Earthworms can kill seeds

16:43 1st July 2010

New research has shown that earthworms can be responsible for the death of some seeds.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) reported that the critters can sometimes munch on seeds and seedlings before they break the surface of the soil.

It revealed that the study from Germany's Georg-August-University Gottingen found that the worms prefer to munch on seeds in the radicle and cotyledon stages of development.

Long thought to be gardeners' best friend, some growers may be concerned that earthworms are detrimental to their activities following the news.

However, this should not be the case as they are still of great benefit and are responsible for just a tiny proportion of seed deaths, head of RHS horticultural advisory services Guy Barter explained.

"Earthworms do far more good than harm," he said. "They are of vanishing unimportance compared to other things that predate seedlings - gardeners really don't need to worry."

In other news, the RHS is set to unveil a new rose named after the England football team at its Hampton Court Palace Flower Show next week.