Some are beneficial, some are deadly to plants.
There are more than 20,000 species of nematodes in the world, and most of them (over 15,000) are parasitic. They live in fresh water, salt water and in soil. Most nematodes are microscopic. Some either carry pathogens, or are themselves harmful to plants.
Others are beneficial to plants. These beneficial nematodes are predatory, and kill other garden pests like cutworms and other nematode species that are harmful to plants.
The copyright of the article What are Nematodes? in Desert Gardens is owned by Robert Dailey. Permission to republish What are Nematodes? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
