It seems the compost I used was more lively than anticipated. There’s an earthworm crawling around in there.
It’s a decent 12 inch pot, but it’s still effectively a limited environment. So I’m not sure if I should leave him in or take him out.
UPDATE: alright. I’ll keep him in, cross my fingers, and hope I’ve pulled in enough of an ecosystem to both sustain him for his expected lifespan, and safely handle the subsequent death and decomposition.
Leave it in, it’ll eat detritus and aerate the roots and leave by the drainage hole in the night if its not satisfied with its environment.
Leave to where, though? Personally I would relocate the worm to the outdoor garden where I have seen plenty of worm friends rather than risk a pet hurting him when he decides to relocate. If the potted plant was being kept outdoors I would leave the worm in.
Leave from the pot to earth. They can smell decaying plant matter, and even if it (earthworms are hermaphrodites btw) went over the side, they can easily survive a foot drop. It takes just a minute or two for one to crawl from one side of a sidewalk to another, five or ten minutes to make its way from one side of a patio to another, at a time when most animals that might prey on them (or accidentally step on them) are sleeping. The risk is minimal and no less than any other worm transiting overground to a new site, which is quite common.
It’s an indoor plant, so I guess finding it’s way out of the apartment would be the challenge.
