How to make a worm bomb
We thank James Sillicorn from Fairer World Lindfield, both for his fascinating talk on earthworms but also for the following instructions for make a worm “bomb”, to encourage worms in your garden.
How to make a Worm “Bomb”
Burying worm bombs is one way of increasing earthworm populations in your soil. A heathy and vibrant population of worms, and the micro-organisms which they work with, will vastly improve the quality of your soil.
Making the worm bomb:
Use a small sheet of newspaper and some flour paste to seal one end of a cardboard tube. The inside of a toilet roll is ideal.
When seal is dry, put a teaspoon of garden soil and half a teaspoon of uncooked rice into the tube.
Fill the rest of the space inside the tube with chopped, raw garden waste. Give it a good shake.
Use newspaper and flour paste to seal the other end of the tube.
Wrap the whole thing in corrugated cardboard (cut to the same width as the cardboard tube) and use garden string to secure it.
In the garden:
Dig a trench (about 10cm deep) in the garden. The trench must be wide enough to take the worm bomb.
Soak the worm bomb in water for at least an hour before laying it in the trench. Use a sharp object to poke holes into the newspaper ends. The bomb will be soggy and the newspaper ends may well have come away from the tube, so poking holes won’t be necessary.
Bury the bomb, horizontally, in the trench. Do not pat down the covering soil.
Adding a little mulch on the surface will enhance what happens next.
What next:
The starch from the flour and rice will activate the micro-organisms inside the bomb.
This activity will attract other micro-organisms and earthworms to the bomb.
Earthworms will take up residence inside the bomb.
Over several weeks (depending on the weather), the worms will eat the kitchen waste and then the cardboard. All the while they will be producing rich casts, which will enhance the soil. They will also be laying eggs.
Extra information:
In the winter months, squirrels may dig up the bombs.
Making and burying the bombs is an excellent activity for children.
Marking the spot with a dated plant label means that you can investigate what is happening every so often.
Make and bury several bombs to get extra results.