"No dig" in Pots

Thanks both You seem to agree that I need worms in the soil - maybe its time for more pets.

You're welcome to some of mine Veggie. I seem to have hundreds of tiger worms, (brandlings), and as they like to live near the surface of the soil, they are always getting into my pots, even if left on a hard surface, in fact, even if they are on pot feet. They are a nuisance in small pots that have seedlings in (i.e. 3" type pots) because as they burrow around they leave air pockets around the roots so the seedlings suffer. I have a plastic cloche with a flat top and in damp weather they wriggle to the top of that as well. Goodness knows what they expect to find there.

On the plus side, my clay soil always looks freshly hoed in damp or wet weather and the surface no longer gets compacted by birds feet or heavy rain as the tigers continually turn the surface.