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How to Make a Worm Pit

Though perhaps thought as being most useful for fishermen as bait on their lines, worms also aerate and enrich soil, making them invaluable assets to gardeners looking to improve their plant life. In especially cold winter conditions, indoor worm compost bins are recommended over outdoor worm pits. These can be made with a similar process and a large plastic bin. Different kinds of worms congregate in different levels and conditions of soil. Regular soil and garden earthworms thrive deeper underground than surface dwelling red worms, which live in organic-rich environments.

Instructions

- 1
  Designate an area for your worm pit. You'll want it to be anywhere from 18 inches to several square feet. Remember, the richer the soil, the more worms. You may desire to line it with heavy rocks to make the location obvious and static.
- 2
  Dig out the pit. Fill it with anything rich in nutrients for worms. This includes peatmoss, paper scraps, manure, grass clippings with no lawn chemicals, and coffee grounds. Turn it further into a compost heap by adding organic waste like rotting vegetables.
- 3
  Add a top layer of dead leaves for mulch or cover the pit somehow. Materials compost faster and become richer environments in dark, damp conditions. A large board of wood can do the trick. Resist the temptation to add worms for at least several months. The extra time will allow the soil to become more rich with nutrients.
- 4
  Buy and add worms. As the worms accumulate in the coming weeks, continue to add organic waste.

Insects & Science