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

 

Here Comes the Sun!

It’s June 21, summer solstice! The first day of summer and the longest day of the year! 

In sunny California, we should enjoy balmy temps until September or October; but gardeners must consider one more factor - the number of actual daylight hours. 

Less sunlight during the day means soil has to rely on stored heat to maintain proper conditions to support plant growth. Simply speaking, when the weather is warm plants will grow a little faster and when it’s cold they will grow a little slower, but the one consistent factor affecting plant growth is the change in day length. 

For example – if you’re planting lettuce and you want to harvest lettuce every week:

• During summer and fall, your planting would be five or six days apart.
• In late winter and spring your plantings would be ten or twelve days apart. 

Of course this is just an example; if you plan on evenly spacing your garden harvest, there are a number of internet references that can take the guess work out of planting.

Before getting started be sure to check the condition of your soil. Working a few inches of Harvest Blend Compost into garden plots will building healthy soil for fresh, healthy vegetables.

Now get out there and enjoy this lovely summer weather; enjoy prepping, planting and picking!

For more info, feel free to contact one of our field reps, or visit GotCompost.com

Plan BEFORE You Plant

Most seed packets offer planting recommendations – advice that is definitely there for your plants’ health! Make sure to check planting info regarding ‘frost dates.’ Yes, frost does happen in warmer climates, like California, so don’t go thinking your landscape is exempt from the cold.

This advice is important to follow since one frosty night can totally destroy tender seedlings. But how do you know when there's no more chance of frost?

Check out Victory Seeds' super easy to use calendar! All you have to do is click on your state for a list of larger cities and their average first and last frost dates.

Spring and fall frost dates are based on averages compiled over time. But remember—the type of frost those averages are referring to is known as a light frost/freeze, which means 29°F to 32°F.

Those of you in the know are aware there are plants that can be sown as soon as the soil is ready to be worked; spinach, peas and onions can withstand cooler soil temps. But you’ll need to wait for soil to warm up, and there’s no chance of frost, before planting tomatoes and peppers.

Note – soil takes a beating during winter months; cold temps and rain can destroy vital soil organic matter, leaving few nutrients behind to nourish growing plants. The easiest and most affordable fix is to add bulk compost to soil – allowing hard-working little microbes to build healthy soil for spring and summer gardens. Harvest Blend Compost is the perfect solution for problem soils! Click for a dealer near you.

If your efforts were too late (or too little) to protect plants from a frost, your first reaction will probably be to cut off the damaged parts of the plants. Do your best not to trim dead stuff, since these damaged leaves and stems will provide a little insulation from cooler temps. Hey, you’ll have to go back and re-prune your plants in spring anyway.

For more compost info please visit www.GotCompost.com

Feel free to contact Jim or Chuck for expert advice. Naturally!

Mulch in Winter- Protect Soil & Plants

Nearing the end of December, it’s supposed to be cold…right? And when you’re cold, what do you do to make life more comfy? Put on a cozy coat or sweater, maybe snuggle under a blanket? Whatever your choice of ‘cover up,’ you probably do NOT tough it out and dress as though it were summer. Our trees, flowers and soil deserve the same consideration - and how do we accomplish this? One word – mulch.

Mulch (noun) is “a protective covering of organic material laid over the soil and around plants to prevent erosion, retain moisture, and enrich the soil.” Mulch acts as an overcoat for soil and plants; providing protection, insulation and natural, chemical-free weed control. Materials such as leaves, bark, straw, newspaper, compost and even plastic, may be used as mulch. Only one of these offers great potential for restoring ecological processes to degraded soils, while diverting a valuable natural resource from landfills – and that is compost.

Applying compost and mulch to the landscape increases soil organic matter (S.O.M); providing vital nutrients that create structure and pore spaces - allowing soil to easily soak up excess rain water. This helps reduce runoff from lawns and gardens during storms, which can help reduce flooding, sewer overflows, and erosion. Improving your soil can also save you money by reducing summer irrigation needs because plants grow deeper roots and the soil holds more water. Healthier plants have fewer pest and disease problems and need less fertilizer, so you’ll need fewer chemicals, which is good for your family’s health and our environment. The beneficial soil organisms (fed by compost and mulch) also break down pollutants and help move carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) from the atmosphere into long-term storage in the soil.

