Friday, May 10, 2013

Good morning,

So what is the value of all of this compost other than keeping hundreds and hundreds of pounds of waste out of your trash cans and out of landfills?

Read the last couple of issues about composting here.

It's an all-purpose application for your lawn, garden and landscaping! It is completely healthy and completely harmless. You can use it in and on just about anything. Scroll down for some great suggestions!

Thanks for reading,

Your Living Green editor

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What to do with your finished compost...

* Use compost as a mulch for shrubs, trees and plants. Com- post can be applied directly around the base of trees and shrubs to serve as a mulch. It also can be worked into the top six to eight inches of the soil to provide increased water retention and valuable nutrients.

* In flower gardens, dig in compost around the plants. While it is not a substitute for fertilizer, compost contains nutrients and holds them in the soil. The plant roots will grow into the compost and take up the nutrients. It also loosens and aerates clay soils, and retains water in sandy soils.

* When transplanting house plants, mix compost into the soil. Add one part compost to two parts commercial potting soil, or make your own mixture by using equal parts of compost and sand or perlite.

* Top dressing for lawn. Mix finely sifted compost with a little sand to make it spreadable and sprinkle evenly or rake it into lawns. All of your yard waste will go right back to your lawn as a healthy nutrient additive and you won't spend a cent on chemical fertilizers.

* Start a vegetable garden! Compost is a great additive to mix into raw soil when starting a new lawn or flower garden or a vegetable garden. And you can continue to mix 2 or 3 inches of compost into vegetable and flower gardens each year before planting.