Don't Let Soil Go Bankrupt

Our garden soil is like our bank account: In the long run, we can't afford to withdraw more than we deposit. When we harvest fruits, vegetables or flowers, we're making withdrawals.  Whenever we add organic matter to the soil or mulch to the surface, we're making deposits. Organic amendments fatten up the soil bank. They literally add life to poor soil, allowing excess water to drain away while leaving enough moisture for roots, and retain nutrients until feeder roots need them.

The weather we’ve experienced on the Central Coast this winter has been fierce and our poor soils’ bank balances have to be feeling the pinch. But there is a simple solution to this situation; just add compost!

Compost is the most nutrient rich, readily available soil amendment you can choose to improve soil conditions and replenish lost nutrients. 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!

Adding amendments: when and how

Newly established beds should be amended with compost before any plants go into the ground.

In vegetable and flower beds: amend the soil before each new crop is planted. Compost is preferred by most gardeners, since it dramatically improves the soil's structure; adding oxygen and nutrients, improving soil structure for a healthy root system. 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.

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.

For tired lawns, a fine layer of compost may be added 2x a year to bring grass back to life. The simple process of top dressing makes all the difference! If soil is compacted, you might want to aerate before adding compost - but either way you will enjoy a lush, green lawn in no time at all.

Permanent or semi-permanent plantings of trees, shrubs, or perennials benefit from added organic matter too, but you need to make sure not to damage plant roots. Most of the time all you need to do is to spread the compost 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 with a pitchfork. 

Bottom line – pay attention to soils’ ‘bank’ balance. The health and quality of your landscape depends on it!

For more info, visit www.GotCompost.com. If you have questions or concerns about compost and its uses, we’re happy to help. Naturally!

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!

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!

Confession of a DIY Composter

OK, hopefully DIY composters will read this and decide there is some value to my message. I’m a little afraid some may want to attack me with rotten tomatoes. Then I remembered that die-hard composters would never waste good rotten tomatoes! They go in the compost pile, of course!  

Here goes, we’ve been composting at home for years now and I have a confession: I buy a couple yards of compost each year from a landscape supply center that carries compost from a local compost facility. They compost locally collected organics, supplying dealers with STA Certified Compost products.

Here are a few reasons to buy bulk compost:

1. Quantity:  a home composter would have a difficult time coming up with enough compost to make serious improvements to a landscape. Many times, homemade compost will need to be supplemented with bagged compost, a costly addition if you’re amending soil or top dressing a lawn.
2. WEEDS!: Homemade compost usually sits in a spare corner of the back yard, attracting a multitude of seeds from ground and air. When lawns are mowed, seeds can be collected with the clippings, going right into the pile. Seeds can also survive in leaf debris or on mature weeds that you pull from your garden. The only way to kill off these seeds in your compost pile is to monitor the temperature of the pile. Within a week, temperatures in a properly constructed compost pile should reach 130 degrees. That quickly kills many seeds and stabilizes the composted material. But it takes 30 days of exposure to temperatures of 145 degrees or more to kill seeds from tougher weed species. How do you know whether you’ve achieved the right temperature? Though compost thermometers are ideal, you can also reach into the pile. If it is uncomfortably hot to the touch, you’ve probably achieved the temperatures you need.

Sound like fun? Didn’t think so. Plus, most home composters don’t have the time or energy to tend to a compost pile this carefully so weed seeds stay alive in the pile, just waiting for a chance to sprout in lawns and gardens. Leaving them unchecked is the same as physically planting weeds into flower and vegetable gardens.

The Solution

For less than $100 annually, you can bring in two yards of quality organic compost; top dress lawns, load it into flower beds and be done in one day. Can you imagine the time and effort it would take to make 2 yards of compost every year? You’ll be able to put those organic materials to work sooner and see faster results! A definite win/win!

Oh, just a reminder: fall is fast approaching. Our lawns could use a breath of fresh air about now, so why not take a little time and add a fine layer of compost over the entire lawn (top dressing) and work it in with a stiff broom. Water thoroughly and in no time your lawn will be strong and green. Contact your local Harvest Blend Compost Dealer for compost and all the details.

By the way, we’re not going to give up on our compost pile. We’ll continue recycling our eggshells, potato peelings and coffee grounds, for a small harvest of the dark brown stuff. But to keep soil healthy, top dress lawns and grow the veggies our family loves so much, we invest a little "green" to gain a vibrant, healthy lawn and garden. Naturally!

