Mulch in March to Protect Soil & Prevent Weeds

Don’t let recent rains fool you, California continues to experience drought conditions, negatively affecting local landscapes. A great way to conserve water, add nutrients and keep pesky weeds at bay is by applying mulch. This goes for every garden site, from vegetable garden to flower bed. Mulched gardens are healthier, contain fewer weeds and are more drought-resistant then unmulched gardens. Bottom line - you'll spend less time watering, weeding, and fighting pest problems.

There are two basic kinds of mulch: organic and inorganic. Organic mulches include formerly living material such as chopped leaves, straw, grass clippings, compost, wood chips, shredded bark, sawdust, pine needles, and even paper. Inorganic mulches include gravel, stones, black plastic, and geotextiles (landscape fabrics).

Both types discourage weeds, but organic mulches also improve the soil as they decompose. Inorganic mulches don't break down and enrich the soil, but under certain circumstances they're the mulch of choice. For example, black plastic warms the soil and radiates heat during the night, keeping heat-loving vegetables such as eggplant and tomatoes cozy and vigorous.

Using Organic Mulches

There are two cardinal rules for using organic mulches to combat weeds. First, be sure to lay the mulch down on soil that is already weeded, and second, lay down a thick enough layer to discourage new weeds from coming up through it. It can take a 4- to 6-inch layer of mulch to completely discourage weeds, although a 2- to 3-inch layer is usually enough in shady spots where weeds aren't as troublesome as they are in full sun.

 

Mulching with compost will definitely enrich your soil and make your plants happy, but remember, compost is a dense product so a little goes a long way – a 1 inch layer will do the trick. Keep mulch about 1 inch away from crowns and stems, 6-12 inches from shrub and tree trunks.

 

Organic Mulching Mechanics - Spreading organic mulch saves labor and nurtures plants by:

• Preventing most weed seeds from germinating; the few weeds that do pop through the mulch will be easy to pull.
• Protecting soil from temperature changes, reducing the need to water
• Decomposing slowly, releasing nutrients into the soil
• Encouraging earthworm activity, improving soil tilth and nutrient content
• Keeping dirt from splashing on flowers and vegetables

When possible buy compost and other landscape products in BULK! STA Certified Harvest Blend CompostÒ builds healthy soil. Naturally!

Click or call for more compost info

 

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!

 

Affordable Summer Gardening

We’re often asked questions about gardening and compost use. Thought it might help to share some Q&A’s with you. And hey, if you have any questions you’d like answered, or just want to share your gardening stories, pleas ‘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 see the specific details related to your area http://www.sbwater.org/landscape.aspx?id=446

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. Click to locate Harvest Blend Compost near you.

Harvest Blend Compost builds healthy soil; adds soil organic matter, improves soil structure and increases water holding capacity. Naturally!

For more info on compost visit www.GotCompost.com.

A Cubic Yard of Compost = ?

You visit your local nursery and ask how much compost it’ll take to amend soil or top dress your lawn. The clerk asks for measurements of your lawn, does a few calculations and voila! You hear you’ll need approximately 1 cubic yard of the stuff. Oh sure, one cubic yard. Sounds good, but now you’re asking yourself if you have room to store 1 cubic yard of compost. How can you know just how much space one cubic yard of compost will use? We’ll give you an easy way to envision the answer to this question shortly, but first -

It could be this ‘unknown’ element of compost buying that intimidates many homeowners; driving them to purchase the higher priced bagged product that had been gathering dust on a shelf for weeks. Don’t let yourself be lured by the apparent ‘easy choice’ when bulk compost is clearly the better option.

Bulk compost is a fresh, nutrient rich product; produced locally with quality organic materials. Because there aren’t any plastic bags to rip open, it is the most environmentally desirable product for lawn and garden. Plus, it costs less! Of course ‘out-of-the-bag’ compost can’t be easily tossed in the trunk of your car like the bagged stuff, but your local nursery or landscape center will usually be happy to help out by delivering the product to home or garden. How great is that!

Oh, yeah, we promised you an easy way to estimate the amount of room a cubic yard of compost will use. Look at your dishwasher. One cubic yard = 27 cubic feet, the same size as the average dishwasher.

If you live on the Central Coast, Harvest Blend Compost is the natural choice for lawn and garden improvements. Check out our dealer map for a location near you.

