Vermicomposting

[BobH]

I have started the Square Foot Gardening growing discipline proposed by Mel Bartholomew. He recommends a soil-less mix of 1/3^rd sphagnum peat moss, 1/3^rd coarse vermiculite, and 1/3^rd compost made from 5 different composted materials. I've used composted cow and sheep manure among my five.

The veg tastes great. Of course I'm very careful to wash it thoroughly; and, I peel my carrots, Chris.

[DaveA]

"cow and sheep manure "

Do you mean that you do NOT use bull or steer poop (manure), just cow poop?

I have to laugh every time I see an ad or bag saying "100% Steer Manure". I can see someone out in the barn trying to sort out the steer poop from the cow and bull poop.

[BobH]

"cow and sheep manure "

Do you mean that you do NOT use bull or steer poop (manure), just cow poop?

I have to laugh every time I see an ad or bag saying "100% Steer Manure". I can see someone out in the barn trying to sort out the steer poop from the cow and bull poop.

Here in Texas there are hundreds - if not thousands - of acres of feed lots containing only steers. There are also very large dairy herds where breeding is all done by artificial insemination; so it is no too unlikely that one could acquire only cow or steer manure.

[DaveA]

Not all cows are kept for breeding, some are sent to the feed lots. So there are not just steers in them feed lots. I worked a few years in some of them feed lots in Colorado, but of course there in Texas things may be done differently.

Most beef ranches have a few " bulls" around to clean up when the vet did not do the best job.

[ChrisGreaves]

Not all cows are kept for breeding,... when the vet did not do the best job.

I suspect a dichotomy here