"Atlas" wrote in message ...
this every year, and cut down on fertilizer. I even put earthworms in
the pots to help with the mixing and buffering, since it is known that
worm castings are more neutral than the original soil.

Dont' they affect the roots in any manner?

no. I can say that in terms of how good my houseplants look, given the
amount of care they receive, earthworms and manure work very well
together. And I never fertilize them either. Of course you don't want
manure inside the house. I put the manure in the pots when I put them
outside for the summer in May. By september it is completely mixed in.