tatiana Raldugina

Earthworms are completely harmless! And they don’t eat any kaorns, they consume earthly organic matter and, passing through themselves, structure the earth. But they described to you how to bring others out.

If there are earthworms in the soil of indoor flowers, they can be removed without replanting the flower.

Karpik

these creatures live in the ground, they came to you that way, the seller doesn’t check the ground, they eat everything, from plant roots and snails to the ground.

Tatyana Yakimova

It happens that worms appear in flower pots. Boil 100 grams of fresh sage leaves in one liter of water and pour this water over the flower. The worms will die.

Peganov Yuri™

Preventive measures Use high-quality peat substrate. Store the remaining substrate in a closed container in a dry place. If you take the plants outside in the summer, place the pots on pallets so that earthworms cannot get into them. If you prepare soil from your garden yourself and use other high-risk components ( turf land, compost, deciduous soil, vermicompost of dubious origin) - it is highly advisable to sterilize them with thermal or chemically. This is true both for soil from your garden and for unreliable cheap store-bought mixtures.

they first loosen the ground, and then take on the roots;

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthworms

It’s impossible, you need to shake out all the soil.

Nematodes with free formation of cysts penetrate into the roots and destroy their membrane. After fertilization, the female's body turns into a brown cyst (reservoir with eggs) hanging from the outside root The cyst can remain in the soil for years, waiting for favorable conditions.

Only with a solution of potassium permanganate, such a medium one. This will not harm the flower and the worms will crawl out of the hole at the bottom of the pot. And they cause harm to the flower, I don’t know what, but after expulsion the flowers grow better.

Don't change anything. just scrape the Mashenka chalk above the ground in the pot, it is designed to fight flies and ants. verified own experience, all the creatures disappear.

If it’s rainy, it’s not dangerous, but if it’s roundworms, pinworms, tapeworms, then it’s apasaysi!!!

so hurry up!

Earthworms are bad. As long as there are nutrients in the ground, they are not dangerous, but as soon as everything is over (when everything ends), they are taken up by the roots, especially young roots. When earthworms appeared in the pot, I tried everything, actara and potassium permanganate, and washed the roots. Everything is useless. It got to the point that I even left it overnight with the washed roots in a bucket of water. I thought they would choke. But no. When I lifted the plant (it was crescent asparagus) from the water, I saw a terrible picture. The worms hung like ropes attached to the roots. I removed them with tweezers. The drug CONFIDOR helped me. I spilled the soil twice with an interval of 1-2 weeks. Earthworms breed very quickly in a favorable environment.

If your soil is purchased, then this is how it should be. After all, worms are used to produce fertile soil. Worms do not harm flowers.

in the garden is a different matter, but in a pot...

http://www.green-pik.ru/sections/40.html

There is no need to take them out - it’s even useful - they loosen the ground!!!

- Free nematodes do not attach to the roots in one place, but crawl from place to place.
Unfortunately, you did not indicate what kind of worms you have. There are a lot of pests of indoor plants. Many species and worms. Here are the main ones.
If it’s rain, it’s good, thanks to them the roots breathe, but if there’s maggots or something else, replant…
good
Length from 2-3 cm with a thickness of approx. 1 mm to 50 cm with a thickness of 1.5-2 cm. Approx. 300 species, widely distributed; most numerous in forest and forest-steppe zones. They live in the soil, are nocturnal, and crawl to the surface during the day. heavy rains. Soil formers. 11 species are protected. Typically, earthworms (the family of oligochaetes) are considered as beneficial organisms, but in a small pot with house plants they can be harmful.

Igor Platunov

Immerse the pot in a bucket of water for half an hour. . could it be so? I don't know.

Andrey Kurochkin

There is a drug called AKTARA. diluted in water. buy it at the store and pour it over pots of plants

Linda

Look at the worms!

Ksyushka

And for what? After all, earthworms do not harm the plant, they only enrich the soil with their vital activity.

SearchWave

http://www.gardenia.ru/pages/4ervi_001.htm

EARTHWORM:

Grinch@

- Root-knot nematodes penetrate the roots, causing thickenings on the roots with their secretions - galls, in which the worms live and reproduce. When the gall is destroyed, the eggs fall into the soil, from where the larvae spread further.

