[Gareth J]

this may sound a silly question, but i am sure someone will know the answer.

I have just spread 5 ton of well rotted horse manure over my plot and noticed that unlike the grey coloured worms on my very clay plot, the worms in the manure were almost bright red. is this a sign of the vitality in the soil/manure? or is it just a silly question?

[Ma and Pa Snip]

http://www.allaboutworms.com/types-of-worms

Seems theres only about 4,000 different kinds   

[Gareth J]

doh  i did not even consider that.

[mumofstig]

They are brandling worms and they help the manure to rot down. Sometimes you find them in the compost bin as well.

No such thing as a silly question on here....we all have to learn from somewhere  

[Dominic]

No such thing as a silly question on here

I dunno about that, I've asked some really stupid questions...

[aelf]

Yes, Brandling worms, or also called Tiger worms. The grey ones live in burrows deep in the soil but these red ones wander about close to the surface looking for dead and decaying plant matter, that's why they are in large numbers in well rotted horse muck and compost.

All good 

[viettaclark]

Chickens love 'em......they follow me to the daleks at the bottom of the garden hoping I'll scrape some off the insides of the lids!!!

[Paul Plots]

Vewry useful little worms...

I think they even sell them to be added to home-composters and, maybe, fishing shops have them too if I'm right (?)

[aelf]

Vewry useful little worms...

I think they even sell them to be added to home-composters and, maybe, fishing shops have them too if I'm right (?)

Correct 

[billathome65]

After having no worms in my garden after years of it being covered with tarpaulin and gravel.

I nearly jumped for joy yesterday when I saw one coming up out the soil as if to say hello. It may sound stupid but that gave me a real buzz and a great sense of achievement. I almost took a picture of it to post up but that would have been a really lame thing to do  so I think I will just smile. My first worm Yayyyyyyyyy..

Bill

[lotstolearn]

I have a wormery full of these Tiger worms.  I put all my waste veg (not onions/garlic) in it and they eat away - I've just about got a crate full of the compost they make - it is supposed to better than anything you can buy but I am not expert enough to know about that!! Also the tap at the bottom gives me 'worm wee' which is, again, supposed to be the best plant feed!! 
My 3 year old girl absolutely loves our worms and we had to take some to ... a pet show last summer - and guess who was a winner :-)

[Dreamer@45]

After having no worms in my garden after years of it being covered with tarpaulin and gravel.

I nearly jumped for joy yesterday when I saw one coming up out the soil as if to say hello. It may sound stupid but that gave me a real buzz and a great sense of achievement. I almost took a picture of it to post up but that would have been a really lame thing to do  so I think I will just smile. My first worm Yayyyyyyyyy..

Bill

Apparently five to ten worms per spit indicates very fertile soil so keep at it Bill!

[aelf]

but keep an eye on that Robin that's looking over your shoulder whilst you are digging - he will have them worms away soon as your back is turned 

[8doubles]

As an angler i can tell you that brandlings and redworms do not taste as good as earthworms but are far less gritty.

Before you ask NEVER intentionally but accidents twixt baitbox and sarnie box do occur. :blink:

[Gareth J]

so how will it affect the brandlings when I fork the manure in?