Three steps to building healthy soil:

1) Amend the soil with compost

• Dig or till 2-4 inches of compost into the upper 6-8 inches of soil when preparing beds or new lawn areas for planting. Amend the whole bed. Amending just the planting holes can limit root growth.
• Top dressing - improve existing lawns by aerating, then raking ¼ to ½ inch of compost in, spring or fall.

2) Mulch existing plantings regularly

• Spread mulch in the spring or fall, to control weeds and conserve water, reduce runoff, and prevent erosion (keep 1 inch away from tree trunks). Renew mulch layers annually.
• On garden beds and around shallow-rooted annuals, mulch with 1-2 inches of compost, shredded leaves, or grass clippings.
• Around trees and woody perennials, use 2-4 inches of wood chips (from a tree service) or leaves. Medium-sized bark mulch (fine bark can repel water) is a second choice.
• Save your fall leaves, or gather them for free – they’re a great mulch for most plants.
• Use conifer tree needles as a mulch around conifer trees, or around acid-loving plants.
• Mulch-mow (leave the clippings) on your lawn, to build denser turf, deeper roots, and a drought resistant, healthy lawn.

3) Avoid using chemicals, and choose organic or slow-release fertilizers

• Pesticides (weed and bug killers) like “weed-and-feed” may hurt beneficial soil life, wildlife, and our families’ health too – use the resources below to find better alternatives.
• Over-fertilization with quick-release chemical fertilizers is also bad for soil life, and harms our lakes and streams by causing algae blooms. (The algae later dies, and uses up oxygen in the water as it decomposes, suffocating fish).
• Fertilize moderately (compost can replace most fertilizer needs), and look for the words “natural organic” or “slow-release” on the fertilizer bag. They cost a little more but they feed plants a long time, and they don’t wash away in the first rainstorm.

When purchasing compost for your lawn or garden, be sure it's USCC STA Certified compost - preferably BULK (less expensive and no plastic bags to clog the landfill)

Questions? Expert answers are a call or click away!

 

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.

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!

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.

An Ounce of Prevention...



Microbe rich Harvest Blend Compost

Healthy soil takes a long time to develop naturally.
However, it can all be destroyed in a single planting season or with a just one landscaping endeavor. Basic soil conservation is like preventative medicine: The better you are at keeping soil healthy, the fewer drastic measures you have to take down the road to keep your garden or lawn thriving. You know the old saying, ‘An ounce of prevention...’

Soil quality should be a concern to everyone on the planet. Whether you're a suburbanite looking for a perfect lawn or a fifth-generation farmer looking for the perfect harvest; the nature and quality of your soil are among the most important factors in your success. All soils contain a mixture of organic and inorganic matter, but their proportions and characteristics vary from place to place.

Topsoil

Topsoil is the upper layer of soil in a given area. It typically contains sand, silt and clay in varying proportions, which can account for as little as 40 percent or as much as 80 percent of the soil's bulk. Sandy soils are loose and drain well, but they retain water poorly. Silt soils compact and become dense, while clay soils can become hard and drain poorly. All of these characteristics can be modified if there is enough organic matter in the topsoil. Some of this organic matter is fully decomposed, and some is actively decomposing.

Organic Matter Soil

Above the topsoil, at ground level, is a thin layer composed almost entirely of organic matter. It's made up of varying materials, such as thatch in grasslands and leaf mold in forests. This layer is constantly decomposing as bacteria, fungi, worms and insects digest it and transform it into rich humus. Through the normal passage of time and the activity of soil-based organisms, this organic material slowly becomes incorporated into the topsoil beneath it. We can speed up this process by adding organic matter to this layer as mulch or by adding finished humus to the soil in the form of mature compost.

Organic Matter and Drainage

Soils with increased organic matter are proven to maintain consistently superior drainage. The addition of compost acts as a sponge, creating air pockets where water can seep in and be retained. This is beneficial to all types of soil. Compost improves a sandy soil's ability to retain moisture, reducing the need for irrigation. In hard-packed silt or clay, adding compost will soften and lighten the soil. This allows water to seep in and be absorbed, or "infiltrated," rather than pooling on the surface to create runoff and wastewater. This reduces both erosion and water use, two important environmental benefits.

