I'M DREAMING OF A GREEN CHRISTMAS

The most wonderful time of year? Maybe. Trashiest time of the year? No question.

Boxes, Styrofoam, packaging, wrapping paper, disposable plates, cups and utensils, bottles, cans and food waste - our trash bins overfloweth. But there are ways we can minimize the amount of waste we produce. Mainly, remember the simple phrase "reduce, re-use, recycle" - and they're in that order for a reason.

Reducing what we buy and consume will have the greatest impact on the environment. That includes the number and type of gifts we purchase and how we acquire them, as well as careful menu planning related to the number of actual guests expected.

Look at your trash from a fresh point of view. Getting rid of one bag of trash this season may seem like a small dent in light of America's mountain range of landfills, but if every household filled one fewer bag, imagine the difference we could make.

Meal planning: reduce before eating that big meal - greening up usually takes a little extra time and thought, but it’s well worth the effort. Here are two options for waste reduction:

Casual option: Look for compostable tableware and bags – they may cost a little more than the run of the mill plastic stuff, but you’ll be “Completing the Cycle” by re-using recycled materials. And don’t throw the compostable items in the trash. Does your community collect food waste? If so, be sure to place your compostables in the food waste bin. It may look like trash, but these are valuable natural resources that can and should be recycled into compost. Note: paper plates and cups advertised as biodegradable are made to degrade in a commercial composting facility (read the fine print on the package). Added to a small, home compost pile, they may take many months to degrade.

Formal option: A meal served on china surrounded by silverware, glasses and cloth napkins will take longer to clean up than disposable dishes and plastic ware (taking labor to buy them, and time and fuel to drive to the store). But china and glass are classier, and you can recruit guests to pitch in after dinner – put on your favorite Christmas tunes and the time will fly.

Tips for a Greener Christmas:

Designate a recycling bin for guests to use, and asking them to bring containers for leftovers. Remember to buy local!

And what about trees? Even environmentalists debate whether a live-cut or artificial tree leaves a smaller footprint.

Live trees provide habitat for critters, are a renewable crop, and when grown locally, create local jobs. Making an event out of visiting a tree farm to cut a tree, have a wagon ride and drink hot cocoa can be a pleasant family memory. Note: don’t send your trees to the landfill – recycle ‘em! To properly prepare your Christmas tree for recycling, make sure to remove all ornaments, tinsel, and stands. Trees with stands and flocked trees won’t be accepted and can’t be recycled. Trees over six feet should be cut in half. Visit www.lessismore.org for more info on Christmas tree recycling and scheduled pick up in your area.

An artificial tree re-used for 10 or 20 years would be cheaper and result in less consumption than buying a live tree every year. However, it can't be recycled and is not biodegradable, so when thrown out, it will be a landfill lump.

Economics can be a challenge of going green. Green goods sometimes cost more, but on the other hand, the prices of trash disposal, pollution and energy continue to rise. Complete the cycle by re-using recycled materials and you’ll be helping your community (and have a Greener Christmas.) Naturally!

For more info: visit www.GotCompost.com  

Keep Water Clean! Replace Lawn Pesticides with Compost

Did you know that…

Santa Maria’s storm drains do not go to the City's wastewater treatment plant? When surface water flows through streets from storms, any pollutants run into storm drains. Storm drains flow directly, without treatment, to the Santa Maria River or into the nearest local retention basin where the water percolates back into the groundwater. Both our river and our underlying groundwater eventually flow to the ocean. Any pollutants found in the water, stay in the water untreated, and causes ocean pollution affecting our beaches, our coast, and our ocean life.

