Sounds like a good experiment! It will be interesting to see both how the plants respond to the new worms, and how the worms respond to the additional drainage. Keep us posted!

here's my opinion, FWIW

Earthworms are present where there is adequate organic matter. In the garden, that is great. In a pot, generally the goal is to keep organic substrates to a minimum. In a pot, anything that decomposes into smaller particles reduces aeration and ultimately compromises drainage and oxygenation in the root zone. The only way around this is frequent repotting which may or may not be impractical.

So for my money, if I saw earthworms, I would repot immediately and change my substrate formula. Maybe you can get away with it depending on the species and its ability to tolerate certain conditions, but to me it is an ominous sign. Don't let the health and vitality of the plant at this moment fool you. The physics of the soil will deteriorate.

x

I have also heard that it's best not to have worms in a pot. It's not the same as worms in the ground. But I heard that in a college class 20+ years ago, so I don't know if the conventional wisdom has changed since then.

I have had worms in some of my planted pots on my balcony. I also sometimes see some catapillar like crawlies in my pots in the house as well as outside. Its a bit annoying since i don't know how they got there in the first place.

Red Angle worms.? I feel are great for potted plants, yes your mix may still need to be changed, but the worms create natural fertilizer. Add Oak leaves to the mix at least once a year and you should not have any problems. Any one wanting to get rid of these worms, I would be happy to give them a home. Continue what you are doing, do not mess with success. Norma

As a vermicomposter, I know that earthworms do not reduce the oxygenation or drainage in soil, they do just the opposite. In addition they adjust the PH to neutral and their castings enrich the soil. I think it will be interesting to see how the plants respond. Cheryl