For more info on the uses and benefits of compost, visit www.GotCompost.com

To speak with a Harvest Blend Compost Field Rep, call (805) 925-2771 and ask for Jim or Chuck

Thanks for choosing Harvest Blend Compost. Naturally!

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.

Healthy Soil is a Balancing Act

The health and beauty of a plant or the productivity of a crop is directly related to the health and vitality of the soil in which it grows.  When the pH is wrong, nothing works right - not fertilizers, not weed killers, and especially not the biological components within the soil. When the Soil Organic Matter (SOM) content is low, the soil is unproductive, and crops, trees or turf lack the energy sources to help them grow.

When soluble salts and chlorides are too high, the microbes that live in the soil and help aerate and digest dead plant material (turning them into organic material) are killed, thereby increasing soil compaction. When the soil is compacted, not enough air, water or nutrients can enter the root zone, so the plants suffer greatly.

Is your lawn telling you something?

Our lawns are a great barometer of soil health. They can’t lie, so if something’s wrong with the soil beneath your grass, it shows up in some not so subtle ways.

Symptoms of Sick Soil:

·        Bare Patches – if grass won’t/can’t grow, soil is definitely not well

·        Shallow Root System – anything less than 6 inches

·        Compacted Soil – soil probe penetration less than 6 inches

·        Puddling – water quickly runs off or pools in low areas rather than soaking into the soil

·        Disease Prone – annual outbreaks of diseases; either the same disease during the same time period each year or different diseases through the season.

·        Insect Infestations – like diseases, insect problems are many times related to thatch, but can also be a sign of low levels of soil nutrients.

·        Thatch – dead grass stems, blades and roots that are not breaking down into organic matter, but accumulating on top of the soil and creating conditions that favor disease and insect problems, as well as restricting moisture from getting into the soil.

·        Weeds – especially if there are a wide variety of weed types.

What causes ‘Sick Soil’?

When nutrients are out of balance with each other or just not available for the plant’s use, plants become unhealthy and are more susceptible to disease and insect attacks.

When secondary & micro nutrients are in short supply, plants become weak and are damaged more easily by wear & tear, drought conditions and insect/disease problems.  

Soil in very poor condition may need to undergo a comprehensive soil test to find out what unhealthy conditions exist and what can be done to fix the problem.

If corrections are not made, lawns may develop thatch, weed, insect and disease problems. This means added chemical usage, mechanical intervention and unnecessary costs.

How to remedy sick soil?

Adding Organic Matter in the form of compost will raise, or help maintain, SOM to the 5% level. Top dressing lawns or amending soil with Harvest Blend Compost will correct many symptoms of unhealthy soil 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.

When soil is healthy, all plant life is healthier and more productive; better able to survive weather and environmental stresses, and insect/disease attacks.

The US Composting Council is promoting healthy soil through their “Strive for 5%” campaign, educating the public on the importance of building Soil Organic Matter to 5%. Click here for details

Click here for more info on Harvest Blend Compost. Naturally!

Cover Crops & Compost - Protect Your Soil

Why go to all the trouble of planting a crop you won’t be enjoying at the dinner table? There are some important reasons not to let your vegetable plots and planting beds go naked in the winter. Amending soil with compost and planting cover crops will keep soil healthy for next year's harvest by increasing soil fertility.

Using leguminous (from the pea family) seed for cover crops is referred to as "green manure." They’re used to manage a range of soil macronutrients and micronutrients. Of the various nutrients, the impact these cover crops have on nitrogen management has received the most attention from researchers and farmers, because nitrogen is often the most limiting nutrient in crop production.

Here are more specific reasons to plant compost and cover crops -- legumes, grains and grasses -- this season:

1.      Soil quality improvements--Soil tilth is improved whenever a plant establishes roots and grows into compacted areas. Water infiltration is improved as well. When a field lays fallow for a period of time, the surface tends to seal and water will run off. Cover crops protect the soil surface and reduce sealing. Also, beneficial organisms in the soil, such as earthworms, thrive when fresh plant material is decomposing. Organic matter levels tend to improve with the addition of cover crops.

2.      Erosion control--Cover crops reduce wind and water erosion on all types of soils. By having the soil held in place by cover crops during the fall, winter, and early spring, loss of soil from erosion is greatly reduced.

