In New England, spring is underway! For us, that usually means lots of mud (did you know that we have a fifth season that we fondly call mud season? Haha!) Because of this, I thought it would be fun to dig into the soil to find.. WORMS!
To make your own wormery, you will need
- a glass jar or vase
- pebbles
- sand
- soil
- leaf matter
- grass seed
- black (or dark colored) paper
- tape
- worms
-water
Instructions for making your own wormery
Step one: In a large glass jar or vase, add a layer of small stones or pebbles. This layer allows space for extra water to sit without oversaturating the soil.
Step two: Alternate layers of moist soil, sand, and leaf matter. Be sure that these layers are only damp, not oversaturated and wet. The topmost layer should be soil.
Step three: On the topmost layer, add a thin sprinkle of grass seed and cover with a dusting of damp soil.
Step four: Add 2-4 worms to the jar. Wrap the jar in black paper when the worms are not being observed. The worms are not likely to venture out to the sides of the jar if it is not wrapped in dark paper, so this is an important step to ensure that you are able to see the progress.
Step five: Check the worms every day and make sure the soil is still damp. You may also add small bits of food (vegetables or fruits, but avoid onion or citrus).
Step six: Return the worms outside after several weeks of observation.
For a free printable on building a wormery, click here.