Worm tower

Step 1
Ask a grown-up to help you drill holes around the pipe (or bucket, after first cutting off its bottom). Drill two rows of holes around the top quarter of the pipe. These are going to be above ground to let air into the tower. In the bottom half of the pipe, drill five rows of holes. These are going to be below ground for the worms to get in and out of the tower

Step 2
Give the top half of your pipe a sand with some rough sandpaper. Make sure to wipe the pipe down with a damp cloth to remove the dust. Then give the sanded half of the pipe a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer to make sure the paint stays on. Leave the sealer to dry for at least two hours before you paint over it with a base coat of Resene paint. Once that's dried, decorate using different Resene testpots!

Step 3
Make the roof with your terracotta pot or flat paver. Give it a clean before painting and decorating it. (I use a wine cork to plug any hole in the pot to stop the rain getting in. With my mushroom house design, it could even be a little chimney!)

Step 4
Dig a hole in your garden where you want to improve the soil and put the bottom half of your tower in the hole. Fill around the tower with soil, to secure it upright in the ground. Pop some moist straw or shredded paper in the bottom of the tower and cover that with a couple of handfuls of compost. Relocate a handful of tiger worms from your compost bin and put a little bit of soil from the compost bin on top of the worms. A handful of chopped up fruit and vege scraps can go in next. Then, add a couple of scrunched up newspaper sheets to keep out the light. And, finally, you can add your roof

Words & Photos by Diane Turner

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