How to Make a Worm Farm in a Jar

Worms play an important role in moving, mixing and cleansing the soil. They make the soil nutritious for other plants by breaking down organic matter such as leaves or grass. They also leave behind castings that make fertilizer. You cannot have healthy soil without these valuable creatures, so make your own worm farm and watch how they work.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A large jar
• An empty can
• Moist soil
• Dry oatmeal
• Hammer and nail
• Piece of scrap wood
• Worms
• Black construction paper or cloth
• Tape

1. Find a large jar with a wide mouth and a lid to make your worm farm. Place a clean, empty can with the open end facing downward in the very center of the jar. This forces the worms to work around the edges of the jar so you can watch them.
2. Put about an inch of moist soil into the jar. Measure out a teaspoon of dry oatmeal and sprinkle it around the top of the soil.
3. Add another inch of moist soil on top of the oatmeal and another teaspoon of dry oatmeal on top of the soil. Continue layering in this way, ending the layering with soil and stopping 2 inches from the top.
4. Place the lid of the jar on a piece of scrap wood or plywood and punch holes into the jar lid with a hammer and a nail.
5. Place about 20 worms into the jar and place the lid on the jar.
6. Cover the jar with black construction paper or a black cloth, covering it completely. If using construction paper, tape it all the way around. Remove the covering if you would like to check on the worms' progress, but for the most part keep it covered.
7. Keep your worms happy by keeping the soil moist, but not overly wet and giving them oatmeal by sprinkling it on the top of the soil every 6 weeks or so.

Tips & Warnings

• Feed your worms lettuce leaves by adding them periodically to the top of the soil instead of oatmeal if you wish.
• Do not puncture holes in the lid of the jar while the lid is on the jar. Also, do not do this on a surface that you don't want damaged in case the nail goes too far.
• Do not give your worms too much water or they will drown. You only have to keep the soil moist.