Nurturing your soil is a bit like mixing together the right ingredients in a cake. In order for your plants to “rise,” they need plenty of rich materials available to them. The two key ingredients to help your fruits and vegetables rise are compost and mulch. What if we told you that at Beaver Lakes Nursery we now have the best of both worlds?
What is Compost?
Our compost is hotter than the hot springs on the Western Slope! (Warning: Only your plants should bathe in compost).
One gardening principle you should care about is the soil structure for your garden. Think of the soil nin your garden as the home to your flowers and vegetables. Would you want to live in a synthetic-rich home where the products could actually cause more harm than good? We didn’t think so. When building an edible garden, it’s essential to use naturally-based products, not just to eliminate toxic chemicals in your food, but also to create a sustainable environment in which you can continue to yield more crops.
Composting is the process allows the natural decomposition of organic matter. When used, it creates a rich growing material. Bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms thrive in the right conditions and will break down wastes to provide a great quality compost. While it’s easy to make your own compost, our compost is a labor of love for us. At Beaver Lakes, we put a lot of thought, time, and energy into the structure of our compost, and that’s why we think: Our Compost is King!
Hot Composting
Composting with hot temperatures kills weed seeds and reduces the spread of plant diseases. Heat-loving microorganisms break down the organic matter in a hot compost pile. By adding wood chips to our compost, it helps retain the heat created by the composting process. To help maintain the temperature in a hot compost, we regularly aerate the compost by turning it. Our compost is delicately aged, like a good bottle of wine. The older is gets, the better the results.
Why Do I Need to Mulch, Anyways?
Now that it’s July, and the hot Colorado sun is beating down on the high elevation plains of the Western Slope, you might be notice some of your plants beginning to wilt from the heat. Or, perhaps you’re battling the persistent bind weed that invasively grows and strangles your edible garden.
We have an answer for both. Mulch. Gardening on the Western Slope has its advantages, and disadvantages. The hot, dry climate here means you need an ample amount of mulch to conserve water. You see, a thick layer of mulch will slow down the evaporation process, saving you both time and money. Secondly, a nice, thick layer of mulch helps prevents unwanted weeds from growing–allowing your fruits and vegetables to access the much needed nutrients in the soil.
Wait…Compost as Mulch?
Using compost as mulch is the best of both worlds!
Drum roll, please: Here is the moment you’ve been waiting for…at Beaver Lakes Nursery and Landscape Supply, we have the best of both worlds–Compost that works as mulch!
As we’ve stated above, compost is one of the most essential ingredients to an excellent garden. However, did you know that compost can also be used as decorative mulch?
First, our course grade compost is cheaper than most decorative mulches on the market, so you’ll save a few dollars there. Secondly, our artful blend of grass, leaves, and wood, provides the perfect balance of “green” (which are high in nitrogen) and “brown” (which are high in carbon) ingredients. Moreover, we age our compost for approximately 1.5 years, and consistently aerate the piles to maintain the 140+ degrees needed to keep the heat-loving microorganisms happy.
The combination of small, medium, and large particles in our course compost will do wonders for your garden. The fine particles will sift its way down, providing the much needed nutrients for your fruits and vegetables. The medium particles provide the “fluff’ needed for the roots of your plants to expand and grow; finally, the large particles rest on top, which helps to conserve water and prevent the spread of weeds. Our course compost as mulch is a Win-Win-Win!
We put our compost where our mouth is…literally!
Healthy Garden, Healthy You
No longer do you have to pea-green with envy of your neighbor’s garden. Your garden can, and will, produce the results you are looking for, if you are willing to enhance the soil of your garden. Artificial fertilizers have a time-stamp of effectiveness, and they do not cultivate the microorganisms that provide the long-lasting vitality that compost does.
We’re confident that when you try one of our course composts, you’ll never go back to decorative mulches again! Check out our NutrientMulch, our CastingsComp, and our unscreened compost. All three have a beautiful, chocolate-brown color that will look stellar next to your vivaciously green stems and multi-colored flowers. Whichever compost you choose, be sure to purchase enough for approximately three inches (in height) of coverage. Not only will your plants be thrilled with the nutrient-rich organic matter, you will have saved both time (not needing to add both compost and mulch separately) and money in the process.