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

Cover Crops - Summer and Winter

Why should I plant a summer cover crop?

You can get a head start on improving the quality of your garden soil for next season with some simple steps taken in the summer - boost the amount of organic matter in your soil with summer cover crops.  A summer cover crop will add significant amounts of organic matter to your soil, yielding a variety of long term benefits. Increased organic matter improves the water holding capacity of soil, improves drainage in clay soils and provides a range of macro and micro nutrients that optimize plant health. In a recent study conducted by a university Ag Department in the mid-west, plants that were grown in soils amended with compost did significantly better than those grown in un-amended soil.

Summer’s the perfect time to fix problem soil, so why not go all out! Work 1½-2” of compost into soil before planting your cover crop and you’ll have a vital foundation for future vegetable gardens. After compost has been added just scatter some seeds, water and before you know it you’ll have a carpet of green. A crop of hairy vetch and rye will add nitrogen equivalent to 13 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer and 57 lbs. of biomass to a 400 ft garden.
 

What are the best seeds to use?

There are several choices for cover summer cover crops in our area. Legumes of any kind make a great cover crop (peas, beans, soybeans, etc.) because they add significant amounts of organic matter and help fix nitrogen in the soil by taking it from the air and passing it into the soil through nodules on its roots.  Buckwheat is another great choice. It’s known for its ability to keep unwanted plants in check, making weeding even easier. It matures quickly and can be tilled or dug in in as little as 4-5 weeks. (Remember that even if the cover crop doesn’t reach full growth while in your plot, whatever green stuff is there when you turn it into the soil will make a difference.) It also has pretty white blossoms but be sure to cut them before they go to seed. Another fast grower is annual rye grass which yields huge amounts of organic matter after only several weeks of growth.
 

How do I do it?

If you can sow seeds you can grow a cover crop. Whenever you have an area that’ll be unused for more than a few weeks, a cover crop can go in. Scatter seeds over the area, rake them in - more vigorously for large seeds like peas- and then water just like you do the rest of your garden. If there is enough time for the crop to get several inches high turning it under is easier if you mow it first. The mowing also chops the plants into smaller pieces which will break down more quickly in the soil. The plants should be turned in when they are in about 75% flower or, for buckwheat, when frost is near, whichever is sooner.  A series of cover crops can be grown, one right after the other, if there is enough time in the season. 

What about winter cover crops?

You bet! Cooler temps limit the variety of cover crops we can successfully grow, but there are a couple that will do the job.

For organic matter -  Winter rye is excellent. It grows vigorously and produces lots of green stuff to turn under come spring. Just remember to turn it under at least 2 weeks (more is better) before you wish to plant your edible crops.

For nitrogen fixing -  Austrian winter peas or hairy vetch produce a surplus of nitrogen fixing legumes for spring turning. And those few that don’t get turned in will give you some lovely blossoms, interesting greenery and make for some very happy bees!

Where can I get the seeds?

Check with your local nurseries or garden supply centers. If they don’t have what you’re looking for, click on Peaceful Valley Farm Supply - they’re a great source of many different types of cover crop seeds.

Remember, building your soil through the addition of organic matter is one of the best things you can do for your lawn and garden. Naturally!

Keep in mind the benefits compost offers lawns. A fine layer of compost spread over grass is called top dressing. Experts recommend top dressing lawns twice a year; during spring and fall. For the more info on lawn top dressing, click here.

Add Organic Matter to Soil for a Healthy Landscape

If your soil and turf are healthy, you might think that the soil would be able to generate its own organic content. This is not necessarily true.

The ideal soil is open and crumbly, giving the grass roots plenty of room to grow full and deep. When digging, you should find a large population of earthworms and microbes; these are the good guys in your soil. When earthworms, microbes and roots die off they decompose, raising the soils’ organic levels for new soil life. This cycle is referred to as the Soil Food Web, where roots, earthworms, and microbes are constantly recycling themselves.

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

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

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

How can we add extra organic matter, you ask?

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

The “Professional” method is the same process with one exception; aerate soil before adding compost. If you have an irrigation system you’ll need to make it’s marked with flags before aeration (don’t want to poke holes in pipes now, do we?) Then proceed as you would for the quick & easy method, making sure to water well when finished.

