Very well presented Pete. I like the way you get right down to business.

Great read Pete, do you think this applies to worms as a whole? I ask because red wigglers (EF) are also termed manure worms so obviously there is some time honored magic associated with them. My instinct tells me that it would be good for any worms but the real magic is reserved for certain species that best utilize it.

As you noted HM is a mix of both food and bedding because so much passes through without digesting so the ratio is there for an attractive worm environment mix.

On the sourcing, my Daughter recently made a contact for us in the form of a local horse rescue and they have a tractor to fill the trailer so we will be collecting some loads soon. The HM for us is more than worm bin material since it is also organic material and nutrient for our bare soil so we will haul as much as we can.

Pete

Great info and great reading, but I was under the impression that HM alone was all that was needed in a bed. You mention feeding. so you feed besides the HM? I have thought of trying this but so far cant find any nearby sources. Still this is interesting info for anyone in mind to do it. I have seen vids online about using HM stirring it up on occasion to keep it from heating up so much. Anyway thanks for the info.

Best thing to do with it is let it lay in a pile for a couple of weeks. That will eliminate the heating up probs and worm meds that may have been active when old dobbin did his business.

cb2

Nexev. I have read that euros and wigglers eat much the same thing....but have no experience. Surely they would be very happy in HM.
Great job lining up a HM source. Horse rescue people I have met are very nice folks. Get all you can for your worms and soil.

Steve, HM alone is all you need. You can also use other food or bedding in combination with HM.

cb2 I agree HM in a pile for a few weeks should take care of the meds if present. Heating is still possible until it gets composted, though it is unlikely to cause problems. Much depends on the percentage of stall bedding present in your HM.

A few other tips I will add:
Most horse properties already have wigglers in the manure piles. Look near the ground on the edge of a pile in damp HM. After spring rains are the best time to hunt free worms.

During colder winter months,you can add heat to an outdoor worm bed with HM. It can keep the bed active or help the worms survive.

A word of warning I forgot to mention. Hay or pasture seeds will likely be present in un-composted HM. Unwanted weeds may get introduced if you put HM directly into the garden. Composting or vermicomposting HM seems to destroy most grass or weed seeds.

chuckiebtoo that was poetic. I hear ya.

I believe in Horse Manure Magic.

Worming Geek, thanks for the thread.

I noticed that worms love HM, but I try to add different stuff to try and get a more balanced, hum, should I confess, a more balanced diet for the worms, or should I lie, a more balanced vermicompost for the garden ;-)

As for catching worms in HM piles, I found that they're fast to go away when it's hot. And it seems that they feel the vibrations one does when turning a pile because they disappear and you catch one or two and then the pile seems empty of them. But one hour later, you come back and can catch another couple. When it's colder, they're slow and half paralyzed and it's easier to catch them. You can gather all of them.

When I have dry apples of horse poop, I sow them on the grass before mowing, and they are pulverized and mixed with grass cuttings. This mixture is great for mulching, and to put in the piles for the worms.

As for the weeds... I just wish they would outcompete the bermuda grass !

As it turns out, the best way to get a good, balanced VC is to feed only horse or cow manure. Kitchen scraps don't have the same nutritional value for the worms or your garden.

No, no, no, sbryce. Such an approach, of course, will provide solid results, but.....

.....Great "balanced" VC would necessitate DIVERSITY in the things the wormies consume. Besides that, veggie and fruit scraps are just THERE, ready for the job (as is lots of other stuff we just ignore, or worse yet, drop down the garbage disposal or place on the curb for trash pickup).

All this ought to be part of the big picture. You know....Saving The Planet, and Reducing Our Footprint, and all those things.

Worms have changed me from being a waster and user and abuser of the environment into a chemical-free, gospel-spreading, producer of stuff in harmony with Mother Natures' ravaged need for all of us to pay attention and take care of....no, put back into place, her beauty.

chuckiebtoo

Moderation, Diversity, Patience

OK, so feed primarily horse or cow manure, and toss in your kitchen scraps as well. And your junk mail.

Came across this thread searching for information on rehydrating dry HM. I finished today with hauling for the first round of the Wild Horse Rescue manure. This manure is mostly all bone dry and at least a few months old. Final tally was just about 50yds, will probably do another smaller round of hauling in a month or so and have been trying to convince the Rescue operators to compost the manure on site since they have a large backhoe for turning. If they will keep the moisture in the pile and turn it in a months time it should be much more desirable material at least for gardeners.

The hydrophobic nature of HM does make it difficult to rewet. It is like the water will pass right trough it wetting just the top leaving everything below bone dry. Where I have had success is to take it very slow. By wetting the top then letting it sit it will spread through the dry so that each successive sprinkling will retain more water. We put out some soil builder mix (peas, beans, vetch ect...) and covered it with an inch or two of this dry HM. My wife was amazed after soaking it good to see that the water was less than a quarter inch into the HM. Coming back in an hour or so for another soak then a final some time later and it is now soaked to the soil below.

