FALL PLANTING - IT'S NOT TOO LATE!

Winter may be right around the corner, but that’s no reason to put your gardening tools into storage.

November's cool fall evenings and normally warm sunny days give Central Coast gardeners one last opportunity to plant vegetables and flowers for the year.

Plant Hearty Flowers: Plenty of cool-season flowers are durable enough to withstand heavy rains, near freezing temperatures and even hot Santa Ana winds--almost anything that Mother Nature can throw our way this month. Check local nurseries for pansies, primrose, sweet alyssum, snapdragons, California wildflowers and calendula so they will be in full bloom in fall and winter. Flowers may last until spring.

Divide Existing Perennials: Divide perennials including Shasta daisies, daffodils, callas and yarrow. To divide, begin digging around the roots at the drip line so there is less chance of root damage as more roots will remain intact. Replant in well-composted soil and water generously until roots take hold.

A Vegetable Garden in November? Yep, gardeners who want fresh vegetables year-round have a variety of cool-season vegetables to plant in November. Beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, strawberries, celery, cabbage and broccoli can all be planted in November and will produce vegetables one to two months after planting.

Mulch Gardens:

Mulch is just as important in fall as it is in spring and summer. Spread a two-inch layer around gardens, bushes and trees. Weeds use any amount of rain to begin to grow. The layer of mulch keeps weeds in check. Mulch will also stop rain-producing mud from splashing onto garden plants. A layer of Harvest Blend Compost is the perfect material to use! Make sure to keep compost a few inches away from plant stems.

Top Dress Lawns:

When done the right way, the technique of “top-dressing,” or adding a thin layer of compost over lawns, can improve the soil without harming the existing turf. Top-dressing gradually improves soil over time. As organic matter breaks down, it filters through the existing soil to improve texture and overall health. 

To learn more about top dressing your lawn with compost (and other compost uses) email our friendly field reps, check out our website or call 805.925.2771

T'is the Season to - Recycle!

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.

For more info on Compostable Events and Food Waste click here

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  

 

A Pumpkin is a Terrible Thing to Waste

The facts are, each year in the US, one billion pounds of pumpkins are produced. That adds up to at least 100 million pounds of the big orange squash in every state!

All this pumpkin production must mean we're pretty fond of the large gourd. So if we asked what you loved most about pumpkins, what answer do you suppose we’d get? Yeah we know, pumpkin pie is delish and Jack-O-Lanterns are fun. But what’s even better is the fact the entire pumpkin is compostable; making proper disposal a no-brainer.

Pumpkins are a unique holiday decoration in that they are totally natural, but most of the ‘nature’ is tossed in the trash once they’re carved. What a shame, letting a natural resource like this go to waste. Literally. So, how can you make sure that the entire pumpkin is being used and not put into a landfill? Simple – COMPOST IT!

Check www.GotCompost.com  for more information on compost; how compost is made; its uses and benefits. In a nutshell, compost is the decomposition of organic materials to produce nutrient-rich soil enhancer.

Pumpkin seeds themselves are a strong source of nutrients, including zinc, iron and phosphorus. These are all great additions to a compost pile, unless you’re like our kids and you wash and toast those precious seeds for a tasty snack. Now that you know why it’s important to compost, let’s figure out the best way to recycle that pumpkin.

Whether or not you have a compost pile in your yard, there are ways to make it happen. Compost piles rely on a mix of nitrogen-rich greens (which will include pumpkin components) and browns (leaves, paper and other carbon-rich materials). Many communities now offer greenwaste collection along with weekly trash pickup; so if you don’t have your own backyard pile, just toss those gooey, stringy ‘guts’ into your greenwaste bin.

After your Jack-O-Lantern has done its job and begins shriveling up on your porch, you’re free to dispose of it in the most natural way possible. Some folks like to smash the shell before composting or placing in the greenwaste container. Instead of rotting in the landfill, pumpkins will travel to the nearest Regional Compost Facility where they’ll be combined with other locally collected organic materials, and be transformed into premium compost products.

And the cool thing is; compost made with recycled pumpkins may be put back into the earth where it will build healthy soil to grow new pumpkins! This is what we call ‘Completing the Cycle!’ – the most environmentally responsible method of recycling there is.

Did you know that compost has a number of uses and benefits? In addition to being the best soil amendment there is, compost can also be used to improve flower and vegetable gardens and top dress lawns.

So there you go! Don’t waste that pumpkin, compost it! Naturally!

