Directions for Product Use
Water Conservation Enhance the water-retention capability of your lawn or garden’s soil by digging in compost in spring, summer or fall. Not only will this organic matter improve your soil’s texture and water-retention capabilities, it will also add important nutrients.
Planting Beds The addition of compost to planting beds improves the physical structure of the soil, which promotes root development, seed germination and heightens resistance to stress. Compost also adds organic matter, microbes, and vital nutrients, all of which store and maintain soil fertility.
Evenly apply compost at a rate of 135-270 cubic yards per acre (1-2 inch layer) or 3-6 cubic yards per 1000 square feet. Rates range from 90-400 cubic yards (2/3-3 inch layer) or 2-9 cubic yards per 1000 square feet. Application rates will vary depending on climate, soil condition, compost characteristics, and plant species to be established.
Mix the compost with the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches by hand or mechanically using a tiller.
Backfill Component It is a popular practice to use compost and other organic products as a component to backfill mixes. Research has shown that early-improved root growth can be attributed to backfilling with organics.
Some researchers believe that juvenile plants benefit more from backfill amendment than mature plants. Other researchers and industry professionals believe that amending the backfill mix encourages plant establishment and survivability, and may even reduce soil-borne disease damage. All agree that plants transplanted in poor soil can benefit from using quality organic amendments.
Compost can be blended at a rate of 25-50% with native soils, with the most common being 33%. Blending rates will vary depending on soil conditions, climate, compost composition, and plant species to be established.
After placing the plant in the plant hole, mix the compost with the pile of existing soil until uniform. Place the amended soil around the root ball, firming it occasionally to remove all air pockets and assure a firm footing.
Turf Establishment Soils that are low in organic matter, or possess low nutrient or water holding capacity, will benefit greatly from the addition of compost. Recent research has even shown that the use of a quality compost, at proper rates, can degrade commonly applied turf pesticides over time, making them less likely to impact water quality. Quality compost may also suppress specific soil-borne diseases and plant pathogens.
Evenly apply compost at a rate of 135-270 cubic yards per acre (1-2 inch layer) or 3-6 cubic yards per 1000 square feet. Application rates will vary depending on climate, soil condition, compost characteristics, and plant species to be established.
Lower application rates can be used when compost possessing higher organic matter content are used or where soil quality is moderate.
Apply compost with a front-end loader, a grading blade, manure spreader, or other appropriate equipment. Mixing the compost to a depth of 5-7 inches, resulting in an inclusion rate of 20-30% by volume.
Blended Topsoil The production and sale of blended or manufactured topsoil is on the rise as more people are finding it harder to obtain quality topsoil. Many buyers realize that much of the material being sold as topsoil is actually subsoil or sand that is deficient nutritionally, organically, and structurally. Some buyers prefer a soil rich in organic matter for specific planting projects, or desire a soil darker in color. For these reasons, more topsoil dealers are using compost to create organic soil blends, creating products superior to native topsoil using subsoil or sand mixed with compost.