If you have areas of soil that puddle and won’t drain, don’t give up. Here’s a relatively simple method to drain water from soggy soil – after which you can proceed with soil amendment.

Items you will need:

1.     Shovel

2.     Perforated drainpipe

3.     Compost

4.     Fertilizer

5.     Tiller

Step 1:

Drain the soil if it collects standing water, which will make gardening more productive and help prevent erosion. Locate the lowest spot in the area that needs draining, and then find a low spot below that area, wherever the water seems to drain to. Dig a trench and install a perforated drainpipe running downslope from one spot to the other. Surround the pipe with gravel to prevent dirt from clogging the perforations.

Step 2:

Stay off wet soil. Do not walk or drive on wet soil or do anything that packs it down. Compacted soil prevents air and water from flowing through, which eliminates room for roots to grow.

Step 3:

Mix compost into sandy soil to improve nitrogen levels and bring a greater yield of crops and plants.

Step 4:

Fertilize your soil wisely. Use organic fertilizers designed to meet the needs of the soil in your particular region. Follow the instructions on the container carefully and do not apply more fertilizer than is suggested.

Step 5:

Till the soil at the proper time. Tilling the soil when it is wet causes it to clump, which destroys the soil's composition. Soil that crumbles in your hand is ready to till.

Soil Biology

The physical properties of organic matter soil, and their importance as a portion of the topsoil, are only part of the larger picture. Soil Organic Matter (SOM) is also crucial to soil's ecosystem. Billions of bacteria, fungi, nematodes, insects, worms and other organisms that make up the Soil Foodweb, feed on fresh organic material, leaving nutrient rich compost in its place. The more varied and plentiful these organisms are, the healthier the soil. A thriving, biologically diverse soil provides more nutrients to plants, doing away with harmful pathogens; helping to build healthy soil. Naturally!

For more info visit http://www.gotcompost.com/

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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!

'Mini' Possibilities! Don't Let Lack of Space Keep You from Gardening

We’re so lucky. We live in an urban area but have enough room to support several garden areas and 2 small compost piles; used to supplement the fresh, bulk compost we purchase locally. This month we’ve enjoyed fresh lettuce (4 varieties), radishes and carrots, so it’s like a ready-made salad growing in our back yard! We’ve even had artichokes – a little on the small side, but delicious! Tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers are started – so before long we’ll have a real salad bar of veggies to choose from.

OK, so our veggie loving, Bay Area daughter visited us this past weekend; ooh-ing and ahh-ing over our mini harvest. Living in a small, upstairs apartment in the city, she resorts to shopping Trader Joe’s and the weekly Farmer’s Market in order to satisfy her ‘green tooth’. Of course we loaded her up with bags of lettuce, carrots and the like; but she wanted to know how to create her own little ‘slice of heaven’ with only a cement patio.

This got us to thinking…there are many people who never try gardening due to space issues. If they could see the pots of Tom Thumb Lettuce growing along our driveway, they might want to try it for themselves. One way to experience the joy of planting, tending to and then devouring your own crops is to find space in your local Community Garden. These plots are normally very affordable and allow you to get outside, get your hands dirty and plant (mostly) whatever you want.

Another method is container gardening. Like our mini heads of lettuce growing in terra cotta pots, many veggies do just fine in a confined space. Look for key words like: bush, compact, and space saver when seed or transplant shopping. The color of container matters! Be careful when using dark colored containers because they absorb heat which could possibly damage the plant roots. If you do use dark colored pots, try painting them a lighter color or shading just the container, not the plants.

Size: This is one case where size does matter. For larger vegetables like tomatoes and eggplants, you should use a five gallon container for each plant. You can grow these plants in two gallon containers; but you’ll need to give the plants quite a bit more water.

Soil: Raised-bed gardens have a lot of advantages. They elevate plants so it’s easier to work with them. The soil stays loose and friable with fewer weeds so plant roots can grow easily. Getting the right soil mix for your raised-bed garden can make all the difference in the success of your garden.

Please, don’t use regular garden soil to fill containers. Ordinary garden soil is loaded with weed seeds as well as diseases and even bugs – all of which can undo all your hard work. Ordinary garden soil may also contain a large amount of clay or silt that packs down in the box, closing off pore spaces that are needed to hold water and air for the roots.

