COMPOST: Technically speaking, compost is organic matter that has decomposed. The easiest way to make compost is to pile up garden refuse (plus kitchen vegetable and fruit scraps if you’re inclined) ...

Back when I was a professional gardener, I had clients who insisted on having me lay down landscape fabric then putting bark on top of it to discourage weeds. I hated this practice and tried to talk ...

Compost can be used for mulch. A few years ago, a gardening friend suggested I place a layer of compost in my flower beds before mulching with my usual shredded bark mulch. As my garden seemed happy ...

Compost and mulch are essential parts of successful gardening in the San Antonio area. Compost is decomposing organic material that increases drainage, water-holding capability and nutrient efficiency ...

One of the most commonly asked questions in gardening is ‘what’s the difference between mulch and compost?’ Both are usually brown and soil-like, both help nurture plant growth – so how come they are ...

A rose by any other name may still be a rose, but mulches need defining. There are 17 different materials considered on the University of California’s Statewide Integrated Pest Management website, and ...

In California, says UC Berkeley soils scientist Steve Andrews, brown is the new green, and that requires changing not only how we think about our landscapes, but how we tend them as well. Andrews, ...

When pine needles fall all over your lawn in the autumn, you don't have to haul them away. Here are some surprising uses for ...

Compost and mulch. Both are great soil conditioners, but how do they differ? Each serves as a time-release fertilizer and insulator. When augmented with livestock and poultry manure, nutrient-rich ...