How to Make a Wormery

There’s a reason the earthworm is said to be a farmer’s best friend. Worms eat organic materials (e.g., leaves, manure, vegetables) they find at the top of a layer of dirt and bring that food, either intact or partially digested, down to the lower levels of soil via tunneling. The tunneling action aerates the soil, and the food that’s brought down mixes with the earth, making the ground more nutritionally-dense and fertile. It’s not just farm fields that benefit from this rototilling action, but all plant-rich ecosystems that harbor worms. You can watch earthworms in action by making your own wormery.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2-liter plastic soda bottle
• Shoe box
• Scissors
• Tape
• Ballpoint pen
• Sand (about a cup)
• Damp, soft soil (about 3 cups)
• Dry leaves
• Bits of potato and onion
• 2 or 3 earthworms

1. Tape one side of a shoe box lid to the side of the shoe box so it opens like a hinged door. (Some shoe boxes come assembled this way.) Poke holes in the top end of the box. Worms need air!

2. Cut the top off of the soda bottle so it has a wide opening. Remove the label as best you can. Make sure the inside of the bottle is clean.

3. Fill the bottle with alternate layers of dirt and sand. As a suggestion, start with approximately 2 inches of dirt on the bottom, followed by about 1/2 inch of sand on top of that. Repeat with two more layers of dirt and sand. Finish with a top layer of just dirt (no sand).

4. Place your organic matter (leaves, potatoes and onions) on that top layer of dirt.

5. Place your worms in the wormery. Set the wormery in a cool, dry, dark place (preferably outside) for four days.

6. Check on your wormery after about four days. You should be able to see where the dirt and the sand have mixed together due to the worms’ tunneling activity. If you’re lucky, you may be able to see actual tunnels along the side of the bottle. Continue observing for a few more days or a week or two until the dirt and sand are completely mixed, or until there is no more food on the surface. Add more water to keep the soil damp if necessary.

7. Dispose of your wormery when you’re done with it by dumping the whole thing (worms also) into your garden or other worm-friendly area.

Tips & Warnings

• Obtain worms at your local bait shop or pet store. You can also get them out of your own yard by watering a patch of dirt, covering it with a piece of cardboard or wood, waiting a couple of days and then collecting any worms that have accumulated underneath.
• Use construction paper to cover your wormery if you don’t have a shoe box. Just be sure to provide adequate air flow.
• Make sure your dirt is damp but not soaking wet. You can always dampen it after you make your wormery if you forgot during the layering process.