You’re probably reading this because you saw something odd just beneath the surface of your soil and are concerned it might be worms.
A healthy garden needs clear worms in the soil because they consume plant materials and produce worm castings. They can contribute organic matter, aerate the soil, and enhance drainage. But an abundance of clear worms in the soil can be a sign that something is wrong and has to be fixed.
Some varieties of clear worms can harm young plants by tunneling through their roots and stems if they are not controlled.
You will learn how to spot microscopic clear worms in the soil, how to judge if they are beneficial or harmful, and what advantages their presence can offer in this article.
Table of Contents
Identifying Tiny Clear Worms in Soil:
You may have noticed small, transparent worms in your garden soil while gardening. Several species of worms and pests that resemble “small, clear worms” are listed below:
Pot Worms:
Translucent worms called pot worms are much larger than roundworms. They can be seen with the naked eye and resemble smaller species of earthworms. They are mostly present in compost soil and do not affect plants.
Nematodes:
Some of the different varieties of roundworms can only be seen under a light microscope because they are so tiny. The majority of the illnesses that these transparent worms are known to spread to plants and animals.
Nematodes, also referred to as roundworms, are members of the phylum Nematoda and are distinguished by their bodies that are not segmented. They have a very small structure and might or might not be visible to the unaided eye.
There is no need to eradicate pot worms from the soil because they have a beneficial function. They help the soil regenerate and organic matter degrade. They are widely dispersed.
Even while some nematodes can be harmful, they are mostly benign and useful. Various nematode species feed on plants, microscopic creatures, bacteria, etc.
Various Nematode Types
- parasitic nematodes of plants
- Free-living Nematodes
- fungus-eating nematodes
- Nematode predators
- Vegetarian Nematodes
Plant Parasitic Nematodes:
Plant-parasitic nematodes are nematodes that consume plants as their food source. Plants serve as the host and source of reproduction for plant-parasitic nematodes. In exchange, they bring on a number of serious plant illnesses include cysts and root-knot infections.
These transparent worms damage the roots when they are present in root infections. The afflicted plant grows slowly and may even perish.
Chlorosis, or the yellowing of the leaves, may be caused by worms that parasitize plants. Wilting of the plant is another sign of these transparent worms.
These nematodes come in the following varieties:
- The nematode that digs (Radopholus similis)
- Dipsaci Ditylenchus
- Nematode causing pine wilt (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus)
- Cyst nematode of soybean
Free-living Nematodes:
Free-living nematodes, as opposed to plant-eating nematodes, are the kinds of clear worms that are beneficial to keep in your garden. These little, transparent worms are necessary for plant development.
They improve drainage and raise the earth’s fertility.
Furthermore, plants flourish in the presence of free-living nematodes because they control insects. They reduce the quantity of nematodes in the soil by feeding on fungi, bacteria, insects, and other nematodes.
Nematodes that live in the open include, for example:
- The avena phelenchus
- elegans Caenorhabditis
Depending on their diet, the following categories of free-living nematodes exist:
Fungivorous Nematodes:
These nematodes rely on fungi for nutrition and food. They pierce the cell wall and allow the mycelium body to release all of its interior substance.
Numerous plant diseases are caused by fungi. These small worms control the fungi’s population, which is advantageous for the plant.
Additionally, fungi contain nitrogen, which is released into the soil during worm attack. Anguinidae is an illustration of these nematodes that consume fungus.
Bacterivorous Nematodes:
Nematodes that are bacteriovorous feed on the bacteria. They stop the spread of disease brought on by bacteria by reducing their number in the soil.
For eating, most nematodes have a mouth or stoma, whereas bacterivorous nematodes don’t. The mouth of these transparent worms changes to create a hollow channel that is utilized to ingest bacteria.
Chiloplacus symmetricus and Sydney Brenner’s Model Nematode (Caenorhabditis elegans) are two examples of this kind of roundworm.
Predatory Nematodes:
A predatory nematode is a type of nematode that feeds on other nematodes, tiny animals, protozoa, or insects.
Due to the fact that they also consume parasitic nematodes, these clear worms are advantageous for plant growth. This is a great approach to eradicate the soil’s plant-harming nematodes.
The predatory nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophage is an illustration.
Omnivorous Nematodes:
Different from other nematode species are omnivorous nematodes. Throughout their whole life cycle, they do not have a constant prey. They consume various prey at various times of their lives.
