I postedthe earthworm question in UBC botanical forum (maintained by the university):Izhar wrote:Hmm interesting... it is challenging my regular practice..
The replies so far are against the earthworms in the pots- so I have to change my views. On the other hand, keep in mind the studied on land where earthworms are beneficial overall.
Reply 1:I'm guessing they would be detrimental overall. Their underground activities in the confined area of a container would cause harm in the form of root disturbance. Having said that I've had the odd worm, small ones, in my containers and they have not had a negative impact on the plants. The size of the container and the number of worms involved must be considered.
Reply2: Bad, but not terribly so. They speed up the breakdown of soil into smaller particles, which means that ultimately they reduce soil aeration. (Counterintuitive, I know.) On the other hand, I've had earthworms in some of my pots (generally anything that spends any time outdoors is going to get them sooner or later, especially if the drainage holes are in contact with the soil) and nothing huge has happened. I just have to keep in mind that those plants will need soil replacement sooner than those without earthworms.
Regards,
Farooq
