Just a warning, this is a motivational post on composting. Motivational hopefully for you, but also for me to keep going on it this weekend! A two or three months ago we ordered a whole truckload of compost and have slowly been spreading it out here and there. The front lawn got a layer raked in and some flower beds got an inch laid down too and oh what a difference it has made. So much so that I had to share. Above is the front lawn that we got the compost down on, below is the back lawn which we haven’t gotten to yet. What difference!
These two pictures are of one flower area, above is to the left side of the path, where I got the compost in, below is the right side, which hasn’t been touched yet. A major difference! I utilize compost similar to a mulch, just layer an inch on the dirt and water it in well and leave it. Look how large and lush the plants are above compared to how spindly and little they are below!
Healthy robust composted calendula.
Spindly in-need-of-nutrition calendula.
We of course make our own compost, but every few years we order a few yards to really give the garden a good boost. In the past we’d always gotten mushroom compost from Sonoma Materials in the past, but we got a tip from our favorite nursery, Sonoma Mission Gardens, to order from Sonoma Compost (and yes, if you own a business in Sonoma, you seemingly must start your business name with ‘Sonoma’!). And so we did, we got 10 yards of the Organic High-Test Compost and we are thrilled with it. The compost is cheaper, though the delivery fee higher, so that is why we ordered as much as we did. If you live in Sonoma County, I highly recommend giving Sonoma Compost a try.
And after you’ve ordered your compost, head over to the plant sale tomorrow (Saturday, April 28th) at the Sonoma Garden Park from 9am to 3pm. We’ll be there picking out our peppers and other goodies!
Happy composting!
I’ll add my story to help keep you motivated 🙂 Over here in Rohnert Park, we have a smaller space than you guys, so we picked up two pickup truck loads (truck holds 1 cubic yard) of Sonoma Compost Hi-Test Organic over the course of the past two months, and did the same thing you’ve done: Spread it on the lawns and built up the garden space with it. Oh wow, what a difference that made — your photos match our experience exactly. I can’t keep up with the chard and collards and red romaine (starts planted end of Feb), and everything else that I put in 2-3 weeks ago is looking GREAT and growing inches every day! Why haven’t we been doing this every spring? Why did I ever buy bags of anything at the garden stores?? We also got two loads of their chipped wood for our pathways. $8 for each load. Amazingly affordable — especially if you can pick it up yourself!
Rasa, thanks for adding your story! Their compost is like magic!
Fabulous! Thanks for the great plug for Sonoma Compost! I have the same experience in my garden with those products. Mindful compost!
I <3 compost. Thanks for the evidential photographs. 🙂
yeppers, I wouldn’t be able to garden without Sonoma Compost. I get a half yard for my Toyota pickup each trip (they actually give me almost a full yard in reality)…costs me $11 for Mallard Plus. Lousy compost at big box store for the same amount would be over $100.
Great to hear from you Ron! I love hearing from the locals!
Compost is HUGE. I planted the same green onions, from the same 6-pack in both my own garden with 16+ years of compost and in my Sharecropper Garden with only 2 years of compost and the difference was astounding. The onions in my garden looked better than the ones a the grocery store while the ones in the Sharecropper Garden are still too small and spindly to be worth harvesting, despite getting better sun.
I love compost. Wish I made more, but there are limits. I wonder what it would do for my sad overly-walked-on grass. Guess I’ll find out next year.
Hi Scott and Kendra
I was just wondering how you go about storing your compost over a period of months? We also get a big delivery every now and then and it takes me a while to get through it all. I worry that leaving it out in the elements essentially kills it. I water regularly (but lightly) and keep a tarp over the top but I wonder if this is enough? Any tips?
Also, I have lurked around your blog for quite some time but haven’t commented until now – thanks for all the wonderful inspiration!
Jess
Hi Jess
A tarp is all you need.
-Scott