Omnivorous nematodes can prey on larger nematodes as well as consume smaller ones. Omnivorous nematodes are incredibly successful in promoting plant development because of this characteristic.
The Aporcelaimidae and Dorylaimidae families are two examples of omnivorous nematodes.
Fungus Gnat Larvae:
In certain cases, clear worms are actually the fungus gnat larvae rather than true worms.
On damp soil, the fungus gnats fly deposits its pale, whitish eggs. As soon as these eggs hatch, fungus gnat larvae are discharged. Larvae of fungus gnats have white bodies that appear colorless or transparent and have a recognizable black head.
Plant growth is harmed by fungus gnat larvae, which are pests. They continue to rely on plants for survival up until the point at which they change into flies. These pests have the potential to kill and harm the affected plant.
Around the roots of the afflicted plant, fungus gnat larvae are simple to discover. After that, you can destroy them with a chemical pesticide.
Neem oil or homemade pesticides might be used to get rid of fungus gnat larvae if you are wary of using chemicals on your plant.
Where Do These Clear Worms Come From?
For many animal and plant species, soil is their native habitat. Worms are another creature that frequently inhabits soil. All types of soil naturally include nematodes.
Pot worms, on the other hand, only populate composting areas. If they come across any organic material to degrade, they may migrate to garden soil.
Eggs that have hatched produce fungus gnat larvae. They continue to develop in the soil until they become fungus gnat flies. Fungus gnat larvae may spread to unaffected soil through the movement of contaminated soil.
Benefits of Clear Worms in Soil:
Clear worms might be beneficial to add to your soil. Some advantages of having transparent worms in the soil include:
Enhance Soil Quality:
Nematodes and pot worms are examples of clear worms that are well known for enhancing soil quality. The breakdown of organic debris and the addition of different nutrients by clear worms to the soil are both crucial processes.
Regulate Growth Of Harmful Species:
Some nematode species feed on soil-dwelling parasitic and pathogenic organisms. They reduce the number of such species in the earth by doing this. enhancing the soil’s suitability for plant growth.
Provide a Food Source:
Some small roundworms serve as food for different types of insects, soil arthropods, and larger nematodes. These transparent worms are additionally consumed by fungi and other underground microbes. As a result, clear worms give the soil biome access to a food source.
Recycle Nutrients:
In soil, clear worms function as natural decomposers. Roundworms and pot worms both work to break down organic matter into simpler forms while releasing nutrients into the soil.
This is one explanation for why topsoil could appear darker.
Nematodes that feed on bacteria and fungi kill those organisms and provide more ammonium to the soil. These nutrients are used by plants to grow.
Drawbacks of Clear Worms in Soil:
Clear worms in the soil have certain drawbacks. Even while the majority of transparent worms are harmless, some of them can be hazardous to plants and even deadly.
They eat the plant’s nutrients and rely on them for nourishment. The result is a weakened plant and slowed growth.
Some clear worms have the ability to assault the plant’s exterior. They harm the plant’s general look as well as the stem, root, leaves, and flowers. The plant may wilt and display signs of chlorosis. The plant can die if the situation does not improve.
Are Worms Good For Both Garden and Potted Plants?
Yes, as long as they are present in sufficient numbers, the majority of worms are acceptable for both garden and potted plants. The idea is to add a moderate amount of worms to your garden plant because too many can cause more harm than benefit.
A reasonable number of worms can help the soil by decomposing the organic stuff beneath the surface and releasing nutrients. Additionally, it might enhance the growth of your plants and the soil’s quality.
Will Worms Kill the Plants?
Worms typically do not cause the plant to die. However, if there are too many worms in the pot or garden, the organic matter there might not be enough to feed them. They can begin to consume plant roots and eventually kill the plant.
Other Worms in Soil
In soil, there are many different kinds of worms. Depending on the species, they come in a range of hues. For instance, while surface worms are primarily bright red or reddish-brown, dirt worms are green, blue, somewhat pinkish, or even grey.
The Takeaway:
In soil, whether in gardens, potted plants, or plain ground, clear worms are frequently visible. Depending on the species, these worms might or might not be harmful.
They might boost the soil’s vitality and be beneficial to it. However, if your plant becomes infected with a parasitic worm, it could die.
It can be difficult to tell whether a worm or another reason is to blame for the poor health of your plant.