SCHOOL GARDENS - Providing a wealth of learning opportunities

Yep, school is definitely back in session. We know this because we’ve been getting calls from schools in Santa Barbara County, requesting compost and topsoil to establish, improve and/or maintain school gardens.

 Educational Benefits
A garden has to be designed and laid out, providing a chance to utilize planning and math skills in a group setting. Soil preparation is an opportunity to learn about the importance of soil organic matter, earthworms and general soil ecology. Plant selection and placement require research and more math. As the plants grow, students will have to determine the most efficient way to irrigate and control weeds.

The Value of Sharing
When the garden begins to produce, students are rewarded for their hard work in ways that often leave lasting impressions. In some cases, a portion of the garden crop is donated to a local food bank or other worthwhile agency. Some schools use their harvest in their cafeteria. Others encourage students to share their bounty with family and friends. The common thread that runs through these programs is the joy children derive from sharing their harvest with others.

School Pride
It's known that students involved in any campus project are more likely to have a caring attitude about their school. We know that when students work hard to plan and install a beautiful garden, they develop a sense of pride in their school surroundings that might not otherwise occur.

Field Trips to Engel & Gray Regional Compost Facility
Engel & Gray invites classes to tour our Regional Compost Facility. Please plan for your visit and contact our office at least 30 days in advance. Our field trips are available for grades 3 and up. The approximately one hour tour will include the following:

• An overview of the compost site
• A description of the process turning yard trimmings and food scraps into compost and mulch
• A discussion of the importance of reuse and recycling
• Promoting the ‘Completing the Cycle’ message
• Coloring page featuring “Mike Robe – the busiest microbe in the windrow!”

For tour information - please call 805-925-2771

Product Donations
Engel & Gray Regional Compost Facility and Harvest Blend Compost are proud supporters of Central Coast School Garden programs ~ believing there is no better environment than the garden in which to - Plant the seeds of knowledge; experience the joy of learning and harvest a bountiful crop of lifelong learners. Naturally!

Need compost for your school garden? Give us a call @ 805-925-2771 and ask for Jim or Chuck. You can also reach them at Jim@EngelandGray.com or Chuck@EngelandGray.com

www.GotCompost.com

Soil. It's What You Find Under Your Feet!

What’s the difference between soil and dirt? Dirt is what you find under your fingernails. Soil is what you find under your feet. Think of soil as a thin living skin that covers the land. It goes down into the ground just a short way. Even the most fertile topsoil is only a foot or so deep. Soil is more than rock particles. It includes all the living things and the materials they make or change.

Soil Organic Matter (SOM) is that fraction of the soil composed of anything that once lived. Most soil lacks enough organic matter to support healthy plant growth. The Strive for 5% campaign was developed to help us increase SOM for healthy soil!

Truly healthy soil has between 3% and 5% organic material. That level can be maintained ONLY IF you add organic matter to the soil at the surface year in and year out. The plants, the earthworms, and the microbes need that additional matter to sustain a healthy soil. In the woods and prairies, that added organic matter came from dead leaves or dead grasses decomposing each year. We need to replicate that process in our lawns to be able to maintain a healthy organic content in our soil.

But few residential landscapes have soil this rich with organic material. The reality is that the soil under American 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 most abundant natural sources such as leaves and grass clippings were regularly collected and disposed of in our weekly trash pick-up.

A healthy soil needs a steady source of new organic material. It is constantly decomposing and yielding nutrients for the grass plants and must be replaced. The black fibrous material (called "humus") that results from the decomposition of grass clippings and other organic material eventually has little food value left. But, it does have enormous value in aerating the soil, in storing water, and in feeding key microorganisms needed for other tasks.

While leaving grass clippings on the lawn provides some organic material, it is not enough to consistently provide 3 or 5 %. You must provide more. And how may I provide more organic matter, you might ask? The answer is simple; STA Certified Compost! Applying a layer of compost to lawns twice a year (called 'top dressing') adds vital nutrients, increasing soil's water holding capacity and soil structure. Top Dressing is widely recognized by landscape pros as the most environmentally responsible method of lawn care. Compost is also beneficial for erosion control, turf establishment, tree & shrub backfill mix and used in flower & vegetable gardens for vibrant blooms and healthy veggies.