Organic Matter on Surface Is Lunch

When you top dress your lawn with compost, this organic material eventually begins to decompose. More important, the earthworms seek it out and pull it down into the soil and eat it. Happy earthworms = Healthy soil!

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

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

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

For more info on Harvest Blend Compost and all its benefits, go to http://www.gotcompost.com/

Give-Away Distributes Over 12 Tons of Harvest Blend Compost!

Say you want to hold a workshop to educate the public on all the good stuff compost can do for their lawns, gardens and community. Getting folks to come out on a beautiful Saturday morning might sound a little tough, but we found the key: coffee, donut holes and an entertaining presentation! Oh, guess the free vegetable transplants and Harvest Blend Compost might have made a difference.

We had a great turnout at our Pro Am Series Lawn & Garden Workshop at Mussell Center last Saturday, May 21. More than 12 tons of premium Harvest Blend Compost and hundreds of vegetable transplants were given away to participants.

The City of Santa Maria Utilities Dept. set us up in a room next to the Community Garden – really handy since many of the participants have plots there. Our day began around 9:00 a.m. with Bob Engel, Harvest Blend Compost Vice President, taking the floor to introduce us to the composting process. He turned what could be a dry, scientific topic into something we wanted to learn more about.

Our garden/soil experts, Jim Gill and Chuck Nagel, then spoke about:

The importance of healthy soil for a healthy garden: the proper foundation is necessary for a healthy garden. Your veggies and flowers won’t thrive without the necessary nutrients. Compost provides those nutrients, as well as improving soil structure and soils’ water holding capacity.

Sustainable gardening: working with, instead of against, nature. Applying compost to lawns and gardens fits this definition. Buying and reusing recycled organic materials (compost) supports the diversion of these resources from landfills, lessening the impact on this already overcrowded area.

Lawn Top dressing: applying a layer of compost over a lawn, raking it in and watering, will create a strong, green lawn your neighbors will envy. Our authorized Harvest Blend dealers have all the literature you need to do it yourself. Click her for a dealer near you

Outside in the fresh air, guests were able to choose from a selection of vegetable transplants donated by Plantel Nurseries, Inc. Looks like we’ll be enjoying tasty salads of red & green lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and bell peppers this summer!

Even the kids had fun! This little guy couldn’t wait to get home to start his garden and kept asking his mom when he could “jump in the dirt pile” (actually compost, but we didn’t think that would change his mind).

  

Now it was the big kids’ turn to have fun getting dirty! Bags, pails, wheelbarrows and even truck beds were filled with premium Harvest Blend Compost. Those with a garden plot nearby trucked the compost to their gardens and began working it into the soil.

 

By 4:00 that afternoon the roll-off had been swept clean! More than 12 tons of compost had been given away to community residents who will now replenish the earth with this valuable resource; growing gardens, top dressing lawns and “Completing the Cycle”. Naturally!

For more info on Harvest Blend Compost click here

Thank you to everyone who donated their time, efforts and resources to make this event a success. We couldn’t have done it without your cooperation.

Compost – Buy it. Try it. My, it works!



This is what compost should look like!

It's International Compost Awareness Week - the one week we celebrate all things "Compost" – and the reasons compost is the natural choice for responsible soil care. Much of the public has a concept of compost; the heap of food scraps and yard waste DIY-ers keep out back, tending month after month, hoping for one wheelbarrow of prized “black gold” to distribute over an entire yard.

But if you don’t have a year to devote to a compost pile and you’d like to get started on amending soil for your spring & summer gardens. You can buy compost now. That’s right! “Compost” isn’t only a verb; it’s a ready-made product that may be purchased locally. The hard part is in knowing what to look for? How can you tell high quality, nutrient rich compost from the “other" stuff?

The difference between good and not-so-good compost is similar to choosing fresh produce over fast food. Your first stop might be one of the large home improvement centers, where you’ll find bagged products with hard to decipher labels, touting a product that’s sort-of-like-compost. The cheap, too-wet/too-dry, heavy, generic stuff without a lot of info on the label, baking in the sun at a big box store isn’t our first choice (or second, or third, or…) It shouldn’t be anyone’s choice, really. The labels and names on cheap bags of “Maybe Compost” are generally somewhere between non-existent, confusing and extremely misleading (just like the materials inside the bag). Worst of all, this low-rent spread has probably been anaerobic inside that bag for a long time (no air means no live microbes to improve the soil).