Marishk@

Earthworms.

ALEX

This is bad! And if you have lice in your head, will you also be here to find out whether this is good or not?
Earthworm
Harmful effects

Olga Popova

I had the same story

There are earthworms in my camellia. What to do and how dangerous is it?

Alex

with a pot for fishing

Moon cat

I agree with Natalya.

Gorgeous

I also had worms in my camellia... I won’t say that they do much harm... I just don’t like the fact that there is always earth in the drainage hole and pan (a product of their vital activity), so I got rid of it this way... after drying the soil before watering.. I immersed the pot almost to the brim in a bowl of water for several hours... the worms crawled out to the bottom of the cup. They also advise putting an apple core... but I haven’t tried..

ELENA STRAMOUSOVA

http://www.aquaria.com.ua/cherv.html

✿Elena m✿

The family of earthworms (Lumbricidae) consists of almost 170 species, and belong to the phylum Annelides. All earthworms are similar in their lifestyle. They live in damp places, swarming tunnels underground, and in cold and drought they go deep into the ground. After heavy rains, due to lack of air, earthworms are forced to rise to the surface. They feed on decaying plant debris and soil microorganisms.

Modest incognito!!!

Control measures:

Svetlana

It would seem that earthworms are not pests of indoor plants; some even believe that they are useful because they loosen the soil. However, this is not true; earthworms can feed not only on organic residues in the soil, but also eat the roots of plants. Typically, this causes the plant to become lethargic and stunted in growth.

Oksana F.

Earthworms in flower pots are good! They process the soil and fertilize it; some people specially plant them in flowers if it is not possible to replant and you want to renew the soil!

Lyudmila

Earthworm (Lumbricidae)

Galina

Normally, they feed on plant debris, but in a pot, if there is a shortage of fresh organic matter, they easily switch to living plant roots and underground shoots and rhizomes.

Marusya

worms are harmful

What causes worms in a flower pot?

Natalie Filini

If it’s raining, then it’s ok
I make the soil myself; when replanting, I constantly pick out their soil (and what a plus. When we go fishing, I take it out of the treasured special worm pot). I don’t heat it, I think the earth is dead after this procedure, not a single flower died

Tatyana M

If these are earthworms, then they are useful creatures, they loosen the earth and fertilize it…

Ivan Petrov

http://www.sunnygarden.ru/pets/home_worms.html

Marina Turilina

The extremely positive role that earthworms (aka Lumbricus terrestris) have played (and continue to play) in the processes of creating fertile and living soil is widely known. We can talk about this endlessly, but this is a separate conversation. In a nutshell, an earthworm is a continuously operating mini-factory for the production of humus ( organic matter soil).

Marusya

There are no radical measures to combat the nematode. Heavily infected plants are destroyed along with the soil. You can try anthelmintics medicines, for example, "Dekaris". 1 tablet is dissolved in 1 liter of water and the plant is watered well several times.

Control measures: Earthworms can be collected in so-called traps, just like centipedes. You can water the soil in the pot well with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Vegetable Garden > Flowers and Flower Beds > Indoor >

Earthworms in indoor flowers - will they help or harm the plant?

There are two radically opposing opinions about the activity of earthworms in containers with indoor plants. Some claim that these creatures harm the root system of the flower. others claim the opposite. In fact, there is no clear answer to this question.

What are the benefits of earthworms

Earthworms live in all layers of soil

Earthworms live in all layers of the soil and play a leading role in creating its fertility. These creatures feed on dead organic matter. Digesting it, they release a huge amount of vitamins, humic and amino acids, enzymes, antibiotics and a host of other biologically active substances that suppress pathogenic microflora.

Together with plant debris and soil particles, worms ingest harmful bacteria, fungal spores, nematodes and protozoa that are contained in them. This is the basis of their protein nutrition. During the day, one individual absorbs and processes a mass of soil with organic matter equal to its weight.

Simply put, earthworms fertilize and normalize the microbial composition of the soil. In addition, they increase the aeration of the fertile layer by making numerous passages in it. In one summer, each worm creates up to a kilometer of channels through which moisture and air enter deep into the soil.