Raised beds should therefore be filled with a weed-free mix of sand, loamy soil and compost. You can make your own, using Harvest Blend Compost – available at authorized dealers on the Central Coast. A 4-by-8-foot box, 8 inches deep, will take just under a cubic yard of mix to fill. If you use a commercial ‘three-way mix’ it can be heavy and a little short on nutrients. In this case, you might want to add an equal amount of compost to the mix to improve its texture.

What to plant?

The earth’s the limit! Veggies from Arugula to Zucchini (and everything in between) can be grown in containers. We don’t want to take up more space here so click the links for suggestions and valuable planting tips. Really, as long as you begin with healthy soil (thanks to organic matter in that compost) and water accordingly, you’ll be enjoying your own fresh, healthy mini harvest this summer. Naturally!

http://www.gotcompost/ for all the dirt on compost.

Click here for container gardening tips

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/

Mulch with Compost - protect soil during winter

Brrrr…temps are lower than ever! Mulching garden beds insulates soil & plants from the cold.

When we hear the word ‘mulch’ we think of a product; you know, like the multitude of bagged varieties you find on the shelves of our local garden centers. But did you know that mulch is an application? Yup, to ‘mulch’ your garden simply means you place a layer of organic or inorganic material on the surface of the soil. This is a good time of year to mulch our gardens since mulch acts as insulation for tender plants, roots and soil during cooler months. Mulch also protects soils against erosion; conserves water by slowing evaporation; controls certain plant diseases and decorates landscapes.

Mulching is one of the most widely used practices in residential landscapes. Many types of mulch used in planting beds are wood-based; made by grinding waste wood, e.g. pallets, tree branches, etc. The wood mulch is dyed to make it more attractive and to look more like bark, but has a very high carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio. Other types of mulch include synthetic sheeting, ground greenwaste and our favorite - compost.

Research has shown that compost when used as mulch can greatly improve soil fertility and plant growth. In studies comparing compost and ground wood used as mulch on ornamental plantings - mulching with compost increased soil organic matter, microbial activity, nutrient availability and tree growth. Increased microbial activity in soils has been linked to the suppression of many root diseases.

In comparison to wood mulch, the compost had a comparatively low C:N ratio and may act as high quality organic fertilizer as it decomposes. In contrast, high C:N mulch made from recycled wood caused nutrient deficiencies and reduced plant growth. The high carbon content of the mulch stimulated the growth of soil microbes which gobbled up the limited supply of nutrients, leaving nothing for existing plants, resulting in Nitrogen immobilization. Although the nitrogen-depleting effect of mulch lessens over time as it decomposes, this nitrogen immobilization by microbes may harm plants that haven’t established extensive root systems.

To be available to plants, nitrogen must be in an inorganic form, such as nitrate (NO3- ) or ammonium (NH4+). Plants aren’t capable of converting organic nitrogen to these inorganic forms. Fortunately, microorganisms commonly found in soil and compost convert organic nitrogen into inorganic nitrogen, a process called mineralization. Plants may then take up the nutrients released by this process.

Soils in urban and suburban landscapes often lack nutrient rich organic matter because topsoil is usually removed, disturbing soil during construction. Research results demonstrated that mulching with compost increases organic matter, microbial biomass, nutrient availability, and plant growth. The use of compost as mulch supports a healthy soil food web;  restoring ecological processes to degraded soils, while diverting valuable natural resources from landfills.

To learn more about compost and its benefits, visit www.GotCompost.com or call Harvest Blend Compost @ 805-347-9998 for helpful recorded info.

Harvest Blend Compost builds healthy soil!

Compost Your Pumpkin!

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 2010? The $101 million dollar pumpkin industry is potentially disastrous for local landfills. 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 HelpThe City of Santa Maria recently implemented a green waste recycling program, aimed at diverting organic materials from the landfill. This is the ideal spot for our discarded pumpkins. Just remember to place your pumpkin in the brown curbside bin...you'll be doing a good thing for your community. Click here for a curbside pick-up schedule. 

If your city doesn’t offer this service contact your local compost facility to find out about alternatives. 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. Naturally!