My family LOVES oatmeal with almond butter and honey. We eat it several times a week and can easily go through a 42 ounce canister in a month. Also, thanks to Daniel Tiger, my preschooler insists on playing “hide and seek” with her blueberries in her oatmeal. Whatever works =)
So what is one way to recycle or repurpose the empty containers? Do you have a garden?
Then I have a project that both you and your garden will love!
What am I talking about?
Ewwww, worms? YES!
These harmless creatures are our friends.
What exactly is a worm tower? A worm tower is a partially buried tower with a lid. The buried part will have holes that worms can crawl in and out of. They crawl in to eat the compostable food that you put in the tower, then crawl out to poop near the surrounding area. Worm poop (aka castings) is a fantastic organic fertilizer for your vegetable garden and flowers.
DIY Mini Composting Worm Towers
Materials:
Empty oatmeal container (or one similar)
(optional) marker to mark where holes will go
Mechanical screwdriver and/OR Xacto type knife
Handheld shovel
Food to compost
Red Wiggler Worms (ideal)
How To:
Mark where you would like holes on the bottom of your container.
Drill or cut them out with the Xacto knife.
I used the Xacto knife to make some of the holes larger.
You will bury this part so it does not have to look perfect =)
Bury your container just enough so that the holes are covered.
Worms are surface creatures.
Next add your compostable food.
Worms love banana peels, egg shells, apples and cardboard.
They also love old leaves, which is what I use to cover the food.
I also add a layer of soil to keep ants away.
It will also prevent the odor of rotting food.
Add your worms.
Replace the lid.
The lid will protect your worms from the elements (rain and cold) and predators (birds).
You can decorate your mini worm tower or hide it near a bush.
I don’t mind the look because I love to share what it is.
I embrace the “What is that?” as an opportunity to share my love of worm composting.
As you can see banana peels stand no chance against worms!
I have been worm composting for years. It’s a hobby that I brought with me from Ohio to Michigan…and one that I continued in my apartment during winter. Worm composting is something that can be done virtually anywhere and it produces compost that your plants will LOVE!
Now that I own a home, I have 3 large permanent towers in my garden. Stay tuned for a post from Habitat for Humanity Restore Blog to see how we did it!
Have you tried this in your home? We would love to see your pictures or hear about your worm tower experience!