STA Certified Harvest Blend Compost can do many things for your soil. Benefits include:

·        Improving soil structure, porosity and density to ensure a healthier root environment

·        Infiltrating heavy soils, thereby reducing erosion

·        Increasing water holding capacity of soil so that water is used more efficiently

·        Stabilizing pH and improving the soil’s ability to hold nutrients

·        Supplying valuable microbes, micro and macronutrients and organic matter to the soil environment

·        Helps to suppress soil-borne plant pathogens

·        Binds and degrades specific pollutants

We encourage you to schedule a visit to one of the participating STA composting facilities to get a first hand look at the commercial composting process. To locate a facility in your area, visit http://www.compostingcouncil.org/ & click on "Buying Compost" under the Resources tab. Please visit the US Composting Council’s website for more information on the Consumer Compost Use Program and all issues related to compost.

And if you need compost for your next landscaping project, be sure to give us a call us @ (805) 925-2771 or email Info@HarvestBlendCompost.com. For the scoop on compost visit www.GotCompost.com

New Brown Bin = Green Waste Recycling

Toward the end of June 2011, Santa Maria City residents were introduced to our community’s new Green Waste Recycling program. Getting to this point has been a long road but thanks to the City’s Utilities Dept., headed by Rick Sweet, we’re on the road to becoming a “greener” community.

Green Waste Recycling may be new to our city but many other municipalities have been separating, collecting and composting this valuable resource for years. Santa Maria tried out a pilot program in February 2009, with every other week yard materials collections for three test areas. Collected materials were delivered to Engel & Gray Regional Compost Facility where they were recycled into premium compost, some of which was used to top dress City parks.

Each household in the pilot area diverted an average of over 360 pounds of yard materials from the landfill for a total of over 280,000 pounds of yard materials recycled during the five month pilot program. The success of this project saved valuable space within the City landfill.

Blue Bin, Brown Bin, Blue Bin, Etc.

By now we’re all used to placing our blue recycling containers out along with the trash bins every other week. All we'll need to remember is to alternate the blue can with our new brown lidded bin; instead of tossing leaves, brush and grass in the trash, we can now recycle these valuable resources by tossing them into  the new container that will be collected every other week. One week: blue recycle container. The next week: Brown recycle container. It's that simple.

Our Green Waste recycling program will extend the life of the landfill and defer the capital costs to build a new landfill. In addition, the Solid Waste per Capita Disposal Measurement Act requires cities and counties not only to meet waste diversion requirements for their landfills, but also to implement a number of recycling programs such as a Green Waste program.

What can and cannot go into the Green Waste recycling container?

■ ACCEPTABLE: Leaves, fallen fruit, grass clippings, weeds, plant prunings, small branches, clean wood, plants with little soil

■ NON-ACCEPTABLE: Plastic bags, glass, paper, trash, animal waste, diapers, palm or yucca trimmings, painted, glued or pressure treated wood, rocks, gravel, dirt, asphalt, cement, metal, paint, oil, liquids, hazardous materials

For added convenience, refer to the quick guide label of acceptable/non-acceptable materials shown on the lid of your Green Waste container (brown lid).

How does the program work?

■ Curbside collection of Green Waste (containers with a brown lid) will be every other week, on weeks alternating with Recycling collection (containers with a blue lid), on your regular trash collection day. To assure pick-up, containers must be placed curbside by 6:30 a.m. on your scheduled collection day. Please do not place your Recycling and Green Waste containers out the same week. Refer to your collection calendar for extra help.

Where do I place my container out for collection?

■ Please place your Green Waste container next to your regular refuse container, allowing five feet of clear space around each container. If your containers are located on the street, please make sure no vehicles are blocking access to them.

Where can I get more information?

■ For more detailed information about the Green Waste program, along with frequently asked questions and answers, visit the City’s web page or to request a copy of your collection schedule, call 925-0951 ext. 7270.

International Compost Awareness Week is almost here - How will you celebrate?



Congratulations to Heather Lawrence
on winning this year’s poster contest!



One month from today, International Compost Awareness Week begins, running May 1-7, 2011. The theme of this year’s event is “Compost! Reconnecting with Nature." Across the United States and Canada, those who believe in the Compost Message (Completing the Cycle) will be planning events in their communities to promote the value of recycling previously discarded organic materials, freeing up space in our overcrowded landfills. All types of composting events — from “do it yourself” composting in your backyard to large-scale community-wide composting — will be promoted during the weeklong celebration.

What do we mean by “Completing the Cycle?” By recycling organic materials such as yard trimmings, food waste, manures and wood waste, previously used resources can be made into compost and reused as soil amendments; providing valuable nutrients to growing plants. This process illustrates the Organics Recycling life cycle; from earth to plate, and back to the earth – ready to repeat the cycle.

