Reducing water in the garden

We’re often asked questions about gardening and compost use, many of which concern conserving water. We hope the info below will be of interest to some of you. If you have any questions you’d like answered, or just want to share your gardening stories, please ‘Like’ us on Facebook and post away. We’d love to hear from you!

Q: My kids want to plant a vegetable garden this summer. I’d like to get started on this project but gardens use a lot of water. Is there anything I can do to conserve water, hopefully not see an increase on my water bill and still enjoy fresh, healthy veggies from our own garden?

A: You bet! There are many ways to use water efficiently in your garden and significantly reduce your use. First, you'll want to consider what vegetables you want to grow. Peas and corn need more water, while vine plants and tomatoes require less.

Make sure to group water dependent plants together. This way, the majority of your water is directed to the areas that need it most, while keeping the rest dry. Your next step is to come up with strategies to use water more efficiently.

Drip lines and raised bed gardening are two excellent ways to conserve. Drip lines deliver water close to the base of the plant, which allows for deeper penetration and encourages the development of a strong and more extensive root system. They are easy to install and can reduce your gardening water needs up to 50 percent. Growing plants in raised beds will decrease the amount of weeds in the garden, which will draw water away from your vegetables.

Many cities offer rebates to residents and businesses taking part in water-wise landscape methods. Check out the Smart Landscape Rebate Program available in Santa Barbara County. Program requirements may vary slightly depending on your service area, so please click for water wise info for your area.

Soil amended with compost is a great way to manage soil moisture! Growing plants in garden beds containing soil that’s been enriched with compost is another way to increase efficiency. Soil that contains compost is able to hold significantly more water than the typical California soil.

STA Certified Harvest Blend Compost builds healthy soil; adding soil organic matter; improving soil structure, increasing water holding capacity. For more information email info@harvestblendcompost.com or visit www.GotCompost.com

 

OM = Organic Material, Important in Building Healthy Soil

If your soil and turf are healthy, you might think that the soil would be able to generate its own organic content. This is not necessarily true. The ideal soil is open and crumbly, giving the grass roots plenty of room to grow full and deep. When digging, you should find a large population of earthworms and microbes; these are the good guys in your soil. When earthworms, microbes and roots die off they decompose, raising the soils’ organic levels for new soil life. This cycle is referred to as the Soil Food Web, where roots, earthworms, and microbes are constantly recycling themselves.

Truly healthy soil has between 3% and 5% organic material. That level can be maintained ONLY IF organic matter is added to the soil at the surface year in and year out. Plants, earthworms, and microbes need that extra matter to support healthy soil. In the woods and grasslands, that added organic matter came from dead leaves or dead grasses decomposing each year. We need to repeat that process in our lawns to be able to maintain a healthy organic content in our soil.

Very few residential landscapes have soil this rich with organic material. The truth is soil beneath our lawns typically contains less than 1% organic material. This is because over a ten or twenty year period not only was no new organic material introduced, but the main source of these materials such as leaves and grass clippings have been collected and transported to local landfills. What a waste!

Healthy soil needs a steady supply of new organic material. It’s constantly decomposing, adding nutrients for the grass and plants, and must be replaced. Decomposed grass clippings and other organic material don’t have much food value left, but they’re valuable in aerating the soil, storing water and in feeding key microorganisms needed for other tasks. Leaving grass clippings on the lawn might provide some organic material; it is not enough to consistently provide 3 or 5 %. This is why we need to add more.

How can we add extra organic matter, you ask?

The solution is simple, and one you may not be familiar with; top dressing. Top dressing a lawn is the process of adding a fine layer of quality compost to your lawn. The quick & easy method involves simply working the compost into the grass with the back of a landscaper’s rake or a stiff broom (making sure not to smother grass with compost) and watering thoroughly. In only a few days, you’ll notice your lawn taking on a strong, healthy appearance; greening up where before there were patches of brown grass.

The “Professional” method is the same process with one exception; aerate soil before adding compost. If you have an irrigation system you’ll need to make it’s marked with flags before aeration (don’t want to poke holes in pipes now, do we?) Then proceed as you would for the quick & easy method, making sure to water well when finished. When you top dress your lawn with compost, this organic material eventually begins to decompose. More important, the earthworms seek it out and pull it down into the soil and eat it. 

