Donna in Idaho wrote:

I bought a 40 gallon livestock watering trough for my new patio
container garden (also lots of pots and an Earth Box for two tomato
plants). My son-in-law suggest that I get some worms and put in the
trough. Is that a good suggestion? I know worms certainly keep the
earth in better shape, but I'm just learning about container gardening.

For one thing used as planters you'll need to drill several drainage
holes in your watering trough... I see no point in adding worms...
place the trough directly on the ground and if worms want to enter
they will decide. Unless worms are free to go back into the ground at
will as temperatures increase and decrease they will die. Earthworms
live within the top ten feet of soil, they burrow deeper during the
heat of a summer day and during freezes... weather permitting they
come to the surface at night, ergo night crawlers.