The presence of water and oxygen are prerequisites for the occurrence of chemical processes, as a result of which substances beneficial to plants are converted into easily digestible compounds. In addition, moisture and air are necessary for soil microorganisms, whose activity is important for maintaining fertility.

Due to the fact that there are a huge number of species of worms living in different layers of soil, the channels they lay penetrate the soil to a sufficient depth. It is there that the bulk of the minerals necessary for plant nutrition are found.

The waste products of earthworms are coprolites. They are small lumps of soil that have passed through the digestive system of these creatures.

Coprolites will help kill bacteria in the soil

Earthworms leave piles of manure on the soil surface. They are collected and used to make biologically active solutions, which are used as a growth stimulator, fertilizer and protection against diseases and pests.

In the digestive tract of earthworms there are special glands that produce lime. It neutralizes acids formed during the decomposition of organic matter. Thus, the worms lime the soil.

Results of worm activity in flower containers

Many gardeners believe that earthworms harm potted plants by gnawing their roots. This statement is not true. Worms do not have teeth, so they cannot feed on living organic matter.

Another thing is that the benefit of them in a small volume of flower pot is very doubtful.

Ready-made soil for indoor plants is already enriched with the necessary fertilizers and active substances. It also does not need increased aeration, since it includes a significant part of peat, which has a fairly loose structure.

Worms can partially expose plant roots

That is why some gardeners clearly consider earthworms to be pests of indoor plants and do their best to combat their presence. Some people simply don't like the slime trails these creatures leave on the surface of the soil. Others don't like worms at all.

If so, getting rid of them is easy. It is enough to immerse the flower pot in water so that it reaches its edge. After some time, the worms will feel the lack of oxygen and crawl to the surface. All you have to do is collect them and throw them away.

There is a more radical method of dealing with unwanted guests - poison. Fumigants and fungicides are poisonous to them. Some people confuse earthworms with truly dangerous pests - weevil and cutworm larvae. They feed on the roots of the plant, causing its death.

Worms or their eggs get into the pot along with low-quality soil purchased at the store, or when using a soil mixture prepared independently. To avoid the appearance of unwanted guests in a flower pot, it is necessary to sterilize the soil used for planting indoor plants, chemically or thermally.

Earthworms will not cause any harm to large plants planted in large containers.

While watching the video you will learn how to get rid of pests.

On the contrary, their benefits in this case are undeniable, especially if the pot is filled with heavy garden soil. These tireless workers loosen the soil, fertilize and aerate it.

More information

Larvae of flies, sciarids up to 4 mm in length, white. Adult hatchlings have wings. They reproduce equally in moist and dry soil - they are more attracted to the environment in the room where they are comfortable.

How to remove white worms from an indoor flower?

Since most midges and worms in indoor flower, we'll dry it soil mixture to kill pests.

How to remove white worms from an indoor flower:

Stop watering the plant;
Fill in expanded clay, dry hydrogel, beads - it prevents stagnation of water and prevents the laying of larvae;
To catch and poison midges - spread sticky tape over the pot and spray the midges with dichlorvos (attention: ventilate the room before sleeping);
Mix into the soil wood ash+ tobacco shavings;
Clean the sulfur from the match head;

The listed methods will help kill white worms in indoor flowers, but if there are too many of them, you will have to use chemicals.

How to treat flowers against white worms:

"Aktara";
"Bazudin";
"Agravertine";
"Fitoverm";
Anti-worm medications;

Soil treatment against white worms in flowers

The soil mixture is steamed or spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate before use. Try not to over-moisten the soil in the pot, lower the humidity and air temperature to a level comfortable for indoor flowers. Carry out insecticide prevention once a year.

If you find white worms in a flower pot, it's time to sound the alarm, because they are by no means harmless. Because of these pests, not a single new plant will be able to sprout in the ground, and an adult one may die.

Preventive measures

Control measures

Soil disinfection

podokonnik.temadnya.com

What do sciarids look like?