Small, local nurseries may carry high end, expensive bagged products and possibly some bulk amendments. Sure, you’ll be able to buy products that say they will improve your landscape, but will they be a quick fix or the long term solution your soil is in need of. A key factor is in knowing where your compost originated. Is there a compost facility nearby? If so, you know for certain they are kept to the highest standards of production; destroying harmful weed seeds and pathogens in order to gain the Seal of Testing Assurance label -always look for compost that is STA Certified.

An ideal product for all your landscaping needs is Harvest Blend Compost, produced on the Central Coast by Engel & Gray Regional Compost Facility. As consumers, one of the most powerful things we can do is to purchase products made locally from recycled materials. Our compost is made from locally collected/recycled organic materials, much of it diverted from our landfill. The composting process occurs when micro-organisms break down organic material (leaves, twigs, biosolids & manures) into a dark crumbly soil amendment.   The end product of this recycling process is Harvest Blend Compost; a stable humus product that is rich in nutrients and micro-organisms.  

Compost has many uses; as a soil amendment compost adds structure and vital nutrients young plants need to grow; as top dressing, compost opens compacted soil, increasing oxygen and soils’ water holding capacity; use in gardens before planting for vibrant flower beds and healthy vegetables. Stop by one of our dealers for free application sheets to help you do the job right.

All natural STA Certified Harvest Blend Compost is available at authorized dealers near you, from Paso Robles to Santa Barbara. For a dealer near you Click and enter your Zip in our dealer search box

Final note: Composting is a complex process by which raw ingredients are transformed by living organisms and processes. Drying is not the same—not even close. Dried something-or-other can’t do all the wonderful things that living compost does. Naturally!

Celebrate International Compost Awareness Week! Buy Compost

Celebrate Earth Day - build healthy soil!

Gardeners celebrate the Earth every time they plant a seed or harvest a crop. Spring is the natural time to remind ourselves that we may need to do a little more to “go green” in our gardens. Here are some tips to do just that!

Buy plants in biodegradable pots. Ball Horticultural Co. and Bonnie’s Plant Farm – which provide millions of transplants to garden centers across the US – are now providing seedlings in biodegradable pots that you plant right in the ground. We’ve used these pots and like knowing we’re doing a good thing for the Earth.

Start your own seedlings in biodegradable pots, such as Cow Pots. Or recycle containers that you already have on hand. We incorporate recycling by starting seeds in foam egg cartons, newspaper pots and 2-liter drink bottles that have been cut in half. How about planting an herb garden in an old gift basket?

Recycle or reuse plastic garden pots. Check with the nursery or garden center when you buy plants to see if it will take the pots back and reuse or recycle them. Many large landscape supply stores do this, so it’s worth it to ask.

Use Compost! If you don’t have the time or energy to make and tend your own compost pile, and it does take both, remember that compost is readily available at many nurseries and landscape supply centers. Compost is made from recycled organic materials, so re-using it to build healthy soil and refresh your lawn and garden, is the perfect way to “Complete the Cycle”. Harvest Blend Compost is the perfect foundation for flower and vegetable gardens. A fine layer of Harvest Blend Compost worked into grass, called top dressing, will make a world of difference; creating a strong, vibrant lawn for family and pets. Click here for all the details.

Be water-wise. Use drip or trickle irrigation and consider reusing some household washing water in the garden. Or use a rain barrel. One inch of rain over 1,000 square feet of area yields 623 gallons. Rainfall at the rate of 1 inch per hour will yield about 10 gallons per minute per 1,000 square feet. It doesn't take long to fill a few barrels of free, un-softened water. The kind of water plants love.

Plant to attract beneficial insects. This is another aspect of using no or fewer pesticides – letting “good bugs” such as ladybugs and praying mantises help you out. Plant for bees, butterflies, birds, and other small wildlife. We humans continue to invade the territory that wild creatures call home, depriving them of places to live, breed, and find the food they prefer. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden will help you discover what plants are native to your area so you can grow them and help repopulate our beneficial wildlife.

Using Harvest Blend Compost to build healthy soil is the most environmentally responsible action you may take in the garden. Naturally!

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!