Hi, I just found this forum and have a question. Three weeks ago I filled a 4'x4'x3' compost bin with horse manure from fresh to about 8 months old. I had sifted out the shavings used for bedding so it was mostly just the muffins. I made it moist and layered it with leaf mold from the walkways between the raised beds. I expected it to get hot and I was planning to turn it but after 2 weeks it was just warm but full of worms. How should I manage the compost and how can I tell when it is ready to use.

Tim

If the worms are not dying from the heat the bed is not too hot.

Use it when the worms turn it black with castings.

My understanding is "pure" horse manure is ideal worm food. It does not get very hot. It's the straw/wood chip bedding with urine added to manure that gets it really hot - 150F type hot.

Your bin has 16 ft² of surface area and should have 16-32 lbs. of red worms to process the material. It depends on how many worms you have and how ideal the conditions are (temps, moisture, etc.). I personally would wait 1-2 months and then start screening some of the material that looks processed. A 1/4" screen will give you very good looking vermicompost.

Thanks, that is what I was looking for. Every time I check it there are lots of worms so everything must be about right.