This midge has many names; in addition to the fungus gnat, it is also called the tomato midge and soil midge. The adult insect is up to 4 mm long and has wings. The larvae are whitish, translucent, and have a black head. It’s easy to find them, just knock on the pot, midges will fly out, but if you stir top layer soil, you will see white worms and even piles of skins from the molting of adult fungus gnats near the roots of the flower.

Sciarids end up in a flower pot with purchased soil or a purchased flower. Usually, midges live in waterlogged soil, but if you do not remove them immediately, but only reduce watering, they will not disappear, but will quickly get used to the new conditions and will reproduce well in a dry substrate.

How to kill black midges in flowers

As we have already written, sciarids love such a humid environment where the process of decay takes place. Many people water the ground under the flowers with water from an aquarium, tea leaves, water used to wash meat, mullein, and so on. Naturally, this makes the plants grow better, but bugs also quickly appear in flower pots. Therefore, pest control comes down to a set of measures:
Transplanting a flower into new pot and new soil if there are a lot of midges.
Simultaneous treatment of the premises with dichlorvos or other means.

If there are few midges, do not replant the flower, but do this:

Dry the soil in the pot - do not water for several days.
Pour a layer of expanded clay, you can even use beads, the main thing is that it is dry and it is not comfortable for midges to lay eggs.
Kill flying flies with dichlorvos.
Hang sticky tape over the flowers.
Sprinkle the soil with ash mixed with tobacco dust.
Stick matches into the soil, head down.

And to prevent midges from entering from the street, always have a mosquito net on the windows.

These are all folk methods, but why spend so much time fighting these annoying bugs if you can exterminate the pests with poison. Buy one of effective means, How:

agravertine
decis
Aktar
actellik
fitoverm
inta-vir
kinmix.

It is enough to water the soil 2 times with an interval of 7 days and all pests will die. And flying ones too. They will not be able to lay new eggs in the treated soil and will gradually disappear. Just don’t need to water the plant for 5 days.

You can also use thunder 2 granules, basadine. They are scattered on the ground and lightly mixed with the top layer of soil. The action is slow, but the black midges in the flowers die.

And in order not to bring these pests home in the future, always bake the purchased soil over steam; freezing will not help, it has been tested.

Pests of indoor plants

Appearance of white spots

Brown spots

Withering

Description of pests

Spider mite

Aphid

Shields

lemons;
oranges;
tangerines;
asparagus;
oleanders;
ivies;
palm trees

Thrips

White Podura

Mealybugs

These are white worms, they love back side leaf in those places where the vein passes.
The seeds are large, up to half a centimeter, very fertile. They build houses for their offspring that look like balls of cotton wool, and lay eggs in them. The hatched larvae are mobile and quickly conquer space on the flowers.

Whitefly

If there are white worms in the soil, but small black flies do not fly around the plants, then enchytraea, or saprophytic species of nematodes, are probably developing in the soil.

Enchitraea look like small white worms about 1-2 cm long. These are the closest relatives of earthworms. Aquarium fish lovers specially breed them for food. They live in the soil at a depth of about 10 cm.

They can be noticed if you remove the plant from the pot. They harm potted plants - they eat roots and tender shoots. The damaged plant begins to lag in growth, the leaves turn yellow and wither, and eventually the plant dies. High soil moisture and the presence of undecomposed pieces (organics) of plant residues contribute to the appearance of enchytraea. In places rich in food, enchitraea are found in whole balls.

Preventive measures

Do not allow the soil in the pots to become waterlogged. When moving plants to fresh air Be sure to use trays to prevent insects from entering pots from open ground.

Control measures

Keeping potted flowers drier.
Immersion of flowerpots completely in hot water to flush out insects.
Replanting plants that have been affected by this scourge: rinse the pot and roots of the old soil and plant the plant in fresh soil. But such a procedure for a flower is not painless.
The most effective way is to water the soil with an insecticide solution (Aktara, Bazudin, Inta-Vir, Fury, Fitoverm) or anti-helminth medications (repeat twice with an interval of two weeks). In the spring, transplant the plants into new soil, carefully clearing the roots of the old soil.
Land must be purchased from branded flower shops. First of all, check that the package is not torn and pay attention to the expiration date. Do not buy soil in counterfeit bags that do not have the manufacturer’s brand name and address.

