It’s bank holiday weekend and National Gardening Week. If you are looking for a way to share your love of the garden with your family then a wormery is a great activity that everyone can get involved with!
This hands-on experiment showcases the wonder of worms and brings the hidden world of soils above ground.
Worms are a really important part of our soils and ecosystems. As detritivores (animals that eat dead things) their favourite food is dead plants and other organic material, which they drag underground and feast on. This breaks down waste and recycles it into nutrient rich soil. As they travel through the soil, they also make holes and tunnels which helps drainage and breaks down large clumps of soil.
Worms really are a gardener’s best friend!
To build a wormery you will need;
- A big, clean, see through container with a large opening at the top
- Sand
- Damp soil
- Dead leaves
- Worms
- A piece of fabric
- An elastic band
- Black paper
When you are hunting for your worms please don’t pull them, as it can hurt them. It’s best to look for them after rain when they’ll be above ground.
How to make your wormery
- Pour a thin layer of sand into your container, then add a thick layer of soil. Repeat this until your wormery is three quarters full.
- Add a good handful of dead leaves to the top.
- Add your worms.
- Make small holes in the fabric and secure it with an elastic band.
- Wrap your black paper around your wormery, this is so the worms feel at home in the dark.
It’s best to keep your wormery in a cool, dark place and make sure it stays damp. Your worms will then wriggle happily around your wormery, eating the leaves and making tunnels. Once you’ve finished with your wormery you can release the worms back into your garden, where they’ll carry on munching and tunnelling.
A wormery isn’t just for children though, grown up worm farms are available that help you compost your garden and kitchen waste at top speed!