Our Compost Top Ten List -

1.      By opening the soil structure, compost reduces run-off and erosion and improves soil’s water holding capacity; protecting groundwater supplies and helping crops withstand dry spells.

2.      Compost is more nutrient dense than raw animal manure, and gives longer-lasting results than synthetic fertilizer or raw manure.

3.      When made from a variety of plant materials, manures and other organics, compost can provide a more complete range of nutrients for plants than synthetic fertilizer or raw manure.

4.      Compost reduces the tendency of clay soils to crust over, which can interfere with seed emergence. It also reduces the tendency of some soils to form compact clay layers or plow pans.

5.      By improving soil tilth, compost can reduce the force needed to till the soil. This means less animal power or fuel is needed to operate your farm.

6.      High-temperature composting can kill weed seeds, insect pests and disease-causing bacteria, and reduces the odors associated with animal manure.

7.      By providing beneficial microbes, compost increases overall biological activity, which in turn improves nutrient cycling and boosts plant health.

8.      Compost is known to suppress various root diseases in crops, and can help crops better tolerate insect attack.

9.      Compost can build soil carbon and reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide. This helps moderate greenhouse gas increases that contribute to climate change.

10.   Compost stabilizes soil’s pH, improving its ability to retain nutrients.

Now that we know some great reasons to use compost, where can we use it?

Top dressing a lawn with Harvest Blend Compost benefits the lawn as it adds nutrients to the soil, improving soil quality over a period of time - sandy soils will be able to retain moisture better 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 that are present on an uneven lawn, filling in any small hollows that may develop. Top dressing also stimulates the grass to produce new shoots and so results in denser grass cover, helping combat the onset of weed and moss infestation

Turf Establishment with Harvest Blend Compost opens soil structure, reducing run-off and erosion; adding oxygen and improving root systems and soils' water holding capacity.

Flower & Vegetable Gardens are given a head start when compost is added to planting beds. Flowers grown with Harvest Blend Compost are more vibrant and colorful while vegetables grow big and tasty. Why not try using our compost to grow a big pumpkin this year? You'll be amazed at the difference healthy soil can make!

Tree & Shrub Backfill Mix is improved by adding compost to existing soil. The added nutrients open up the soil, helping roots grow strong and healthy.

However you choose to celebrate ICAW, remember how important healthy soil is to the future of our communities. Then get out there and use compost to beautify your surroundings.

For more info, stop by your one of our authorized Harvest Blend Compost dealers, or visit www.GotCompost.com and click on the Homeowner/DIY tab. You’ll find instructions for all these uses.

Harvest Blend Compost builds healthy soil. Naturally!

Healthy Soil – vital to a healthy landscape

Every combination of soil type and land use calls for a different set of practices to improve soil quality, but there are a few standards that are commonly used in most situations.

Addition of organic matter
Periodic adding of organic matter is vital to many aspects of soil quality. Organic matter may come from crop residues at the surface, cover crop roots, animal manure, green manure, compost, and other sources. Organic matter, and the organisms that eat it, can improve water holding capacity, nutrient availability, and can help protect against erosion.

Whether your soil is naturally high or low in organic matter, amending soil with compost every year is undoubtedly the easiest and most important way to improve and maintain soil quality. Regular additions of compost will improve soil structure, enhance water and nutrient holding capacity, protect soil from erosion and compaction, and support a healthy community of soil organisms.

Practices that increase organic matter include: applying compost/amending soil with compost, lawn top dressing with compost, grasscycling, choosing crop rotations that include high residue plants, using optimal nutrient and water management practices to grow healthy plants with large amounts of roots and residue, growing cover crops, using low or no tillage systems, and mulching.

Avoid excessive excavation
Disturbing/excavating soil can trigger excessive organic matter degradation, disrupting soil structure, causing compaction. Reducing soil damage minimizes the loss of organic matter and protects the soil surface with plant residue. Compost has been used for years to regenerate exhausted, compacted, contaminated and marginal soils. It is critical to revitalize soil health following disturbance of a site through excavation, tilling, remediation, leveling, grading, cut & fill and fire damage.