Soil disinfection

The soil must meet all standards and be free of any pests, pathogen spores and weed seeds. But it’s still safer to disinfect the finished soil yourself.

You can pour boiling water or a hot (90°C) solution of potassium permanganate over the soil poured into a bucket and cover it on top to maintain the high temperature for a longer time.

But better soil steam using any large old pan or bucket. Pour water (1/4 volume) into the bottom of the container. At a height of 1/3 from the bottom, install a lid with drilled holes(grid, colander bowl), which is covered with a large piece of cloth so that the soil does not spill. Or pour the earth into a cloth bag. Cover the top tightly with a lid and boil for at least 40 minutes.

Disinfecting soil in the oven requires caution. The layer of earth should be no more than 8-10 cm, and the temperature should not be higher than 60-80°C. Heat treatment causes death not only pathogenic microorganisms, but also useful.

Sterile soil very quickly (within 2-3 weeks) is populated with new inhabitants, both harmful and beneficial. To ensure that there are as few of the former as possible, it is recommended to add vermicompost (1:10) to the disinfected cooled soil.

indoor.usadbaonline.ru

We have small white worms up to a millimeter long in our greenhouse. At first glance, it seems that all the beds are sprinkled with semolina. No matter how hard we tried to get rid of them! They sprayed the soil with dichlorvos, watered it with a solution of potassium permanganate and even creolin.

The worms that our reader writes about belong to the order springtails (collembole). Springtails appeared on Earth much earlier than insects and higher plants, therefore they have adapted to eat algae, fungi, and lichens. More often they live among rotting plant remains and in surface layer soil, but can go deeper. Less commonly they live on plants and in water bodies.

Species living in the soil are white; those that live on green plants are greenish; in the forest floor – grayish and brown; there are brightly colored or with metallic shine. The body length of the worm is 1 mm. Head with antennae and eyes on the sides. Three pairs of legs allow active movement on the surface, and thanks to the “fork” under the abdomen, even jumping. White springtails, living in the ground, do not have a “jumping fork”; they can only crawl with the help of short chest legs.

Springtails reproduce in a unique way. Males deposit spermatophores in the form of droplets (seminal fluid) on stalks. Females capture spermatophores with their genital openings and, after fertilization, lay eggs in moist areas. The eggs hatch into small springtails that look like adults.

Collembolas, or Springtails

Springtails are not bothered by cold weather, they are active even in frozen soil, and the development of eggs does not stop up to plus 2-3°C.

Are springtails harmful? Yes and no.

On the one hand, the vital activity of springtails enriches the soil. They feed on decaying organic matter, bacteria, and animal excrement. In the north, it is they who destroy fallen leaves, enriching the soil with nutrients.

Collembolas, or Springtails

However, there are also representatives of white springtails that eat into the succulent roots of plants. Undoubtedly, they oppress plants both in the greenhouse and in the garden bed. This results in crop losses.

What do you recommend? Considering that the development of springtail eggs is possible only in a humid environment and they are very sensitive to drying out, try drying the soil during the process of partially replacing it in a greenhouse (in a baking tray on a fire or on iron sheets in the sun).

www.botanichka.ru

Symptoms to recognize harmful insects

What needs to be done to save pets? First of all, find out what harmful insects have infested the flowers. To do this, a thorough examination of the plant itself and the soil is carried out. After this they begin a merciless struggle various methods. Remember, any delay is fraught with disastrous consequences.

Insects live in the soil (on roots), on leaves, stems, and gnaw buds.

Pests of indoor plants

Plants react to each pest in a special way: they can change the color of leaves and slow down their growth. When visually examining a houseplant, you can notice changes in the leaves and stems.

Appearance of white spots

White spots are a signal of the appearance of:

Mealybug or rootbug. You need to examine all parts of the flower. If you notice “cotton” lumps, it means there is a pest.
When whiteflies appear, the leaves become sticky and may fall off.
The presence of a red spider (clover) mite can be determined by the whitish mesh, spider mite by the cobweb. Leaves at large quantities insects die off.

What do yellow spots signal?