3. Fertility improvements--Legumes can add substantial amounts of available nitrogen to the soil. Non-legumes can be used to take up excess nitrogen from previous crops and recycle the nitrogen as well as available phosphorus and potassium to the following crop. This is very important after manure application, because cover crops can reduce leaching of nutrients.
4. Suppress weeds--A dense growth of winter rye or other cover crop can suppress weeds by soil shading. Allelochemicals (toxic plant chemicals) from cover crops suppress the growth of other plants.
5. Insect control--Beneficial insects, such as ladybugs or ground beetles, may be encouraged by planting cover crops.

So, In addition to protecting your beds from sun, rain and wind, compost and cover crops add/help build organic matter and hummus content, increase microbial activity, inhibit weed growth and increase your soil's fertility. In fact, plants leave 80 percent of their organic material in the soil, even after they're removed, thanks to their root structure. Why would you want to risk losing all that great organic material by just leaving it out to the elements?

What to plant?

Biomass crops are usually grains like wheat, rye, barley and oats. Grains should be planted in the fall while legumes and vetch can be planted almost any time except during winter freeze periods. A biomass crop also will protect your soil and add carbon to your soil. We just planted a cover crop after harvesting our last vegetable crop and ordered our seed from http://www.groworganic.com/organic-soil-builder-mix-raw-lb.html. Of course, we cleared the plot and amended soil with Harvest Blend Compost. It's easy to get your grain seeds and mixes into the ground. Just rake the soil and "broadcast," or toss, seeds randomly. In no time, you’ll notice little green sprouts making an appearance.

Finally, you can mix legumes, grains and other crops to get a variety. But be sure to pull all the cover crops up before they go to seed in March or May or you'll find yourself overwhelmed with weeds later on.  For info on amending soil with compost, visit www.GotCompost.com

Peabody School Completes Playground Renovation

On September 30, 2011 a dedication ceremony was held at Peabody Elementary, in Santa Barbara, CA, to recognize the completion of the school’s renovated playground. Representatives from Engel & Gray, Inc. were on hand to receive a certificate of thanks along with a large poster, containing messages and signatures from the students of Peabody.

Four months ago, Engel & Gray Regional Compost Facility delivered 160 cubic yards of compost to Peabody School, a participant of the City of Santa Barbara’s Food Waste Recycling program. Project manager, Jeff Holbrook, worked with Engel & Gray to arrange for delivery of the donated soil amendment, used to improve soil for a safe, revitalized playground.

Parents, students and teachers appreciate their food waste recycling program coming full circle. The students and faculty have regularly sorted their food waste and other compostables into 65 gallon bins, to be collected by Engel & Gray Regional Compost Facility in Santa Maria. Recycling Peabody’s organic materials into nutrient rich compost for use in renewing the playground is the ultimate in recycling – helping the community to successfully “Complete the Cycle”.
Santa Barbara has a waste diversion goal of 70 percent, and in 9 more years, an ambitious 85 percent.

With time, effort and education, students will learn to recycle and compost like it’s second nature. They will have years of hands-on experience sorting, recycling and composting their waste – and Engel & Gray, Inc will be on hand to serve and support the effort. Naturally!

For more all the details on compost use, click here

Wet Winter Garden Tips

January is usually a wet and cold month on the Central Coast, and 2011 is no exception. All that rain in December may have kept you out of the garden, but don't let a few puddles stop you. We should see more rain in January, along with cold days and very cold nights – so adding compost to your soil could do a world of good by replenishing lost nutrients. Gardeners on the East Coast and in the Midwest may be busy trying to dig out of the snow - dreaming of spring planting while drooling over seed catalogs - but we Central Coast gardeners can still actively enjoy our gardens. 

Click here for a Harvest Blend Dealer near you.

Besides the usual garden cleanup - leaves to rake, pruning and dormant spraying of trees and bushes, local gardeners can still enjoy planting cool season crops.  Many folks 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. Here are some suggestions for your vegetable garden:

• asparagus
• globe artichokes and rhubarb from roots
• 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 with a selection of seeds, such as:

• carrots
• kohlrabi
• lettuce
• parsley
• peas
• radishes
• turnips

Yes, we 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 enjoy salads all year 'round, not just in the 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 a "single salad" - just add a little dressing and enjoy!

A Word About Compost

Before planting, always add Harvest Blend 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. Naturally!