Carefully use fertilizer and pesticides
In this century, pesticides and chemical fertilizers have revolutionized U.S. agriculture. In addition to their desired effects, they can harm non-target organisms and pollute water and air if they are mismanaged. Manure and other organic matter also can become pollutants when misapplied or over-applied.
Efficient pest and nutrient management means testing and monitoring soil and pests; applying only the necessary fertilizer and pesticide, at the right time and place to get the job done; and taking advantage of non-chemical approaches to pest and nutrient management such as crop rotations, cover crops, and manure management - organic gardening.

Ground cover should be increased
Bare soil is susceptible to wind and erosion, and to drying and crusting, none of which are conducive to growing healthy plant life. Without healthy vegetation animal life may be impacted, potentially suffering from malnutrition and disease. Ground cover and mulch protect soil, provide habitats for animal life and larger soil organisms, such as insects and earthworms, and can improve water availability. Cover crops, perennials, and surface residue increase the amount of time that the soil surface is covered each year.
Ground can be covered by leaving crop residue on the surface or by planting cover crops. In addition to ground cover, living cover crops provide additional organic matter, and continuous cover and food for soil organisms. Ground cover must be managed to prevent problems with delayed soil warming in spring, diseases, and excessive build-up of phosphorus at the surface.

Avoid soil compaction
Compaction reduces the amount of air, water, and space available to roots and soil organisms. Compaction is caused by repeated traffic and/or heavy play on sports fields. Deep compaction by heavy equipment is difficult or impossible to remedy, so prevention is essential. Adding Harvest Blend Compost opens up compacted soils, allowing oxygen and water to reach parched root systems, helping to create a lush, vibrant lawn and garden. Naturally!

Need compost for your spring project? Contact one of our handy Field Reps at Info@HarvestBlendCompost.com 

Locate a Harvest Blend dealer near you on Google Maps http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=us&ptab=2&ie=UTF8&view=map&msa=0&msid=110019273164066754411.00044b6980a8eeffc68db&ll=35.021%2C-120.184937&spn=1.612692%2C2.614746&z=9

Green: it’s not just for Christmas!

OK. The presents are opened; the remnants of that holiday meal are just waiting to be discarded. Wrapping paper and cardboard – crumpled and stuffed into garbage bags – is reduced to a faint reminder of the recent festivities.

Does this mountain of wasted packaging give you a twinge of guilt? If so, you’re becoming more environmentally responsible and you’ll want to look into reducing this load. What’s the solution? Recycling! And that means your live Christmas tree too!

"The City will begin its citywide curbside collection of Christmas trees Monday, Jan 3^rd through Friday Jan 7^th ", said Bob Engel of Engel & Gray, Regional Compost Facility in Santa Maria. "Trees will be processed, along with regular green waste, into nutrient rich Harvest Blend Compost to be used as a soil amendment for landscape and agriculture".

Engel & Gray asks that you properly prepare your Christmas tree for recycling: please remove all ornaments, tinsel, and stands. Trees with stands and flocked trees will not be accepted and cannot be recycled. Place your Christmas tree on the curb, at least three feet away from your trash container on your regularly scheduled collection day.Recycling is the environmentally responsible way to dispose your live Christmas tree. Sending them to the landfill is a waste of natural resources. Transforming fresh trees into compost, which is used to make healthy soil and grow more trees, is the perfect way to “Complete the Cycle”.

More Holiday Waste Prevention Tips

You can help reduce the amount of waste generated in Santa Barbara County by taking a few of the following simple steps:

- Flatten, save, and reuse gift boxes, wrapping paper, bows and gift bags;

- Buy cards and wrapping paper made with recycled paper;

- After receiving new gifts, donate old items to a local charity or thrift store;

- Save and reuse holiday decorations (and gift bags) for future years;

- Cut up brown paper grocery bags to wrap parcels for mailing;

- Use comics, old posters, and shopping bags to wrap presents;

- remember: Styrofoam can NOT be recycled. Offer packing peanuts to local private mailing stores. Some companies are using starch based “compostable peanuts” that will dissolve in water or compost piles. Test peanuts by holding a few under running water – if they’re biodegradable, they’ll dissolve.

Now that you’ve recycled that mountain of organic materials, you’re on your way to a brighter, less cluttered New Year. Naturally!

for more info visit www.GotCompost.com

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.

For more info, visit

www.GotCompost.com If you have questions or concerns about compost and it’s uses, we’re happy to help. Naturally!

Foodscraps ► Compost - Santa Barbara Successfully Completing the Cycle!

