When a worm squirms around the garden they help make the soil more crumbly which improves soil structure. Improved soil structure allows air and water to flow more freely.
The movement of a worm also creates tunnels which aerate the soil underneath to the benefit of those plant roots.
If you only want one worm tube, it’s cheaper to just buy one worm tube online.
But if you’re looking to have multiple worm tubes then consider making them as you’ll have all the supplies on hand.
This is an easy step-by-step guide on how I built four more tubes/towers for our three raised beds.
And if you have never heard of a worm tube….that’s up next!
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What’s a worm tube?
The bottom 18 inches have numerous holes that allow for the worms to enter and exit the tube. This portion of the tube is buried in your soil and because the holes are underground; you won’t get any fruit flies from the compost you place in the tube.
The tube has both a ventilated cap with a screen on top and an end cap on the bottom. We find that the screen not only keeps out pests but keeps the tube properly ventilated.
The bottom end cap prevents moles and other pests from climbing up the bottom while allowing water to drain out.
When you remove the ventilated cap on top, you dump in your green and brown compost and say “Hi worms, how are you doing today?
Do you like the food I am giving you? How did you sleep last night?” and then attach the top back on.
{Do worms sleep?!}
Step-by-step guide on building a worm tube/worm tower
Cost and supplies to make four worm tubes
-10 feet of pvc or sewer line 6 inches wide ($34.99 Lowe’s)
-4 end caps (drain caps $5.22 Home Depot)
-4 ventilation caps (6 in. Plastic Round Foam Polyolefin Grate) 1-$4.24 Home Depot
Total cost for each worm tube is $18.20
Cut your pvc pipe or sewer line 30″ or 2 1/2 feet. A hacksaw would work fine.
Make four worm tubes/towers out of one 10 foot sewer line/pvc pipe
Measurements for Worm Tube/Tower dimension
- Make a line 18 inches from the bottom of the tube. This is the amount that will be buried in the ground.
- Make vertical line around the tube approximately 1 1/4″ around the tube. These don’t have to be perfect and your last line will not come out to the exact specifications so split the difference.
- Along those lines put a dash mark every two inches this is where you will make your drill holes
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- sharpie marker, tin snips, hot glue gun and utility knife
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Add your kitchen scraps
Worm tube/tower at work
You Tube step by step video on making your own worm tube/tower
Come on give me a thumbs up!
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Willing to try
What a great and inexpensive way to enrich your garden!
My daughter LOVES bugs and worms, so would be so excited to make this and be able to see the worms at work!
This is really interesting, thanks for sharing.
Love this.
I have been burying banana peels to nuture worms.
What great info! I’ve literally never heard of a worm tube.
I had never heard of a worm tube. Looks so easy to do with all the detailed instructions. I just may have to do this next summer.
I never knew about doing this. I will have to remember this! Thanks for the info.
Thank you for the info
cool idea…never tried it before.
I never heard of a worm tower. I know several people who could use these.
Thank you for sharing detailed instructions/tips for building worm tubes! These organic gardening facilitative tubes appeal to me by attracting an army of unpaid working worms, who willingly recycle wastes AND enhance plant growth through soil enrichment! A gardener’s dream!
grandson would love this!
What an awesome tool to add to the garden I never heard of a worm tube thank you for sharing such great info.
thanks for the info
Guess you can never stop learning, what great information
That is really neat.
I’ve never seen anything like this! Very interesting.
Great idea!
Interesting….
pretty cool project
this is fabulous. definitely going to do
What a great idea!
This is an awesome idea. Thank you for the sharing!
good easy to follow instruction. Thanks.
what a great idea!
looks like something I would like
So cool! Worms are essential! 🙂
I’ll definitely have to try this. Make for good soil.
This is all new to me and i am old
Cool ideas… very interesting.
thanks for the alternatives
I am so doing this,thanks
I think this is a great solution. Do you purchase worms to make sure you have plenty in each bed?
Thank you for the idea and the directions for one of my new Winter projects!
Never heard of a worm tube, such a neat idea. Thanks
This sounds so interesting. My husband is the one who takes care of our garden and I’m sure he’ll want to give this a try..
That is a great idea. I am lucky with how many worms we have, but they make me squirm.
worm tubes, who new
I never heard of a worm tower. I will have to check into this.
Great info!
I haven’t tried one of these….yet! Thank you!
I have heard of this before, but I usually release my worms in the spring. Maybe this will help keep them around.
Interesting, would like to try this!
I didn’t know about the worms great idea, thanks
great idea. I going to try this in my garden
Making some of these
Great idea-although I’m not too sure I can get my old,stubborn mind to cooperate long enough to accomplish this.I am going to try this in the spring,when I prepare my garden.-Stand-by,I may need a video to walk me through it.
Can I borrow your great team of “helpers” to assist me?
Good project, for those willing. I don’t do complicated.
Might we worth a try
Good information. Worms are very good for the soil. I hope to try something like this in the spring.
i use all of my kitchen scraps in my garden spot turning the earth over on itself often
Never heard of these before. Great idea though!
I had never heard of a worm too before, but what a great way to nurture your garden!
What a neat idea! I’ve never heard of this before.
Never heard of a worm tube. The fencing and raised bed are done up very nice.
Wish I could make a perfect garden spot. I will try one more time to be perfect
like you.
very interesting
What a great idea! This is the perfect quarantine/cold weather project to prepare for next Summer’s garden.
Cool! I can do this so I have worms for fishing!
This is a neat idea, also a great learning experience about worms.
This is a very interesting article. My ground is filled with worms.
Awesome! I need to try this for my garden beds!
What a great idea. I have to bookmark this and try it in the spring.
Great idea and I like how you explain in great detail how to make it.
Thank you for the instructions for the worm tube I cant wait to get some made for my yard and read up on what to put down it to feed those worms.
So Interesting! Thanks for the idea!
Love the raised garden. The worm tower looks pretty simple to make. I will have to try.
Great idea for this coming summer!
You can save a lot of money if you are handy with tools. Great gardening tip.
I have to admit, this is something I had never heard of before. But of course, I am NOT a gardner–had enough of that while being farmed out to relatives who did have gardens in the summer!
Love the tube idea. I’ve always done worm boxes or bins to collect worm castings, this is a much better solution that brings them straight to where you want them. Love it
I have never heard of this, but it makes sense. I have always known that worms were a gardener’s friend. Can’t wait to try it this summer.
excellent idea. Saved and gonna try this in the sping
Can you give more specific instructions on what to use to make pilot holes and best drill but/size for the total carpentry novice? Thank you!
I’ve been tinkering with DIY worm tunes using recycled plastic jars but this looks great for making more at once.