If you don’t regularly top dress your lawn, it’s high time to begin. It might sound like extra work, but it’ll pay off big time in contributing to the development of healthy soil; stimulating soil life to provide nutrients and opening soil structure so it holds air and moisture.

Harvest Blend Compost contains premium organic matter necessary to raise soils’ organic levels to the recommended 5%. Locally produced from quality, recycled organic materials, Harvest Blend Compost has passed the strictest testing methods to carry the Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) label. This means our products are free of weed seeds and pathogens, guaranteeing product safety for your lawn and garden.

Healthy soil translates into healthier grass. Growing in soil with 5% organic content, lawns can expand their considerable root systems, reaching deep into the soil to tap more dependable supplies of water and nutrients. They are more self-reliant, less dependent on us for nutrition and moisture. They do not suffer stress. The result is fewer problems with weeds, diseases and pests. Naturally!

For all the details on Top dressing and Harvest Blend Compost and all its benefits, go to www.GotCompost.com or call us at 805-925-2771.

 

 

 

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

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

 

Want to Recycle Organic Materials? Location Matters!

 

Doing some traveling over the past few months, we've paid attention to trash and recycling collection practices in a variety of locations in California. This post focuses on the Bay Area; Menlo Park, to be exact. Whoa, life must be pretty exciting if a highlight of our visit was spotting bins specifically for compostable materials!

 

But this is a topic of interest because recycling practices vary so drastically from one area of our state to another; and undoubtedly, across the country. If Menlo Park, San Francisco and San Jose have designated bins for compostable materials, in addition to recyclables and normal everyday trash, why can’t the rest of the country do the same? On the Central Coast, some cities have passed ordinances requiring collection of Green Waste – with a slight rise in collection fees (approximately $3). This is a move in the right direction, but when we think about all the food scraps and coffee grounds heading for the landfill, we’re sorry to see these resources being wasted.

Recycling isn’t just for glass and metal. Potato peelings, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds (don’t forget the filter!) can be recycled into compost. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg (lettuce); almost all food waste, paper goods – such as paper plates and napkins – and clean wood products, like coffee stirrers, can be transformed into nutrient rich compost.

In our little community on the Central Coast of California, we faithfully truck our recycle bins out to the curb one week; and our green waste bins go out the next. With no compost bin for collection of food scraps, coffee/coffee filters, cardboard, etc., we’re forced to waste these resources or do what we do – compost this stuff at home. All well and good for the environment, but when we need a decent amount of compost for lawn top dressing, laying sod or amending soil for our annual vegetable garden; buying fresh, local, bulk compost is the way to go.

Bins for compostable materials need to be available across the country; with collected organic materials sent to the nearest Regional Compost Facility. These facilities provide the freshest soil products to the public - ready to be put back into the earth building healthy soil to grow crops and improve lawns and gardens. The re-use of recycled materials has a few labels, but we call this ‘Completing the Cycle.’

So, to free up landfill space and improve the environment we should:

1.    collect organic materials

2.    recycle these material for transformation into compost

3.    purchase bulk compost

4.    use compost to build healthy soil

Working together, we can do this. Naturally! Click for more info

Need compost for your next project? Call (805) 925-2771 and ask for Jim or Chuck.

Harvest Blend Compost is available at authorized dealers in San Luis and Santa Barbara Counties.

Add Compost for a Strong Healthy Lawn

Are you looking for a way to spruce up your lawn after summer’s high temperatures? Look no further, the answer is here in the form of nutrient rich compost - the all natural solution to tired landscapes!

If you’ve never used compost on your lawn, you’ll be amazed at the difference it will make in the health and beauty of your turf.

The process of applying a layer of compost over the surface of lawns is called ‘top dressing.’ Top dressing is the best way to improve and maintain soil health; increasing soil organic matter which promotes healthy root and soil structure, strengthening lawns and soil.

Before you begin, make sure compost is ‘STA Certified,’ meaning it’s passed strict testing by the US Composting Council and carries the Seal of Testing Assurance label. STA Compost helps increase soil’s moisture holding capacity which may reduce those pesky water bills!

Top Dressing is quick and easy -

For best results, mow the turf short, approximately 1½ inch.

Apply 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of Harvest Blend Compost over existing turf (0.80 to 1.60 cubic yards per 1000 sq. ft.)