A major contributor to the pollution problem is lawn pesticides. Think about it - if there was a way to make your lawn lush and green without using harmful pesticides and harsh fertilizers, wouldn’t you want to know about it? The key to a good lawn is healthy soil. It’s the foundation of a vibrant lawn. If your soil is dry and compacted or clay based your lawn won’t be able to get the oxygen and nutrients it needs. Root systems need room to grow and that won’t happen in tired, dry soil. Healthy soil contains high organic content and is teeming with biological life, supporting the development of healthy grass that is naturally resistant to weeds and pests. Once established, an organic lawn uses fewer materials, such as water and fertilizers, and requires less labor for mowing and maintenance. More importantly, your lawn will be safe for children, pets and your local drinking water supply. Follow these tips to start transitioning your lawn and you'll be well on your way to a lush, green, pesticide-free landscape.

Top-dressing – what is it?

The process of applying a layer of compost over the surface of a lawn is called Top Dressing. Top Dressing may be applied after lawn aeration, or alone as a Quick & Easy application. Golf courses and sports fields have always realized the value of top dressing the turf, but this practice has only recently become popular on home lawns. Top Dressing with Harvest Blend Compost is the most environmentally beneficial way to a greener, healthier lawn. Naturally!

When should I top-dress the lawn?

Spring and fall are the best times to top-dress, but in our temperate climate there's really no wrong time to improve our turf. Lawns based on poor soil will benefit from top dressing the soil twice each year. Lawns based on good quality soil might not need top dressing every year but if you want a lush, green lawn then once a year will keep it that way.  Professional greens keepers regularly top dress to ensure a top quality turf. If you want a beautiful lawn that can meet professional standards then you should top dress your lawn annually.

What product should I use for top-dressing?

Compost is the ideal material for lawn top-dressing. There are 2 methods we suggest; ‘Quick & Easy', simply spreading a thin layer of compost over lawns, and 'Professional'; aerating lawns before spreading compost. Instructions for both are available on our website. Harvest Blend Compost not only beautifies your landscape, it’s environmentally responsible and benefits your landscape by:

1. Improving soil structure, porosity and density to ensure a healthier root environment.
2. Infiltrating heavy soils thereby reducing erosion.
3. Increasing water holding capacity of soil so that water is used more efficiently.
4. Stabilizing pH and improving the soil's ability to hold nutrients.
5. Supplying valuable microbes, micro and macronutrients and organic matter to the soil environment.
6. Helping to suppress soil-borne plant pathogens.
7. Binding and degrading specific pollutants – so they stay out of our water system

For more information, please visit www.GotCompost.com or email info@HarvestBlendCompost.com

Winter Planting on the Central Coast

With the holidays over, and some pretty nice temps, we can’t wait to get back to ‘work’ in the garden! While gardeners on the East Coast and in the Midwest may be busy trying to dig out of the snow and just dreaming of spring planting while looking at seed catalogs or online, gardeners here can still be actively enjoying their gardens.  Besides the usual garden cleanup - leaves to rake, pruning and dormant spraying of trees and bushes, gardeners on the Central Coast can still enjoy planting cool season crops.  Many people think nothing much can be planted in what seems to be the dead of winter, but there are a surprising number of things that can be put in the ground this time of year besides the usual bare root roses.

 

In the vegetable garden, we can plant asparagus, globe artichokes and rhubarb from roots and broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower from transplants, if you can find them in a nursery or garden center. Unfortunately the selection of vegetable plants available at local outlets is limited, so you might consider starting your own transplants from seed next year or get a head start on spring planting this year.  Carrots, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsley, peas, radishes and turnips can all be planted from seed.  Yes, I did say lettuce, which will tolerate some frost and can be grown all winter long in our area.  Think of fresh lettuce from your own garden, tender and sweet, not that stuff from the grocery store.  Leaf lettuce is the best bet, and most rewarding.  Did you know that head lettuce (aka Iceberg) was developed in the 1890's?  Iceberg became successful because its firm, round shape and long shelf life made it good for shipping long distances – for the first time people could have lettuce for salads the year around, not just summer.  The downside is that head lettuce just doesn't have the flavor of leaf lettuce, which tastes best when fresh.  Our favorite is a Bibb variety called Tom Thumb which produces sweet and tender miniature heads perfect an individual salad.  Just add a little dressing and enjoy!

