Don't Forget to Add Compost!

I recommend using organic hummus/compost blends around trees, shrubs, flowering perennials and annuals, vegetables, and bulbs. I suggest mixing equal parts of all garden aids with your soil before planting. During the early summer, I add a few handfuls of organic compost/hummus mix to the base of my plants. Your plants will thrive and enjoy their new food! Yesterday, I surrounded some of my veggies and perennials with 100% organic soil conditioner. I love using LeafGro’s Soil Conditioner ($3.97/1.5 cubic feet at Home Depot). My compost pile isn’t nearly large enough or decomposed enough to spread across my pretty flowers and tasty vegetables this year. I’ll have to save it for next season. LeafGro products are packaged and distributed in Maryland’s Montgomery County. Their soil conditioner has high hummus content is doesn’t smell nearly as bad as other organic composts.

Compost benefits include…

• Increased nutrient availability
• Improved soil structure
• Breaks up clay soils
• Increases microbial action
• Reduces soil compaction
• Encourages deeper rooting
• Improves drought tolerance
• Safe for use around children and pets

A few extra tips…

• Remember to plant all of your plants at the same depth they were in their containers.
• Put eggshells in the soil when planting tomatoes. This will help prevent blossom-end rot.
• If you can’t tell the top from the bottom or a bulb, plant it on its side.
• Place used coffee grounds around azaleas and hydrangeas. It alters the Ph in the soil and the plants will love it.

Happy composting! Enjoy your time in the garden! -Ami