Appearance on leaves yellow spots you need to inspect the leaves. If your fingers stick to them, these are marks left by the scale insect. The cause may be the appearance of enchytraea. Tiny white worms live in the soil right at the root.

Brown spots

The presence of brown, brownish spots on the bottom of the leaf and white streaks on top indicates the action of thrips.

Deformation of green parts of the plant

If the shoots and leaves on the flowers begin to deform, it means that the flower is affected by aphids or cyclamen mites. Aphids leave behind sticky residues. It sucks the juice from indoor plants, which can cause them to dry out. If dust appears on the leaves from below, they curl - the mite is in control.

Withering

The cause of drooping leaves and shoots is fungus gnats, leaf or root-knot nematodes.

Description of pests

Pests of indoor plants can cause harm and lead to the death of green spaces if they are not dealt with. Let's look at the most common insects and their destructive activities.

Spider mite

Spider mites are the most common “guest” on indoor plants. Due to their small size, they cannot be seen with the naked eye. You need to examine the lower part of the flower, because these pests do not tolerate light and moisture. Insects may appear in a dry and hot room. In such conditions, development spider mite swift.

If you have geraniums, hibiscus, palm trees, aspidistra, then they need to be inspected constantly. Insects pierce the tender part of the leaves and suck out the juice. As a result, the leaves become faded and crumble.

Aphid

Aphids can be seen despite their small size. They come in black and green. Insect colonies multiply rapidly: the female lays at least 150 larvae, which after 7 days themselves enter the reproduction stage.
Females of the third generation have the ability to fly. They move onto any indoor plants and lay larvae. Diseases are transferred to flowers on their paws, for example, different types flower mosaic. Getting rid of aphids is not as easy as it seems.

Shields

Scale insects on indoor plants - dangerous pest, loves to settle on cuttings, leaves, stems. It is not difficult to detect: it is flat, oval, with the lower part of its body tightly adjacent to the substrate.

These pests are different. Real scale insects hide under their shells, just like turtles. False scale insects do not have this possibility, since this part of the body is inseparable.

The favorite colors of these pests are:

lemons;
oranges;
tangerines;
asparagus;
oleanders;
ivies;
palm trees

Scale insects settle on the lower part of the leaf. Colonies develop quickly. Slowly moving dots appear on the leaves, somewhat reminiscent of plaques. The leaves around their habitat turn yellow. Insects suck out the juice of tender plants and shoots, depleting the plant. If you do not start a timely fight, indoor flowers die.

Thrips

Ficus, begonia, dracaena, palm trees are affected by the jumping beetle small sizes- thrips. The females make holes in the leaves or flower buds and lay eggs. The damage is microscopic and impossible to notice with the naked eye. A signal that thrips are on indoor plants is a silvery pattern appearing on the leaves. The insects themselves live on the back side of the leaf.

White Podura

These creatures can also jump. This is a soil insect that lives directly in pots. It is distinguished by an elongated body, on which sparse hairs are visible. There are antennae on the head. Most often they appear in soils rich in humus.

The basis of nutrition is plant residues, but it does not disdain the living root system. It is clear that the eaten roots can no longer cope with their function, the plant slows down its growth and may die.

Mealybugs

These are white worms; they love the back of the leaf in the places where the vein runs. Females are large, up to half a centimeter, very fertile. They build houses for their offspring that look like balls of cotton wool, and lay eggs in them. The hatched larvae are mobile and quickly conquer space on the flowers.
Gardeners who grow azaleas and cacti need to constantly inspect their plants for signs of mealybugs. These pests of indoor plants prefer them and it is necessary to take immediate measures to combat them.

Whitefly

Whiteflies are, by and large, greenhouse insects. If you purchased flowers in these places, do not be lazy to examine them carefully. Even one female whitefly on indoor plants will produce huge offspring in a short time. Then the question will arise of how to fight. The pest's favorite flowers are fuchsias, ferns, and geraniums. The two-millimeter insect feeds on plant sap, and as a result it weakens and withers.

Fungus gnats

It often happens that flower growers notice flying creatures around their flowers. small flies, but do not attach any importance to it. And in vain, because the fly lays larvae in wet fertile soil. The larvae are microscopic, so their appearance is not immediately noticeable. The danger of insects is that the smallest creatures feed on the root system of plants. As a result, the flower dies.

