Raise Your Garden

Musings on the Seedier Side

in Easy Garden DIY· Worms & vermiculture

Easy DIY Worm Tube or Worm Tower

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Worm poop or castings are loaded with some of the best nutrients needed for plants to thrive.

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?

Standing tall at 2 1/2 feet a worm tube is a plastic sewer pipe that’s buried in your garden which shelters your worms who eat your compost.

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?!}

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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

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Cut your pvc pipe or sewer line 30″ or 2 1/2 feet. A hacksaw would work fine.

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Make four worm tubes/towers out of one 10 foot sewer line/pvc pipe

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Put your end caps on the bottom of your pvc/drain line. These will serve as mole/animal  proctectors

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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Make pilot holes on every mark
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Drill over a tarp or cement where you can easily sweep up the plastic bits
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Re-drill the pilot holes using a 1/4″ drill bit
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Supplies needed for ventilation cap

  • sharpie marker, tin snips, hot glue gun and utility knife
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I garbage picked this screen
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Trace the cap on a section of the screen and then cut it out and glue it in with hot glue
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Dig the holes where you will put the worm tube. Remember the worms will probably only cover a three foot radius from the tube.
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Bury up to your 18″ line

Add your kitchen scraps

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Worm tube/tower at work

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You Tube step by step video on making your own worm tube/tower
Come on give me a thumbs up!

Do you want more worms in your garden? Don’t forget how important composting is for worms either ~ Tom

Secret code: peach

worm tube

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Shirley. Smith says

      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.

      Reply

  11. Betsy Pauzauskie says

    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!

    Reply

  13. Sandra McFadden says

    What an awesome tool to add to the garden I never heard of a worm tube thank you for sharing such great info.

    Reply