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[RC] composting and worms - Sheila_LarsenI compost my manure and have worms in it. I have 3 piles, new; not so new; and finished. My new pile gets to be a around 3 feet by 4 feet square, before I had a tractor I would take a shovel and jam it in and lift it to aerate it. I saw an article in Equus years ago and they suggested taking a pvc pipe, drilling holes in it and putting it in the pile to help aearate it. Haven't tried it so don't know if it works. I cover all the piles with tarps, I have worms in all piles and although I do try and pick out many of the worms when turning sometimes many of them turn into compost themselves. I started the worms with some from the bait shop but some may be "native" from the soil. I have oodles of worms, and have become fasincated by them. I understand Charles Darwin was also fascinated by worms and did study them. To keep the pile moist when I take the manure to the pile in the front loader I fill the front loader with the new manure and fill with water so I have a "manure soup" and then dump it on the new pile. I then take the front end loader and turn a few scoops of the front loader onto the newly wetted manure. I can tell you that the interior of the pile is hot hot hot. so I think doing this keeps it aerated and still cooking. When the pile gets to big I move it to the "not so new pile but still cooking pile" and when I have the time and inclination I then move that pile to the finished pile. Then at some point I spread it in the pasture. What always amazes me is how small the finished pile is compared to the other piles. People want my finished compost but I won't give it up. Unfortunately I now have a tractor belly because I used to all this manually. and NO I am not giving up my tractor..... I love my tractor. PS Another reason to cover the piles is that a flock of wild turkeys can take a 4 x 4 pile and spread it flat within mmm about 15 minutes. One does need to make sure that one's pile is covered and not repeat not near a stream, creek, pond or other water way to prevent water contamination. "For if one link in nature's chain might be lost, another might be lost, until the whole of things will vanish by piecemeal." - Thomas Jefferson =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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