'Pesticides by stealth': garden soil conditioners killing worms, experts fear

Even products marketed as 'organic' may be toxic, say campaigners, with risks for the wider ecosystemGardeners are inadvertently killing scores of earthworms with soil conditioners marketed as "organic", experts fear, as they call for tighter regulation on products that poison the invertebrates.Earthworms may appear humble, but Charles Darwin thought their work in improving soil structure and fertility was so important he devoted his final book to them and said: "It may be doubted if there are any other animals which have played such an important part in the history of the world as these lowly organised creatures." Continue reading...