Visit www.GotCompost for more info on Harvest Blend Compost

A New Year! Resolve to Keep it Clean

We've had an unusual amount of rain recently, which is both good news and bad news. Restoring depleted  water supplies is always a good thing, but how about the bad? Have you thought about the unexpected negative effects this rainfall may provide our lakes and streams? How on earth can organic yard waste contaminate bodies of water? On the Central Coast, rain flows across lawns or hard surfaces such as rooftops, paved areas, and bare soil. As it flows, this runoff water carries sediments, leaves, grass clippings, litter, and other landscape waste into streets and gutters leading to storm sewers. Unlike household wastewater, stormwater runoff receives almost no treatment. As a result any particles that enter the storm drain will probably end up in a stream or lake.

 

We have a problem when excess nutrients allow the growth of algae and rooted plants in lakes and streams. Too much algae in the water can use up valuable oxygen, kill fish, create bad odors, toxin production, and ugly surface scum.  Too many rooted aquatic plants can clog boat props, hamper fishing, pollute beaches and limit fish growth. Although plant material and nutrients slowly build up in lakes and streams, a neighborhood or community with poorly managed yard waste practices can be a major contributor to the problem and cause unnecessary degradation of lakes and streams.

What is Landscape Waste?

Sources of landscape waste include grass clippings, leaves, tree and shrub trimmings, organic mulch, and plant materials from vegetable and flower gardens. By weight, grass is the largest component averaging half of all yard waste. Leaves and brush each provide nearly one quarter. Other landscape wastes add less than 10 percent. On average, nearly 200 pounds of yard waste is produced per person each year.

Managing Landscape Waste. Controlling organic waste and reducing potential contamination of surface water can be accomplished in several ways. One way to control landscape waste is through source reduction. Amending soil with compost, grasscycling and lawn top dressing will reduce large amounts of landscape waste.

Grasscycling is the natural recycling of grass clippings by leaving them on the lawn when mowing. Leaving grass clippings saves time, money, and protects the environment. Mowing takes less time since bagging and disposal aren’t involved. The clippings add beneficial organic matter and nutrients to soil. This in turn reduces fertilizer and water needs, which can minimize nutrient runoff entering storm drains. Be sure to cut grass when the surface is dry, keep mower blades sharp and never blow, sweep or hose clippings onto the street.

Compost benefits
Amending heavy clay soils with compost improves water infiltration and drainage by improving soil structure. Compost also absorbs water and improves the water and nutrient holding capacity of sandy soils. To conserve moisture it is essential to have soil with good water retention. In addition to improving soil structure, decomposing compost will slowly release plant nutrients. Check out Google Maps for a Harvest Blend dealer near you.

Lawn Top dressing
Topdressing the lawn is the process of adding a layer of compost to the lawn surface. Top dressing benefits the lawn as it increases soil quality, adding nutrients and oxygen to plant roots. Sandy soils will be able to retain moisture better, and so the lawn will be more resistant to drought. Clay soils will drain better, thus improving root development. Another benefit of top dressing the lawn is that it will help to even out any lumps and bumps on an uneven lawn, making the surface safe for play. Top dressing also stimulates the grass to produce new shoots, resulting in denser grass cover, which helps combat the onset of weed growth.

Top dressing with aeration: aerating a lawn before top dressing will allow nutrients in the compost to reach the soil. This is the best treatment for hard, compacted soils. Professional aerators may be rented from equipment supply centers.

Using Landscape Waste as Mulch
Using an organic mulch can help gardens in many ways. Mulch reduces weeds by cutting off their oxygen, so they’re unable to grow. Mulch also maintains consistent moisture conditions in gardens. Water loss through evaporation is decreased and soil erosion is decreased by reducing the effect of heavy rainfall. Soil temperatures are modified by mulch. And last but not least organic mulch adds nutrients and humus to the soil as they decompose.

Tree and shrub trimmings are another source of yard waste. These materials are a greater challenge since they are woody and don’t break down easily. They need to be shredded or chipped for quicker decomposition and to reduce waste volume. Chippers and shredders may be available to rent at local landscape supply centers, so give ‘em a call. A 2- to 3-inch layer of shredded bark provides good weed control. Wood chips are slower to decay than shredded bark and can be used for pathway material in gardens. 

Limiting Landscape Waste

The best way to deal with landscape waste is to limit its production in the first place, or at least produce as little as possible. Choose trees and shrubs with their full growth in mind. Plants that need little or no pruning don’t produce much landscape waste. Sound yard waste management will benefit the landscape as well as surface and groundwater resources. No matter where you live, the size of your home, or the amount of time and money invested in the yard, everyone can do something to improve or maintain water quality.

