Worm or Unwanted Wiggly?

[Futile gardener]

My indoor Gardenia is having a difficult time, and has really never been healthy. (It had a fungus on the leaves when I purchased it. I foolishly believed the young sales associate when she said it was heavy dust.)

I believe that it is also struggling due to Fungas Gnats, but this evening when spraying soil, I noticed a couple of wiggly’s. Hoping to attach file.
It was an outdoor plant last summer, and when it came indoors last October, I changed the soil, sprayed the roots with water, and added some coco bark on the surface.

I really do not want to part with this Gardenia, however, I am on the verge of doing just that!
Suggestions would be welcomed.

 

[Logan]

Hello and welcome to GF
The worm was probably in the Coco bark or it was still in the roots when you changed the soil. I wouldn't have put it outside for the summer, bound to get something in the soil.
The fungal knates are naturally in soils, I wouldn't worry about it.
Here's a video to help you

 

[Tetters]

Sciarid flies (fungus gnats) can be a pain, and are often due to overwatering. We find that the yellow sticky traps are useful, but they lay their eggs in the wet compost and the larvae that results have a jolly good chew on the roots, which is not ideal.
That poor worm would much prefer to be out in the garden in the rain I think .
Welcome to the forums by the way @Futile gardener

 

[Futile gardener]

Hello and welcome to GF
The worm was probably in the Coco bark or it was still in the roots when you changed the soil. I wouldn't have put it outside for the summer, bound to get something in the soil.
The fungal knates are naturally in soils, I wouldn't worry about it.
Here's a video to help you

Thank you for this video, as it is very specific.
I do plan on transplanting again once the weather warms up here in Southern Ontario.
As this is a hybrid(?) Gardenia tree of sorts, it was outdoors when I purchased, so I decided to leave it out for the summer. The blooms were beautiful and fragrant!

.

If I can make it healthy, it will definitely stay indoors

 

[Futile gardener]

Sciarid flies (fungus gnats) can be a pain, and are often due to overwatering. We find that the yellow sticky traps are useful, but they lay their eggs in the wet compost and the larvae that results have a jolly good chew on the roots, which is not ideal.
That poor worm would much prefer to be out in the garden in the rain I think .
Welcome to the forums by the way @Futile gardener

Yes I felt bad removing the two worms that I discovered. Do you think that they are harmless? I can’t say that I have ever seen an earth worm looking quite like these!

I have posted a picture of the “tree”, above.

I am not sure how to handle the gnats. I do believe that they are decreasing and number, but they do fly about the house, and I am afraid that they may infest another plant!
I read that sprinkling a layer of Cinnamon on the surface of the soil will kill the larvae. I have seen the most minuscule little white “worms”.....perhaps the larvae?
I certainly am not overwatering, but I am spraying a considerable amount of liquid into the plant. This could perhaps be over the top, hence, adding to the moisture level of the soil.

Thank you also for your response! I will continue to try and rescue this fragrant beauty!

 

[Tetters]

Those long worms don`t belong to the sciarid flies.