Work compost into turf with a rake. You can use the back of a wide 'Landscaper's' rake to spread the mix and 'brush' it into the grasses of the lawn. A good stiff broom will also do the trick. Make sure that the compost does not smother the grass. The grass should be showing through the Compost top dressing.

The compost will replenish organic material in the soil with the result that the soil does a better job of holding moisture and nutrients for use by the grass. Compost is naturally full of air channels, so it does not block the air and moisture from traveling into the soil.

Water thoroughly after application.

If soil is compacted, you may want to aerate your lawn first. Core aerators are available at most equipment rental locations and will allow compost to easily be worked into soil. After aerating the turf the lawn should look like it is covered with cigar butts. Don't worry, they will disintegrate and disappear within a few weeks.

Top dressing in the fall is the key first step to a greener and healthier lawn next spring. Naturally!

For more info visit GotCompost.com

Check out Google Maps for a dealer near you.

 

FREE LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE WORKSHOP!

Join us Wednesday, September 19 for a FREE Landscape Maintenance Workshop!

FREE LUNCH │ FREE RAFFLE │ Enter for a chance to win CORE gasless trimmer valued at $273-

When: Wednesday │September 19│11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Where:  Jack’s Repair, 930 W. Main St., Santa Maria, CA.

Experts will present info on Compost Applications and Benefits │ Learn about the latest in Outdoor Power Equipment and Proper Equipment Maintenance.

Enter to win a FREE CORE gasless trimmer! The latest in Trimmer technology!

For more info – call Chuck @ 925-2771 or Email Chuck@ENGELandGRAY.com

To learn more about Harvest Blend Compost, check out www.GotCompost.com and Like us on Facebook.

Fall is the perfect time to top dress lawns and we can help with quick & easy instructions!

Click here to find Harvest Blend Compost @ a location near you on the Central Coast. Authorized dealers can help you plan your next DIY project. Naturally!

 

GOT MULCH? Mulching protects plants from heat

Here on the Central Coast we seem to be experiencing a minor heat wave; this means a little extra TLC is needed for landscapes and gardens. Without some human help, a heat wave can wipe out a vegetable garden in just a couple of days.

The high temperatures of a heat wave damage a plant in several ways. First, there's the evaporation of soil moisture, which robs the roots of water. A heat wave will also dehydrate a plant by extracting moisture through the leaves and stem. Finally, the hot rays of the sun can sunburn the leaves, turning them a pale yellow-to-tan color which eventually die and fall off. Protecting your vegetable garden from a heat wave means slowing down the loss of water and minimizing sun damage. Here's how it's done:

Mulch, mulch, mulch │ Mulch is more than a pretty way to decorate a garden. It actually serves an important function in shading tender roots from the sun and slowing the evaporation of ground moisture. Mulch doesn't have to be expensive or fancy to work – bark, newspaper, straw, leaves, grass clippings and compost are affordable and do a great job. Just make sure to keep bark and compost a few inches away from the base of trees and shrubs to discourage insects.

Compost as mulch │ Applying compost to garden beds is a win/win. Not only are plants and soil protected from the elements, compost adds vital nutrients to the soil; increasing porosity and water holding capacity, encouraging a healthy root system. Premium STA Certified Harvest Blend Compost is the perfect choice; Naturally! Click for a map of our trusty dealers

Change how you water │ A vegetable garden can basically be watered in two ways, either at ground level or overhead. During a heat wave, overhead watering with an oscillating or other type of sprinkler head should be avoided. The combination of high temperatures and a hot sun can evaporate up to 90% of that water even before it hits the ground. A better watering solution is to use a soaker hose system, watering through channels, or hand watering the roots.

Other changes that need to be made include -

• Increasing the watering times to twice a day until the temps dip below 90 degrees.
• Avoid watering between 10 am and 7 pm, unless you have a soaker system or irrigation channels. Overhead watering when the sun is beating down on your plants can scald the leaves and kill them.
• Deep water when possible. Deep watering encourages deeper root growth.

Provide shade if possible. To protect more vulnerable vegetable plants, we set up a canopy to shade tender veggies during a heat wave. If you don't own a canopy, sheets draped over 5 foot bamboo stakes can also provide some plant relief.

