Take a whiff of that! We always feel bad sending our bagged compost home with clients on really hot days…It takes seconds to stink up a car! Composting is an important step in producing a high-quality landscape and justifies airing out the car 🙂
We have pretty heavy clay soil with tight pores which make growing conditions difficult for many plants. Compost will help aerate the clay and improve drainage and porosity of the soil. Once the soil opens up the roots can breath and grow. This can be especially important on slopes, where, you want the plant to quickly root in and hold the ground.
Compost will help maintain moisture in the soil, helping the plants survive drought situations. It adds nutrients and in some cases can lower the pH in the soil making existing nutrients available to the plant. We’ve found when composting, less fertilizer is used in the landscape. Composting can produce results slower than fertilizer, but will benefit the plant in the long run. Apply compost when planting new plants or prior to mulching. Keep compost away from the base of the plant, and work about 2″ into the soil for the best benefits.
One method we started in 2017 is called vertical composting. This method really helps to open up the soil in existing landscapes. The concept derived from aerating your lawn, where you’re removing cores from the soil. Vertical composting takes it up a notch by removing the dirt from the core and replacing it with a coarse grade compost. We have seen trees make astounding recoveries just through this process! Contact us if you’d like to learn more about vertical composting 🙂
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Nebraska Nursery & Color Gardens
Unique Landscapes, Home Grown Roots