How to control pests on indoor plants

Many novice gardeners are wondering how to deal with pests of indoor plants. The answer to this is important, since insects multiply rapidly and time should not be wasted.

There are different ways to help get rid of pests:

mechanical;
biological;
folk;
chemical.

If pests of indoor plants are correctly identified, and measures to combat them will be effective.

Mechanical

You need to start with the measures that are safest for humans, especially since they often help a lot. Before starting work, you should disinfect and sharpen your tools. All damaged leaves and shoots are cut off, and the cut areas should be sprinkled with activated carbon.
Bugs and visible larvae are selected manually: scale insects, slugs, caterpillars. Leaves with pests such as aphids can be wiped with a cotton pad. A contrast shower and spraying with water helps get rid of pests living on the green parts of the plant.

Biological

How to deal with harmful insects biological means? Such preparations are created based on plants. Most often used:

"Fitoverm";
"Agrovertin";
"Iskra-Bio".

Before use, you should read the instructions. Since they destroy pests, they contain poison in small doses. The plants are treated early in the morning and left in a shaded place until all parts of the plant are dry. The room where the treatment was carried out is ventilated. You need to wash all exposed parts of your body. warm water with detergents.

Traditional methods

If indoor plant pests appear, treatment can be carried out with time-tested folk remedies. For this, decoctions and infusions are prepared from:

yarrow;
chamomile;
dandelion;
marigolds;
nettle;
garlic;
Luke;
peels of oranges, tangerines, lemons.

These environmentally friendly and harmless plants can effectively destroy harmful insects. Steamed citrus peels can be buried in the soil. Insects don't like their smell.

An infusion of tobacco, stove ash, a solution of potassium permanganate, furatsilin or soda works well. To prevent the liquid from immediately draining from the plants, laundry soap is added to it.

Chemical

When using chemical pest control products, rapid success can be achieved. It is better to resort to their help as a last resort if other methods have not given a positive result. It should be remembered that such products are unsafe for humans and beneficial insects. Work with chemicals It is necessary with the window open, removing children and animals from the room. In addition, when working you need to use tools personal protection. After work, you need to thoroughly wash your hands and face.
The treated plants are placed in the shade until the solution is completely dry. The area where the treatment was carried out must be washed with hot water and detergents.

Remember that chemicals are toxic, therefore, they should be stored in places inaccessible to children and pets. Popular and effective remedies for pests of indoor plants:

"Karbofos";
"Chlorophos";
"Syphos";
"Trichlorometaphos";
"Pyrethrum";
"Decis";
"Fury."

They are capable of destroying almost all harmful insects.

Getting rid of harmful insects

The shell of insects makes them invulnerable even to toxic drugs. If there is a large concentration of pests, you should clean them with a toothbrush and moisten them with alcohol.
From chemicals better to use:

Actellicom;
Detis;
Intavir.

IN lately a lot of information about the benefits of earthworms. But it's in the garden. And for indoor flowers? Many people believe that they need to be destroyed in a pot. Is this true?

Opinions about earthworms are extremely contradictory. Some praise their virtues and even breed them at home, others see them as an unpleasant creature, like a voracious caterpillar.

You can find many stories on the Internet that give examples of how earthworms “bitten a poor flower in a pot” (hereinafter - quotes from various forums). However, such statements raise serious doubts. And first of all, in the education of their authors.

Here's a quote that begins one story: "Earthworms are generally regarded as beneficial insects...".

What follows is a description of the poor flower, which was “fading before our eyes.” After it was taken out of the pot, it turned out that there was an earthworm (and not even one!). Apparently, “these worms devoured all the roots, leaving only pitiful bits of them.”

Of course, we know what earthworms look like. Let's try to figure out whether they can harm plants.

Let's start with the fact that earthworms are not insects (as they were called on the forum). offensive word"worms" is not about them either. The earthworms we see in the garden are terrestrial invertebrates. Here's what it looks like according to scientific classification: Kingdom - Animals; Type - Annelids; Class - Beltworms; Subclass - Oligochaete worms; Order - Haplotaxida; Suborder - Earthworms; Family - Lumbricidae.