Plants and soil sometimes need a little extra help from their human caretakers; and periods of extreme heat and/or cold are 2 of those occasions. For more info on compost uses and benefits, visit www.GotCompost.com or Like us on Facebook.

FREE Lawn & Garden Workshop!



Compost Builds Healthy Soil. Dig in!

For the past 13 years International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) has served the important role of bringing the Compost! message to the attention of the public, businesses and other groups. We at Harvest Blend Compost want you to know how easy it is to buy and use bulk compost for your lawn and garden.

To make it easy for our Community to discover all the terrific things compost does for your landscape we hope you’ll join us at our FREE LAWN & GARDEN WORKSHOP:

·  Sat., May 12 @ Mussell Senior Center

·  510 E. Park Ave.

·  Santa Maria, CA 93454

·  FREE COMPOST! B.Y.O.B (Bring Your Own Bucket)

·  FREE VEGGIE TRANSPLANTS!

Engel & Gray, Inc., Harvest Blend Compost and the City of Santa Maria Utilities/Rec & Parks Depts. are presenting this event to promote landscape improvement through compost use and water conservation techniques. Free compost and vegetable transplants will be available, so don’t forget your bucket or bin! For more information please visit www.GotCompost.com

Or call Melissa @ Engel & Gray, Inc. - (805) 925-2771

Incorporating compost into your landscape is easy and economical. Whether you need a little compost to spruce up flower beds or a few yards to top dress lawns; help is only a phone call away. For the homeowner interested in renewing lawn and garden; there’s no better soil amendment than compost. It’s 100% natural, providing vital nutrients and organic matter that soil needs to be considered healthy. Compost has a variety of uses – some of the most beneficial are:

·        Lawn Top Dressing: applying a layer of compost to the surface of the lawn will improve soil and grass for a lush, green turf.

·        Turf Establishment: amending soil with compost provides nutrients and improves water holding capacity; saving money on water!

·        Flower & Vegetable Gardens: adding compost before planting creates the perfect foundation for new plants. Or top dress existing beds to give soil a boost.

·        Tree & Shrub backfill mix: compost opens compacted soil; adding oxygen for an improved root system.

Call 805.925.2771 to speak with a Harvest Blend Compost field rep. Or, email Info@HarvestBlendCompost.com

Please ‘Like’ us on Facebook.

Open (Green)House!

OK, so it’s finally beginning to look and feel like spring on the Central Coast. We’re itching to head into the garden this weekend to begin prepping the soil for our spring and summer veggie garden. Looks like we have everything needed to get started:

1.     Clean, sharpened garden tools – check!

2.     A lovely pile of fresh, local Harvest Blend Compost – check!

3.     Rain – check! Wait…what? Not this weekend!

Rain will definitely dampen (no pun intended) our plans. What to do, what to do. Hey, isn’t there something on Harvest Blend Compost’s Facebook page about a greenhouse tour? Yeah, here it is. It’s the Central Coast Greenhouse Growers annual Open House: SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2012

They have a lot of great things planned for their visitors! All seven nurseries will be showcasing locally grown products for sale.

IN NIPOMO

·        Viva Farms’ beautiful hanging baskets

·        Pacific Sun Growers’ amazing tropicals and succulents

·        Clearwater Nursery’s vibrant potted flowers

·        Eufloria’s gorgeous long stem roses in every color!

IN ARROYO GRANDE

·        Native Sons’ features hearty, healthy outdoor landscape plants

·        BallFloraPlant’s decorative, colorful containers

·        Ball Tagawa’s trays of veggies, bedding pack and ever popular potting soil

If you’re farther South, fear not! Rain or shine, Santa Barbara County Flower and Nursery Growers’ Association is hosting a day of farm tours in the Carpinteria Valley this Saturday April 14th between 11 am and 4 pm.  The public is invited to come and learn about the local flower industry and see the variety of crops that are grown. This event is free and open to gardeners of all ages.

Don’t let a little rain stop you from meeting your Flower Farmer. These tours are mainly indoors but in case of a little rain, an umbrella may be handy. Tell your friends and share this unique opportunity to meet your local flower grower! You might pick up some great flowers, tools and/or ideas for your own garden. Naturally!