On Saturday morning, Nov. 14, the City of Santa Barbara welcomed home a load of dark brown, nutrient rich compost – demonstrating the success of the city’s Foodscraps Composting Program. We say “welcomed home” because the ingredients began their journey in Santa Barbara, where they were collected by Engel & Gray, Inc. and recycled into compost @ their Regional Compost Facility in Santa Maria. Santa Barbara Environmental Services hosted this celebration in honor of the program’s one year anniversary, and the donated compost was there to illustrate the end product of the participants’ recycling efforts.

Photo: SB resident having bucket filled with Harvest Blend Compost, donated by Engel & Gray, Inc.

Who participated?
114 local businesses and 21 schools (8000 students) have contributed the success of this program, separating their food scraps for composting. In the last year Santa Barbara has diverted over 3.5 million pounds of waste from the landfill. Many of us think of food waste as just that -waste. But these vegetable culls, meat trimmings, coffee grounds, etc., are really a valuable resource - a vital component in compost.

During the past year Engel & Gray has collected and transported Santa Barbara's foodscraps to the Regional Compost Facility in Santa Maria. After blending the food waste with additional organic materials (feedstocks) it’s placed in piles, called windrows. The piles are carefully monitoring, insuring a quality product, and in a matter of months the raw organic materials are transformed into quality Harvest Blend Compost. Adding compost to soil will increase soil’s microbial activity and water holding capacity, improve oxygenation, create a healthy root system, bind and degrade harmful chemicals and destroy pathogens.

The ultimate in recycling: when we put compost, made from 100% recycled organics, back into the ground - we’re putting previously discarded materials back to work. Think about it. Instead of allowing these food scraps and other compostable materials to rot in our landfills, transformed into compost they’re put to great use: on lawns as top dressing, in the soil as an amendment, in flower and vegetable gardens, for planting trees and shrubs, and as an environmentally responsible erosion control solution.

While some folks were familiar with compost, Saturday’s event allowed others to discover its many uses and benefits. Residents were asked to B.Y.O.B – bring your own bucket – and fill ‘er up with the donated compost. Santa Barbara has always been beautiful, but adding Harvest Blend Compost to its soil can only make the surroundings more vibrant. Naturally!
Way to go, Santa Barbara! Thanks for being great “sorts”!

For more info on compost, its uses and benefits, visit

www.GotCompost.com

Pumpkins - Waste Not, Compost!

Pumpkins are at the very heart of our fall celebrations. Halloween and Thanksgiving feature the plump squash, either as a decoration or delicious food, but there’s one problem with this big old veggie. What to do with it when the holidays are over?

Did you know that the Department of US Census Bureau reports that in the USA alone more than one billion pounds of pumpkins were produced in 2009? The $101 million dollar pumpkin industry is potentially disastrous for local landfills. As you know, pumpkins are pretty bulky, so they not only take up a lot of space in the landfill, it also takes a good deal of fuel to get 'em there. If we care about our environment we need to find an alternative to sending used pumpkins to the landfill.

Compost vs Landfill
Pumpkins, which of course are 100% natural, will break down quickly as compost in your yard, providing you with valuable nutrients for your lawn or garden. Pumpkins are an easy addition to your compost pile. All you need to do is to remove the wax and candles and put the pumpkin into your backyard composter. Some composters say it’s better to smash or cut the pumpkin up first before you put it in the composter. The smaller the vegetable matter the quicker it will compost.

New Life for Jack-O-Lantern

Your Halloween pumpkins can enjoy renewed life as compost, bringing a grin to your face when discovering all the benefits compost delivers to your landscape. The organic matter has been transformed into nutrient rich food for your soil - making it the perfect soil amendment and lawn top dressing. Naturally!

Compost Facilities Can Help
If you don’t have your own composter, check with your local city garbage collection service. More cities are implementing green waste recycling as an additional service, and this is the ideal spot for our discarded pumpkins. If your community doesn’t offer this service contact your local compost facility to find out about alternatives. If you use pumpkins at Halloween, make a little extra effort to keep them out of the landfill.
Greenhouse Gas News reports that global methane emissions from landfill are estimated to be between 30 and 70 million tons each year. Most of this landfill methane currently comes from developed countries, where the levels of waste tend to be highest. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that municipal solid waste landfills are the second largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States, accounting for nearly 23 % of emissions in 2009.

Let’s all pitch in to keep compostable organics out of our landfills! Everything we can do to reduce our contribution of compostable materials to local landfills is a reduction in greenhouse gas production.

For more info, check out http://www.gotcompost.com/ We're here to help you with all your compost needs.