Large eyeless worms 10-30 cm long belong to this family. The genera and species of this family differ in the shape of the head lobe (the so-called upper lip), in the position of the girdle and in the number of rings.

Several dozen species from the genera Lumbricus, Dendrobaena and Allolobophora are found in Russia.

Representatives of this family - best helpers to increase soil fertility, and at the same time - a popular bait for fishing.

Accusations that an earthworm “bitten” the poor flower are completely unfounded. An earthworm does not have gnawing organs, unlike, for example, a wireworm. Therefore, healthy plant roots are too tough for him.

An earthworm feeds on semi-decomposed organic matter, including roots, which are already rotten and softened. So in the pot he could easily “eat up” the roots of the flower if they were rotten. But with such roots, the flower itself would have died, without the “help” of the worm.

If he ate the rotten roots, it was most likely beneficial, since he eliminated most of the infected tissue. This can be compared to the amputation of a leg affected by gangrene. Doctors sacrifice part of the body to prevent its death as a whole.

So the worm is not eating the healthy roots in the pot. What happened to the plant that began to wither?

There may be several causes of the disease. Most likely, the flower was simply flooded. Stagnation of moisture in a pot is harmful to any plants. The top layer of soil may look dry, but the soil below remains moist.

Stagnation of moisture occurs when the plant is watered frequently and abundantly, when there are no drainage holes or the holes are too small and clogged with soil. Sooner or later this leads to rotting of the roots.

Also, the roots begin to rot from the hypothermia of the earthen lump on the windowsill or from a high dose of fertilizer. Another reason is diseases, the pathogens of which penetrate from the soil into the root system.

But in all these cases, the owner of the flower himself is “to blame,” because he did not fulfill the requirements of the plant or inattentively monitored it and missed the onset of the disease. It is clear that we do not like to blame ourselves. It is much more convenient to blame everything on the earthworm, especially when it turns out to be “at the crime scene.”

SHOULD I KICK OUT OR LEAVE THE EARTHWORM?

Earthworms (as well as their eggs) enter the flower pot with garden soil or compost, which is added to the soil mixture. These inhabitants usually do not exist in store-bought soil, since the soil is steamed.

A sure sign that there are earthworms in a pot with a houseplant are small black pellets on the surface of the soil. If the activity of earthworms in the soil is considered beneficial, then they have no place in a flower pot. This is due to the fact that in a pot the worms are forced to live in a small volume of soil. In search of food, they make many moves and actually “spin” in one place. Thus, they interfere with the growth of thin suction roots that nourish the plant. It takes on a depressed appearance and develops slowly.

With all due respect to earthworms, it is better to remove them from the pot. They don’t respond to a polite request to leave; you’ll have to kick me out. This method is used for this. The pot is placed in a container and water is poured to ground level. Soon the worms will run out of air and crawl to the surface. There they can be collected and transferred to the garden or city front garden. However, this method does not guarantee that there are no earthworm eggs left in the ground.

It is better to transplant the flower into new soil, while choosing uninvited guests. Earthworm eggs are also easy to select. They are round, yellow or brown and quite large (2 to 4 mm). More precisely, these are cocoons containing from 2 to 20 eggs.

When replanting a flower, sometimes they find many small red worms in the pot at once,

who bear little resemblance to useful assistants. They immediately try to destroy these “worms”. But this is what a young earthworm that hatched from eggs looks like (on the first day, the babies are only 1 mm long). Together with the soil, they also need to be released into the beds.

In addition to removing worms, replanting indoor flowers is also recommended because it allows you to carefully examine the plant for root rot.

Diseased roots can be easily distinguished by their color: black or dark brown. Sometimes the roots become translucent and soft to the touch.

The affected areas of the roots should be cut off with sharp scissors and sprinkled with crushed coal (or a tablet activated carbon). After transplanting, water moderately and cover the above-ground part with a jar or bag.

To treat the disease, you need to water the plant with some fungicide, for example, phytosporin.

If the roots were healthy and you simply removed the earthworms, then the plant will soon recover.

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