As far as heat on the worm beds no worries there. A 5 or 6yd pile layered up and wetted while stacking has not generated any heat at all in two days, I was hoping it would have some kick in it to speed along composting for garden material. Will be cleaning out the neighbors chicken coop in the next day or two so hopefully that will heat up the next pile.

Anyhow, thanks Pete for the inspiration and information. looking forward to a banner year of vermicomposting.

Sounds like you are on the right track with the whole moisture thing. I would think a horse rescue would be into green things and be proud to advertise it is in the circle of life with the manure.

I take a galvanized garbage can and mix hm and goat manure along with peat. Soak it really good and let it cook with the lid on for at least a week. Then I take a drill with a cement mixer and really grind the stuff up before adding it to the bins. Sometimes I'll even sift the peat before adding it to the mix, that way the worms will process it quicker. Never had a problem with it heating passed the first seven days and the worms seem to devour the stuff.

David, like that idea of using the drill mixer and have one so will certainly drag it out. Been making HM tea for the garden and that would save boxing between two buckets.

David;
I'd like to see a picture of what you call a " drill with a cement mixer", or maybe you mean a paint mixer.

Shaul

Shaul, those mixers are sold for a variety of uses and have some different designs. Paint mixers are typically smaller and often have holes in the blades, drywall mud mixers are similar

sometimes a little larger. Small ones are good for gallon cans, larger ones for buckets. I have one that is pretty big for even a five gallon bucket that would work for mixing up a small batch of concrete slurry though it would probably be of no use with rock in the mix.

Also it is worth mentioning that for any of these other than the tiny ones for a gallon can you want a large well built drill motor as you will burn up a smaller drill in short order.

Here's what I use. If I'm feeling energetic I'll go with the garden hand tool. Otherwise I use the drill mixer. I believe I got it home depot.

David;
Thanks for the pictures. It gives me a better idea of what to look for or perhaps craft my own. I'm thinking maybe a steel fan blade from a motor housing.

Shaul

charitycomposter:

your description of the process you use to introduce HM into you bins has given me both a migraine headache and an irresistible urge to detail the way I was taught to do the same.

Here is a great way: when you gain access to some HM, soak it & dump it on the ground for a week or so if you're unsure about de-worming meds. Then, put a bunch of it in the bin. Then throw some of that pumpkin and/or frozen veggies on top. Coffee grounds? Throw them in too.

Your procedures are "fine", but WAY too unnecessary. HM is the most forgiving thing you can add to a bin......as long as you let it lay for a week or so to allow any suspected de-wormer residue to leach out.

If you know for sure that de-wormer hasn't been used for awhile, forget all that part of the procedures.

chuckiebtoo

Recently I received three 5-gallon pails of HM mixed with stall bedding (straw)... bone dry. I added rainwater, giving it time to percolate between the layers of dry material. When the water level finally reached the top I sealed it up. At the end of three weeks, the HM was completely re-hydrated. I know that the horse owner does not de-worm his horse, so that is one less problem to have to deal with.
I have two 16-gallon (Rubbermaid-type) plastic bins. Today I harvested half of one of them and filled the emptied space with the HM. Now I'm waiting to see results. I'm really hoping to see a picture like the one (Mendopete) posted at the beginning of this thread.

Shaul

@chuckiebtoo-

Ah, you must be one of those guys that live’s where the
weather is habitable. I use it strickly
for bedding material. If you want to
call it blessed to have ski hills of dung, then so be it. My main purpose is to process the manure­–even
if I got to force feed the worms to
do so. This time of year I don’t need to
soak it much... just de-thaw it!

I do like your way, except I don’t use tarps. I use old truck bed-liners that I get off
craigslist. I can shovel it out by hand
or use a loader to scoop it out. Just
makes cleanup easier.

As far as dewormer goes... I alternate between dectomax,
ivermectin, and valbazen. I think my
worms have built-up an immunity to the stuff.
I deworm every month and it don’t keep the red-worms out of the manure
piles nor does it kill them.

From what most folks have to say about dewormer it looks to be of little concern on HM outside of a horse as it breaks down quite fast. Leaching the HM will draw out salts if that is a concern though I dont think wild worms wait for a number of rains before moving into a new pile. I will admit I have not polled them on this though.

Petes setup is they way to worm on a massive scale and what I myself aspire to. Will be worth all of the work and cost if we can get a couple buckets of VC daily.

Great article Pete! You answered most of my questions. Thanks!

Here's how I add fresh HM and stall cleanings: get a bucketfull and dump on top. Spread thin enough so as to not overheat.