My indoor plant is dying because of earth worms. what should i do?
I’ve noticed that my indoor plant (kentia palm 2 meters tall) was turning its leaves into dark brown yellow. I was not sure why this was happening until i saw worms on the floor around the pot. This happened probably because i’ve soaked the pot the other night and as a result some of them probably got drowned. My plant is dying how do i get rid of them???
I went to my local plant shop and reported my problem. They gave me an insect plant killer and told me to really soak the pot together with that stuff so it would go to the bottom of the pot. IT WORKED!!! as i saw 50 to 60 worms like small snakes the size of a needle coming out of the pot as they probably suffocated from the worm poison!! I hope now the plant recovers slowly…
I think this is definitely the worm’s fault especially if your pot is a bit tight for the plant. Outdoors, in gardens, earthworms usually do good to plants. But in indoor plants, the earthworms do more bad than good. The earthworms bump into the plant’s roots, causing shock and such, and since there is not enough leaf fall (since there is only 1 plant) the earthworms tend to eat the root caps of the plants (which also causes the plant not to absorb water properly, which may be the reason why your plant leaves have turned dark yellow. And of course, lastly, please don’t over water the pot! 
November 9th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
you will probably find its nothing to do with earth worms its probably because you have drowned it palms dont like to be wet after all most of them live in very hot climates so only a little water is needed
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November 9th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Earth worms are beneficial, and I’m sure they aren’t the reason your plant is dying. It may have cutworms or some other type of grub attacking the roots. Also check the fronds for insects.
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November 9th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Definitely not the worms and no soaking.
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November 9th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
somehow I don’t think the worms are causing problems with your plant. Have you checked the roots of the plant? Changed potting soil within a year? There are many possible causes, but I doubt it’s the worms. I suggest you take the plant out of the pot and discard the soil if you’re worried about that. It might help to wash the roots with fresh water too
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Lots of experience with house plants and gardening
November 9th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
I think this is definitely the worm’s fault especially if your pot is a bit tight for the plant. Outdoors, in gardens, earthworms usually do good to plants. But in indoor plants, the earthworms do more bad than good. The earthworms bump into the plant’s roots, causing shock and such, and since there is not enough leaf fall (since there is only 1 plant) the earthworms tend to eat the root caps of the plants (which also causes the plant not to absorb water properly, which may be the reason why your plant leaves have turned dark yellow. And of course, lastly, please don’t over water the pot!
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