For compost info visit www.GotCompost.com

Like us on Facebook

Spring Cleaning in the Garden

Spring has sprung. In California this season normally signals warmer temperatures, strong breezes and the dwindling of our rainy season. For Central Coasters though, the weather still carries remnants of winter chill and dampness.

So what’s a gardener to do, you ask? We suggest you slog through messy garden beds and soggy lawns to assess your landscape’s condition. If you’re like most of us, general garden clean up is in order. Yeah, yeah, we know…the maintenance end of gardening holds little magic for most of us, yet it is crucial to the success of spring and summer planting.

Some garden jobs best done in March and April:

- Lawn top-dressing

- Plant bare-root (packaged) perennials

- Tend flowering shrubs – clean up spent blossoms, feed with acid fertilizer

- Sow annuals – cosmos, nasturtiums, sunflowers and zinnias

- Sow: carrots, spinach and chard

- In April – set out transplants of tomato, peppers and squash

- Sow: beans, corn and squash

- Water

Interestingly enough, the rainy weather helps indentify low spots that might hamper drainage. Make note of these areas, using soil amended with compost to fill them in. Since it’s too early to do much planting, you’ll want to focus on prepping soil for future plantings; both flower and vegetable. In addition, you may amend surrounding soil as well as soil in planting beds you’ve designated for spring and summer vegetables.

Victory Garden author James Crockett calls compost “the caviar of organic materials” for its ability to retain moisture and provide the necessary 5% Soil Organic Matter to soil. Harvest Blend Compost is a premium compost; wonderful for use as lawn top-dressing, soil amendment, tree and shrub backfill mix and in flower and vegetable gardens. Click here to locate a Harvest Blend Compost dealer near you.

To amend soil with compost: you will first need to loosen the soil. If the soil is too wet from too much rain, let the soil dry for a few days as wet, heavy soils are difficult to work. For dry soil or new garden plots that have not been worked before, a thorough watering a few days ahead of time will make your job easier. Using a rototiller for large areas or a fork and spade for existing beds, break up the soil to a depth of approximately six to twelve inches (the lower range is appropriate for existing beds).

Spread compost evenly over soil. Blend compost into the soil using a gardening fork or your rototiller (if you don‘t own a rototiller, they’re often available through equipment rental locations). After you have thoroughly worked the materials into the garden soil, level the area with a rake.

Your soil is now properly replenished for the upcoming planting season. Over the next few months, the organic amendments you have added will continue to break down, building healthy soil for a plentiful gardening season ahead; providing a slow-release of nutrients that will benefit growing plants. Remember, these nutrients won’t last forever and should be replenished periodically throughout the year.

Many organics naturally occurring in your yard are ideal for building up your garden soil. A simple lawn mowing provides one of the best resources for organic garden soil improvement. Mow your lawn and bag or rake the shredded leaves and grass clippings to work into your soil. Not only will the grass and leaf bits break down to provide essential soil nutrients, but they will work to loosen and aerate the soil as well, increasing root health during the next spring and summer growing season. This will aid in soil drainage, too.

Before you know it, we’ll be experiencing warm evenings and even warmer days; perfect for planting all the tasty vegetables we’ll be enjoying throughout summer and fall. Naturally!

For more info on compost use and benefits, visit http://www.gotcompost.com/

February Gardening Tips

The middle of February? Already?! We’re still feeling the sting of winter weather, maybe even using it as an excuse not to work in the garden. If you’re a dedicated gardener, you haven’t been wasting these precious weeks. And if you have neglected your planting beds, you definitely have time to prepare for spring.

Take a look at your trees, both shade and deciduous fruit trees. How about roses? These plants could undoubtedly use some help – a good pruning should do the trick. If you’re not familiar with correct pruning techniques it’s well worth the investment to hire a tree specialist. Hacking away at any old branch can spell trouble for these weather worn plants, possibly damaging future growth.

And did you know that February is bareroot season. Fruit trees, berries and roses are available for planting at a lower cost now than in the spring, when we find them in containers.  Be sure to dig a hole larger than the root spread of the tree, mixing in plenty of Harvest Blend Compost with the dirt, to use as backfill when planting. Click here for tips on using compost to plant and care for trees and shrubs.

Are you planning for your vegetable garden? You can start beets, lettuce and spinach indoors to plant out later when the weather warms a little. If you don’t have the latest seed catalogs lying around the house, click here, scroll down the page and you'll find links to some of our favorite suppliers.