 

A word about compost -

 

When planting, always add compost to your soil.  It is the best investment you can make in your garden and an essential step in garden preparation. Compost adds organic matter to your soil, increases water holding capacity, adds nutrients and improves soil health.  If you are preparing a garden bed, apply a layer of 2 to 4 inches of compost and work it into the soil before planting.  For planting bare root shrubs or trees (rose bushes, fruit trees, berries, etc.) add compost to the soil as you refill the hole in which you are plating them.  Add compost and watch your garden grow!

 

For all the details, visit Harvest Blend Compost or email info@harvestblendcompost.com

 

 

 

 

 

FRESH TOMATOES - Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Homegrown tomatoes VS store bought varieties – there’s just no contest. We make due with lower quality supermarket specials when necessary but come spring and summer, we have no excuse to settle for less.

Temps are perfect for tomato planting now, so let’s get growing!

• Check local garden centers for a selection of tomato transplants. If you have a certain tomato in mind and are unable to find seedlings, check out the seed dept. for heirloom and specialty types. Growing from seed will lengthen the process, so unless you just have to just have that "Darby Pink-Yellow Striped" Heirloom variety, you’re better off planting a reliable ‘Early Girl’ transplant.
• Now that you have your tomato seedlings in hand, it’s time to plant! Choose a site that gets full sun and has soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Tomatoes need plenty of warmth to taste their best - give growing plants protection from cool breezes with a windbreak of trees, a garden wall or a vine-covered trellis.
• Plants need a healthy foundation, so make sure to amend the soil with plenty of compost. Tomatoes need soil rich in organic matter, and the best, most affordable method of increasing soil organic matter is through a good application of compost.
• Harden off seedlings, whether store-bought or homegrown, and move them to the garden when nighttime temperatures remain above 50 degrees F.
• Dig a hole the size of a basketball for each plant. Add a shovelful of compost to each hole.
• Set the plants 12 to 18 inches apart depending on variety (see the seed packet or plant label). Plant them deeply - up to the fourth branch from the top - to encourage new root development.
• Place a paper collar around each plant to deter cutworms, and cover the plants with cloches or floating row covers to protect them from insects and cool temperatures.
• Remove the covers when the weather has warmed, mulch the soil and install any supports the plants will need as they grow.
• Make sure plants get between one and two inches of water every two weeks after transplanting; after the first flowers appear; when the fruits reach the size of golf balls and when you spot the first ripe tomato.
• And finally - pick tomatoes when their color is glossy and even, and their texture midway between soft and firm.

We don’t have to tell you what to do next, do we? Enjoy your tasty tomatoes fresh from the garden, as the 'T' in a BLT or as a fresh topping for homemade pizza.

Need compost for your garden? Contact one of our helpful Field Reps at 805.925.2771

 

 

 

Follow @chefnathanlyon and @gotcompost

Check out USCC's #MillionTomatoes compost campaign

Bare-Root Roses - It's Now or Never (or next year)

With the planting season continuing through February, there's still time to buy bare-root plants. Those of us on the central coast can find a nice selection of bare-root roses at local garden and landscape centers on the Central Coast.

When you're ready to plant, follow these instructions to ensure healthy plants and vibrant blooms:

Prune any broken of dead stems and soak plants in a bucket of water for an hour or so before planting.  Dig a hole twice the size of the root length, mix compost into the soil you remove from the hole and build a small hill at the bottom of the hole, spread the roots evenly around the hill and fill the hole with the compost-amended soil.  Spread its roots, then backfill while adding water. Firm the soil around the plant. Note - Adding organic matter to soil supplies oxygen and nutrients important for a healthy root system.

Make sure the rose bush is planted at the same level in the new hole as it was in the ground originally (the bark will be lighter below the ground level on the trunk).  Build a basin around the plant and water thoroughly to settle soil. 

Last but not least, place a 2 inch layer of compost around the base of the rose as a mulch to conserve moisture, add organic matter and protect the soil. Naturally!

Click for more on compost uses and benefits│Need expert help? Contact Jim or Chuck