Worms can thrive in very wet conditions assuming they are provided with some oxygen.  As worms love moisture your providing the ultimate habitat, since apart from the high moisture, worms would also greatly appreciate the rich microbial buffet laid out before them. Add to this the fact that worm bi-products have been shown time and time again (via academic studies) to help stimulate plant growth via and it seems like a no-brainer to stock a grow bed with them for sucess. Yet its suprising how many people dont do it.

The earliest documentation of neem mentioned the fruit, seeds, oil, leaves, roots and bark for their advantageous medicinal properties. These benefits are listed in the ancient documents ‘Carak- Samhita’ and ‘Susruta-Samhita’, the books at the foundation of the Indian system of natural treatment, Ayurveda. Neem has a garlic-like odor, and a bitter taste. The various parts of this tree have many uses that aptly give neem its name in Sanskrit-“sarva roga nivarini”, meaning ‘the curer of all ailments’. Some of the most important documented uses of various parts of the neem tree are:  

 Neem oil is extracted from the seeds of the neem tree and has insecticidal and medicinal properties due to which it has been used for thousands of years in pest control, cosmetics, medicines, etc.

 Neem seed cake (residue of neem seeds after oil extraction) when used for soil amendment or added to soil,  not only enriches the soil with organic matter but also lowers nitrogen losses by inhibiting nitrification. It also works as a nematicide.

 Neem leaves are used to treat chickenpox and warts by directly applying to the skin in a paste form or by bathing in water with neem leaves. In order to increase immunity of the body, neem leaves are also taken internally in the form of neem capsules or made into a tea. The tea is traditionally taken internally to reduce fever caused by malaria. This tea is extremely bitter. It is also used to soak feet for treating various foot fungi.  It has also been reported to work against termites. In Ayurveda, neem leaves are used in curing neuromuscular pains. Neem leaves are also used in storage of grains.

 Twigs of neem are also used in India and Africa as toothbrushes. Nowadays toothpastes with neem extracts are also available commercially.

 Neem has anti-bacterial properties that help in fighting against skin infections such as acne, psoriasis, scabies, eczema, etc. Neem extracts also help in treating diabetes, AIDS, cancer, heart disease, herpes, allergies, ulcers, hepatitis and several other diseases.

Neem (leaf and seed) extracts have been found to be spermicidal and thus research is being conducted to use neem extracts for making contraceptives. Neem produces pain relieving, anti-inflammatory and fever reducing compounds that can aid in the healing of cuts, burns, earaches, sprains and headaches, as well as fevers.

Neem bark and roots also have medicinal properties. Bark & roots in powdered form are also used to control fleas & ticks on pets.

Neem oil, leaves and neem extracts are used to manufacture health and beauty care products. Some of such products are soaps, bath powders, shampoos, lotions and creams, toothpastes, neem leaf capsules to increase immunity and as a skin purifier, insect repellents, pet care products, etc.

Neem extracts have been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use on food crops. It has been proven in various research studies  that Neem is non-toxic to birds, beneficial insects or humans and protects crops from over 200 of the most costly pests

Neem is also fast-growing and drought resistant, excellent for reforestation of semiarid lands. It is an evergreen (except in extreme drought) and valued for its shade–especially in cities–and windbreak protection. It grows best in deep, well-drained sandy areas, but thrives even on acid soils. It may fail in silty or clay soils and in waterlogged sites. To plant, pick fully ripe seeds directly from the tree and plant immediately. The trees may be direct sown or transplanted, and they benefit greatly from tillage, weeding, irrigation, and some fertilization in the first few months of growth (or after transplanting). Neem has been established in many countries throughout the tropics; there is a good chance you may find seed in country if you make inquiries.

Ordering neem seed can be difficult. The seeds may be viable for less than a month. You are strongly encouraged to find local sources of the seed.

NEEM IN AFRICA. Ralph Kusserow in Tanzania wrote, “After reading about the neem tree in EDN I really wanted to try it, but was afraid to order seed because it is viable for such a short time. Then I found that we have it here in Tanzania, though not in our area. In case you have anyone else in a Swahili-speaking area, it might help to know that it is called mwarobaini in Swahili. That means the “forty tree,” so called because it supposedly makes medicines to treat 40 diseases. …My main interest in neem is your report that the leaves can make a tea to deter termites. One of our friends has built a house every year for three years because of termite damage to the grass roof. I am anxious to see if neem leaf juice might be used in this situation.