Warm days/cold nights.  While February may see some warm days, nights will still be cold and there’s even danger of frost, so be prepared to protect tender plants. If you are unable to bring the plants indoors, try to group them together in a protected location up against the home or even under the eaves or a carport and cover them with a light blanket, sheets, tablecloth, polypropylene material or custom plant blankets or other cloth for the night. The south and west sides of the home are normally the warmest. If the container is too big to move, you can mulch around the container or wrap the base with a blanket or other cloth.

Covering a plant with cloth is one of the most effective ways of protecting a plant during extremely cold weather. Make sure the cover extends all the way to the ground so that it can trap in the heat. Plants do not produce heat but the soil does. Rocks and clothespins are effective ways to help keep the cover on and better insulate the plant from the elements. Be sure to remove the covers daily when the temps rise since the added weight of a wet cloth can break delicate branches. Wood stakes or tomato cages around the plant can keep the covering up and off the leaves. Small plants can also be covered with cardboard boxes placed upside down over the plant.

Don’t use plastic materials to cover your plants. Plastic can burn the leaves it touches on a cold night and it also cuts off air to the plant. In addition it acts as a greenhouse taking plants from nightly lows to much higher temperatures during the day. This rapid temperature change can cause serious freeze damage or can be fatal to plants.

And our favorite, Compost as mulch, protects soil from colder temps. For more on compost and its uses, visit www.GotCompost.com

Perennials Hibernate, Too!

Of all the seasons, winter has always been the toughest on our garden plants, since the elements become too harsh for tender plants to survive. When warmer temps plummet into near freezing numbers we find it’s best to prepare our landscape for the season ahead. Among our entire landscape, our perennial flower beds need the most attention.

As we know, perennial flowers are those that bloom year after year, making them a vital component of any landscape. Since perennials retreat underground during winter months, now is the perfect time to prepare the soil around them (carefully.) Putting our perennial flower beds to sleep is pretty much like hibernation for these plants. They lie dormant all winter, gathering nutrition and moisture from amended soil. Warmer spring soil allows them to burst forth, stronger and healthier than ever after a long winter’s nap.

Here is a step-by-step guide to putting your perennial flower beds to sleep:

Cut back all the flowers to the ground. Flowers, stems, leaves, cut everything you see down to ground level. Remember that these types of plants are tubers and bulbs. That’s why they stay alive even if everything visible is cut back; the heart of the plant is alive underground. We like to mark each plant/bulb with Popsicle sticks or (upside down) plastic spoons. This way, we won’t plant on top of existing bulbs in the spring.

Remove the mulch and weed your flower bed. Once you’re done cutting everything, it is time to get busy weeding. First, scrape off all the mulch on the flower bed then pull out all the weeds. Make sure you weed thoroughly, pulling out the roots of the weeds to make sure they don’t come back.

Aerate your flower beds. This doesn’t mean that you have to dig holes in the flower bed. You simply have to stick a pitchfork or small garden spade into the ground and wiggle it a bit. This will loosen your soil, making it easier for the nutrients to reach the roots. Just be careful, you wouldn’t want to hit any existing tubers or bulbs.

Now, spread a thick layer of compost evenly over the entire flower bed. Compost is very important because it adds vital nutrients and oxygen to soil, increasing soil organic matter and water holding capacity. Compost also serves as your flower bed’s protection against the harsh elements that winter may bring. When you spread your compost, make sure that you spread a very thick layer (3”- 4”) over the entire flower bed.

Depending on your location, the layer of compost may be all the protection your soil and bulbs require. If you choose, you may place mulch on your flower bed for some added protection. Once the compost has been spread, just add a fresh new layer of mulch. This will protect your perennials throughout the winter, allowing them to sleep comfortably during the cooler weather.

Follow these simple steps and come spring, you'll begin to see signs of color. Before long your perennials will be back, stronger and more beautiful than the year before!

STA Certified Harvest Blend Compost adds all the nutrients soil needs to increase SOM to the necessary 5% level. For a Harvest Blend Compost dealer near you, click. Or call Jim @ 805.925-2771. Harvest Blend Compost builds healthy soil – Naturally!

Visit the USCC's Strive for 5% Facebook page to learn more about the value SOM plays in creating healthy soil.