Worms in Plant Pots

Now while worms are great in the garden or in the worm farm. They are a real problem when it comes to being in pot plants. And also because they turn the nice light potting mix into a fairly heavy soil compound. Simply because the tunnels they leave allow water poured onto the pots to travel straight down and out of the drainage holes. And also makes it harder for the soil in the pots to retain moisture for the plant/s.

This is usually not a problem when the potting mix is fairly fresh. But as it ages and becomes more like ordinary soil. They seem to move in if the drainage holes are anywhere in contact with the ground.

So how can you get rid of the garden worms out of the pots. Well there are several ways

Repot the plants, which can be expensive and time consuming.
Make sure that all pots are well above soil level on a stand or pot feet, of some sort.

Or soak the pots in a container of water for 20 minutes or so, by completely immersing the potting mix/soil under the water level. Put something over the surface of the pot around the plant to prevent the potting mix/soil from floating away. The reason you soak them that long is to allow the water to permeate all parts of the pot plant.

This will encourage the worms to come to the surface of the pot. As of course they are air breathers.

Where if you are the kindly sucker type, you will probably relocate them back into an outside garden. And all such kindly sucker types, can start to line up behind me….

Because now while I have nothing against worms in my garden, as a matter of fact I encourage them there, I just don’t want them in my plant pots. Besides which I will probably be wanting them at a later date to help me and my son, catch some fish.

Now this treatment will bring any worms you have to the surface. However it will not treat any worm egg sacks which have not hatched. So the treatment may have to be repeated about a month or so later, before any new worms start breeding again.

Another thing that will improve your chances of getting the worms to come out of the soil is to add a little ‘Condy’s crystals’, (Potassium permanganate), to the soaking water, enough to make the water a nice purple colour. Unfortunately this will probably lead to the eventual death of any worms that get a soaking in it. Though the Condy’s crystals, will also work against any aphids and mealy bugs on the root systems on the plants.

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