Do You Overseed Before or After Top Dressing?
A common question often asked is whether you should overseed before or after top dressing? The short answer is that you can do it either way around; however, it is generally advised that the best way…
Benefits of Top Dressing a Lawn and the Disadvantages of Top Dressing
There are many benefits to choosing to top dress a lawn. In short topdressing is beneficial because it provides nutrients to the soil, increases water retention, and suppresses weeds. It also makes the lawn appear healthier…
Can I Use Compost for Top Dressing?
Yes, you can use compost for top dressing. Indeed, it is an excellent top dressing for your lawn and can be far better than commercially bought top dressings, especially if it is prepared correctly before use….
Acidic Compost for Blueberries
Blueberries are an acid-loving plant. Although they grow in a wide range of soil types they prefer a soil that is pH of 4.5 to 5.5. Using acidic compost for blueberries can help in providing the…
How Often Should you Turn Compost? | Is Turning the Key to “Black Gold”?
Knowing how often to turn compost depends on a number of factors such as size, the composition of the pile, and the composting process you are using. This means there is no definitive answer and you…
Tomatoes and Lavender at Risk This Summer | Threat to Plant Health
The UK’s Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has become deeply concerned that tomatoes and lavender plants could be under threat from imported pathogens and pests this summer. The organization has flagged up that the with increasingly warmer…
Why Does my Compost Smell? How to Stop Your Compost Pile Smelling
When you start a compost pile, you may notice that initially, your compost starts to smell bad. This is normal as you begin breaking down your organic materials. In fact, it usually indicates that your compost…
Compost Not Heating Up | How to Make and Maintain a Compost Pile’s Heat
Your compost not heating up is usually down to one or two factors that, not being right, “throws off” the decomposition process. This is because composting is a science, and when the science is ignored, the…
Can You Compost Corn Cobs? | How to Compost Corn Waste
Corn cobs, being an organic material will compost. Indeed they contain many nutrients that are beneficial to your soil. There are though a few factors to take into consideration that will impact largely on the length…
Are Coffee Filters Compostable? | Be Careful What You Compost
Are coffee filters compostable? Is a question that is asked a lot. The short answer is yes, generally speaking, most coffee filters are compostable. The bigger question is whether you should compost them as many contain…
New Tree and Outdoor Lighting Craze Has Hit This Spring
There is of course nothing new about lighting up your yard or garden. But this Spring as we look to recover from some of the worst ills of the pandemic a newfound desire to light up…
Are Teabags Compostable | The Answer is Complicated!
Are teabags compostable? The answer is currently probably no, particularly with bigger brands, but things are changing and there are some tea bags that are compostable. It all comes down to the brand and the composition…
Yogurt in Compost | The Do’s and Don’ts of Adding Yogurt to Compost
Yogurt, as with a foodstuff, is considered organic material and can be added to your composting pile. Whether it is a good idea to put yogurt in compost is a different question as there are several…
Banana Peel Compost | Debunking Myths
Banana peel is another organic material that you can compost. It can take longer to breakdown and possesses less nitrogen than most other kitchen scraps but the skin of banana contains some useful nutrients, although is…
A Guide to Ericaceous Compost | How to Make and Use It.
Ericaceous compost is a compost specifically developed to be acidic in nature (have a pH level below 7) with most commercially available ericaceous composts having acidity levels of around pH. Ericaceous compost is used predominantly to…