Here are a few ways we can help insure clean water and a healthy environment through positive yard waste management.

• Add Harvest Blend Compost once or twice a year to build healthy soil and increase nutrients in the soil.
• Mow often enough to leave grass clippings on the lawn.
• Sweep grass clippings off of paved areas. Place them on the lawn or in a compost pile.
• Keep fallen leaves out of the street gutter or ditch, using them around the yard as practical or composting them.
• Do not dump yard waste down a storm drain or near surface water.
• Plan your landscape with the environment in mind, reducing intensely maintained areas.
• Recycle organic waste through sound composting practices and mulching.
• Mulch annual and perennial gardens with yard waste compost.
• Use organic mulch to suppress weeds, conserve soil moisture, and reduce soil erosion.

Have questions or concerns about compost use? Visit our website for more info. Naturally!

Improve Soil Structure - protect your landscape during the winter months

At this time of year we need to make sure our garden soil is in the best shape possible. Cold temperatures and rain can destroy plant life, especially if soil is compacted, sandy or clay based. It isn’t easy to change a soil's basic texture, but you can improve its structure--making clay more porous, sand more water retentive--by adding amendments.

Compost is the most nutrient rich, readily available soil amendment you can choose to improve soil conditions. It’s jam packed with beneficial microbes tired, sandy and compacted soils are lacking. The organic matter opens up the soil structure, increasing oxygen to plants’ root systems, helping them grow strong.

Compost is composed of the decaying remains of plants and animals. As it decomposes, organic matter releases nutrients that are absorbed by soil-dwelling microorganisms and bacteria. The combination of these creatures' waste products and their remains, called humus, binds with soil particles. In clay, it forces the tightly packed particles apart; drainage is improved, and the soil is easier for plant roots to penetrate. In sand, it lodges in the large pore spaces and acts as a sponge, slowing drainage so the soil stays moist longer.

Though the particular organic amendment you use is often decided simply by what's available at the best price, many experts favor compost over all other choices. Harvest Blend Compost is simply your best choice! It’s registered with the United States Composting Council Seal of Testing Assurance program (STA) – a compost testing, labeling and information disclosure program designed to give you the information you need to get the maximum benefit from the use of compost. Only the highest quality compost is awarded the STA label. It’s your guarantee of excellence!

Click here for a Google map of your nearest Harvest Blend Compost dealer

Adding amendments: when and how
New beds for landscape plants should be amended before any plants go into the ground. For long-term benefits, choose an amendment that breaks down slowly. Shredded bark and peat moss hold their structure the longest, taking several years to decompose. It's a good idea to include compost in the mix as well; though it breaks down in just a few months, it bolsters the initial nutrient supply available to soil microorganisms--and these will contribute humus to the soil, improve soil aeration, and help protect your new plants from some diseases.

In vegetable and flower beds: amend the soil before each new crop is planted. Compost is preferred by most gardeners, since they dramatically improve the soil's structure, making it hospitable to the fine, tiny roots of seedlings. Un-amended soil may dry into hard clods that small roots cannot penetrate, and plants may grow slowly, be stunted, or die as a result. Compost will break down after several months--so be sure to add more before you plant each crop.

To add amendments to unplanted beds, spread the material evenly over the soil, then work it in by hand or with a rototiller to a depth of about 6-8 inches. If your soil is mostly clay or sand, spread 4 to 5 inches of amendment over it; once this is worked in, the top 8 inches of soil will be about half original soil, half amendment. If the soil is loamy or has been regularly amended each season, add just a 2- to 3-inch layer of amendment; you'll have a top 8-inch layer of about three-quarters original soil, one-quarter amendment.

Permanent or semi-permanent plantings of trees, shrubs, or perennials benefit from soil amendment too, but you need to do the job without damaging plant roots. It's often sufficient simply to spread the amendment over the soil surface as mulch; earthworms, microorganisms, rain, and irrigation water will all carry it downward over time, gradually improving the soil's top layer. If the plant isn't a shallow-rooted type (that is, if it doesn't have many roots concentrated near soil level), you can speed up the improvement process by working the amendment into the top inch or so of soil, using a three-pronged cultivator.

Where the climate is generally mild and winters are rainy, amend the soil in established plantings annually after fall cleanup. In cold-winter regions with spring and summer rainfall, do the job as you begin spring gardening.

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