ADVANTAGES:

Of course there are heaps of them,

• You’ll get hormone-free/antibiotic-free eggs almost every day – a source of protein that tastes better and is healthier than store bought eggs;
• They are entertaining companions;
• You’ll have a higher use for food scraps (rather than straight into the compost bin) which generates potent fertilizer (manure) for the garden; 
• They provide organic pest control of insects for your yard Help you turn the soil etc

DISADVANTAGES

You have to feed and house them of course and some may see that as a disadvantage, i dont but you will need to protect them from pedators every day, even when it’s raining or you are really busy with other things; 

• When you go out of town you will need to find a responsible “chicken sitter” friend or buddy to collect eggs and feed them;
• Your neighbors may not like it much but bad luck for them i say; 
• Chicken poop does smell when wet;
• It can carry diseases: You will get dirty cleaning the coop; but hey think of eggs and BBQ chickens when cleaning….

Frogs eat a variety of insects including moths, mosquitoes (and their larvae), cockroaches, snails and flies. Their prey must move and be of a suitable size for the frog to detect, catch and eat. Don’t use insecticides around your garden. Not only will they kill frog food, they’ll also affect the health of frogs.

Shelter and protection

You’ll need to plant native shrubs, ground cover and trees of different heights. Your local nursery can provide advice on varieties native to your area. Use a natural leafy mulch (not pine bark as this can be too acidic) around garden beds and ponds. Manicured gardens look good but do not provide much shelter and protection for frogs. Shrubs and ground cover provide frogs with a comfortable resting place, hiding spots from predators and shelter from wind. Vegetation also attracts insects to your garden. Frogs eat a variety of insects and can act as natural insect predators. Compost heaps raised off the ground (bricks work well) and covered with chicken wire also provide shelter and attract food for frogs.

Moisture

All frogs need moisture, and some species need water for breeding. A garden sprinkler system works well if used around vegetation. Clean water is essential, so keep in mind that water from taps can contain chemicals which are not suitable for frogs. If you are using it, stand it in sunlight for about a week to remove chlorine, or treat it with a chlorine-neutraliser available from aquariums or pet shops.

Building a frog pond

Building a pond is an effective way of attracting frogs to your garden. Combined with vegetation and a moist environment, a pond also provides them with an excellent breeding area.

Construction materials

Your pond can be as elaborate or as simple as you like, constructed from objects including:

• styrofoam boxes
• children’s pools
• old laundry tubs
• babies’ baths
• full-sized bath tubs
• plastic containers like bins or pot plants, buckets
• clay garden pots
• fish ponds

You can also make a pond using a sheet of plastic or rubber lined with sand, rocks and plants, both aquatic and terrestrial. If you want a permanent garden feature, a concrete pond would be suitable.

Design

The sides of the pond should be sloped, and ideally it should be spoon-shaped with shallow sloping ramps to enable the frogs and metamorphs (tadpoles turning into frogs) to get in and out of it. If you are using a container (e.g. tub, bath, etc.), you can create a ramp from the pond to the ground or nearby tree by using sand, gravel, rocks, logs, tree branches or overhanging vegetation.

Do not build your pond in direct sunlight as the water can become hot enough to kill tadpoles. Placing a light in your garden near your pond will attract insects during the evening and provide food for the frogs.

Surrounding vegetation

Vegetation, rocks or tree branches around your pond enable frogs and metamorphs to hide from predators, and provide shelter from the wind. Vegetation also attracts food for frogs. A frog pond should contain a few aquatic plants like water lilies to provide shelter and aerate the water. Try not to place your pond directly underneath trees, especially those used by flying foxes or those with poisonous leaves and sap (check with your local nursery if unsure).

Tadpoles survive on algae and micro-organisms. Decaying plant matter in and around a pond will provide these essential nutrients. Provide washed, boiled lettuce leaves for tadpole food every couple of days. Remove any excess food so the water stays relatively clean.

Water

When filling your pond, ensure the water is free from chemicals such as chlorine. (If you are using tap water, allow it to stand in sunlight for about a week to remove chlorine, or treat it with a chlorine-neutraliser available from aquariums or pet shops).

Neither is water from a metal tank suitable as tadpoles are sensitive to the chemicals found in metal. It’s a good idea not to allow rain water to run into your pond as it can also gather chemicals and contaminate the water. You can help prevent toxic run-off entering stormwater drains by using natural insecticides and pesticides, minimising your use of detergents, and washing your car on the lawn.

Frogs will help prevent mosquitoes breeding in your pond as they feed on the larvae. Mosquitoes prefer still water, so installing a water pump will circulate the water and stop the water stagnating. When buying a pump remember that mains-powered units should be installed by an electrician; however frog ponds do not necessarily need a pump to be successful.

Caring for frogs

Keep family pets and small children away from your pond.

Frog skin is very sensitive because they breathe and absorb moisture through it. Try not to handle frogs – if you do, make sure your hands are moist and clean. Any chemicals or detergents that might be on your hands can be absorbed by the frog, with disastrous results. Always wash your hands when you have finished handling them. You can keep some frogs as pets, but the best place for them is in your garden, not in a fish tank in captivity.

