The Benefits of Using Compost in Your Landscaping
In an undisturbed forest the use of additional compost is unnecessary because the forest continually returns to itself in a process called nutrient cycling. The plants use nutrients from the soil to help create trunks, branches, stems and leaves. The plants lose their leaves in the fall, and throughout the year. The fallen matter breaks down to form an organic layer across the forest floor. The organic layer is full of nutrients that aid in the growth of the forest.
In our yards we stop the nutrient cycling process. We clean up all our leaves and fallen branches. We like our lawns and landscape beds to look neat. We can maintain the neat look and return nutrients to our landscapes by adding compost. Many different types of compost can be used with the same basic effects. We mainly use pine fines, leaf compost, and mushroom compost. Some of the benefits of using compost include: improved soil structure, better water infiltration/drainage in clay soils, improved soil pH, additional essential nutrients, and an improved ability to retain nutrients. All these benefits mean your plants will be happier and perform better!
Compost can be applied any time during the year. Fruit and vegetable gardens should get an application every year and can be worked into the soil to make beds easier to plant. A good organic mulch can also provide the same function as a top dress of compost. Fresh wood chips right out of the chipper are an excellent choice for this purpose as well as many others. At the end of the day, good mulch is not very different from compost.
You can make your own compost if you have the space, time, and interest. And if not, we are more than prepared to provide this service for you!
