Adding Compost to Your Yard Before Winter

Reader Contribution by Katie Kuchta

Caring for your lawn before winter arrives is an essential and necessary way to support the future of your lawn growth. Lawns need to be nourished well to last through the dormant winter season. Compost is a great option that provides natural benefits as well as plenty of energy to better support the lawn through the winter. Learn more about how to add compost to your yard before winter arrives.

What Is Compost?

Simply put, compost is decomposed organic matter. Leaves and plant scraps comprise a compost base that has broken down to become a rich soil-like consistency. Compost is frequently referred to as “Black Gold” as the dark color and nutrient levels provide an abundant energy source for other plants. Compost also includes the presence of beneficial life forms, like bacteria, that have helped break down the sources into usable energy. These little additions help aid the natural growth levels of other plants as well.

Common Compost Sources

Many gardeners choose to create their compost in the backyard. Compost piles are simple to maintain but can take a long time to build the creamy consistency to use in the yard. Compost piles are usually made up of grass clippings, dead leaves, and fruit and vegetable scraps from the kitchen. Add in a healthy dose of worms, hot temperatures, and a little bit of luck to create rich compost for the garden.

Compost can also be purchased from local garden centers in large bags. Make sure to check the label of the bags to ensure that you are buying compost that includes items that you prefer.

How Is Compost Different from Fertilizer?

While both compost and fertilizer provide energy, they both give power to different parts of the yard. Compost adds strength to the soil while fertilizer adds energy to the grassroots. It also acts a beneficial additive to certain soil types that have trouble retaining moisture, including sand-based soil. Making sure that your yard has both energy sources for the entire yard environment is essential in providing a healthy lawn come spring. Organic fertilizers are a good choice in working with compost to treat the yard as a whole.

Compost Usage

Most gardeners choose to apply one-half inch of compost to their yards to provide energy to the soil. Measure your yard to figure out how much space you have as well as how much compost you will need. Mulch calculators online will help in figuring out how many bags of compost you will need to purchase or how many scoops of compost to use from your pile.

Spread the compost before the first frost arrives in your area. Make sure to mow the lawn to a height of 1 inch to provide enough space for the compost to reach the soil. Shovel your compost on to the lawn or pour a line of bagged compost across the yard. Use a rake to spread the fertilizer into an even layer to provide the same amount of energy to the lawn overall.

Choosing to add compost to your yard before winter arrives is an eco-friendly lawn care solution that helps to build up the energy of the soil. Not only will adding compost support the soil of the lawn but it will also become a breeding ground for essential microorganisms that help support the grass as well. Adding compost to your yard before winter is a critical part in creating a strong and healthy lawn.

  • Published on Nov 13, 2018
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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