If converting an established fish pond, remove the fish, drain the water and let the pond dry to ensure no fish eggs remain.  Most fish species are not compatible with frogs as they will compete with the frogs for oxygen and food and will eat the eggs and tadpoles. However, some native species such as the Pacific blue-eyes can be used until frogs become established. They will also help to control mosquito larvae.

When native tadpoles hatch, they feed on decaying plant material and gradually develop legs and change into frogs. This can take as little as 16–21 days under excellent conditions in the tropics and arid and semi-arid regions. In rainforest streams and cool localities, it can take up to a year!

Other ideas

If you don’t have the room to create a frog-friendly environment in your garden, other things you can do to help include the following:

• Eliminate use of pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers, as these can run into stormwater drains and end up in your local creek or river inhabited by frogs. Get your neighbours, school or community group involved. Encourage them to use natural alternatives for pest control (both weeds and insects).
• When driving, cycling, walking, or even picnicking near creek or river banks remember to minimise your impact on these areas because this is a natural home for many frogs.
• Learn more about frogs and their habitats by reading books, or joining a frog society. In some states, frogs are protected by law, so you may need a permit to keep them – check with your state wildlife authority.
• Remember, it is illegal to remove frogs, tadpoles and eggs from national parks and other protected areas.

Let’s now take a look at some of the main types of livestock manure

- Cattle Manure -

These wastes generally come in two different forms. Firstly, there is what’s known as “pen manure” – basically just manure (and urine) mixed with straw or some other carbon-rich bedding. The other type would be the manure ‘slurry’ – essentially, the waste products are continually washed away (with water) from the animal holding areas and the resultant liquid is then pumped into some sort of storage tank or reservoir. In both cases, the manure
can be an excellent food source for worms, but the slurry manure definitely has some advantages.

Primarily due to the washing (or more accurately, dilution) process, slurry manure solids – which DO need to be separated prior to use – tend to have lower levels of ammonia and inorganic salts, and can generally be fed directly to the worms without any further treatment. That being said, if you plan on working with any type of manure – including separated cattle solids – on a medium to large scale, it is highly recommended that you
pre-compost the material for a short period of time (typically 1-2 weeks) prior to adding it to your system. This will greatly reduce the occurrence of hot zones in your beds, which can of course cause your worms considerable harm, or at least lead to mass migration out of the system. If you are focused on selling high quality vermicompost, the precomposting process is also very important since it will help to ensure that no pathogens or viable weed seeds end up in the final product.

- Pig Manure -

Like cattle manure (particularly that of dairy cattle), pig manure is also commonly collected and stored in a slurry form, and as such, works best if the solids are then separated out. According to Edwards and Bohlen (1996), pig manure solids “are probably the most productive wastes for growing earthworms” (p. 246). The authors do go on to point out that this material does tend to contain ammonia and salts, thus some composting or
additional washing may be warranted.

Pig manure can also contain relatively high levels of copper (and other metals), so you’ll likely want to have your final product analyzed if you plan to market the vermicompost produced. Not only is pig manure the “most productive” for worm growth, but the vermicompost produced is also reported to promote plant growth better than other vermicomposts and composts in general (Atiyeh et al. 1999).

- Horse Manure -

Horse manure is an excellent growth medium for composting worms, as has been discussed a number of times in previous newsletters. Even when relatively fresh it seems to be quite worm-friendly, as
indicated by the rapid colonization of zones in a manure where new material was recently added (based on personal observations).

Unlike cattle, horses have a somewhat inefficient digestive system, and as such they tend to eat a lot and produce a lot of manure in a given day. Because the food materials (grass, hay etc) has not been as well-digested, it will generally have a greater potential for heating – hence it is referred to as one of the ‘hot’ manures. This, coupled with the fact that horse manure tends quite bulky (ie. large particle size) and also can contain a lot of weed seeds, suggests that it too should be pre-composted before adding it to a vermicomposting system.

- Poultry Manures -

Generally, these wastes are among the LEAST worm-friendly of the manures when fresh, due to very high levels of salts and ammonia. If you plan to use avian manures you will definitely need to wash and/or compost the material prior to use. To help balance the C:N ratio, these wastes should also be mixed with peat moss, shredded paper or some other ‘bedding’. Bird wastes also tend to be very dry in comparison to other livestock manures, so you will also likely need to add water in general (which of course can be accomplished via ‘washing’).
- ‘Other’ Livestock Manures -

There are of course plenty of other animals that can be found on a farm (sheep, goats, llamas etc), and their manures can also be used for vermicomposting. As a general rule of thumb, if the animal consumes a primarily vegetarian diet their manure will be worm-friendly – but some sort of pre-treatment may still be warranted.

What about Fish Manures?