FREE (or very cheap) Compost for Ypsilanti Area Residents!

I decided to increase the size of several of my raised beds this year (much to the chagrin of my husband) - Essentially I "connected" them together creating one really long bed, but in doing so I gained (2) additional 2'x4' areas for planting. They are not HUGE areas, but to any backyard gardener they are perfect to add several summer crops! I also looked at the flower and veggie beds throughout my yard and decided several needed to be augmented with organic matter to make the soil more "rich".

Luckily I can get up to 2 yards of FREE compost each year through Ypsilanti Township - Yes that's right I said FREE!!! Other residents from cities around Ypsilanti Township can get compost from the Township for very reasonable rates - granted you have to shovel it into your own containers (we used our city recycling bins for several trips to the compost yard) or your own vehicle, but it's worth the work!

So get your "dig" on this season and get dirty - You'll be glad you did!

Compostable Grass Clippings

I spent some time in the yard today ~ clipping old plants back, pulling dead weeds and pulling grass from my raised garden beds. In pulling out the grass from my raised beds, I began to think about grass in general, and how it makes an excellent compost material (if applied properly).

It's best to leave the grass clippings right on the lawn after cutting - When the grass breaks down it becomes a nitrogen rich fertilizer. If you do not want to use it on the lawn however, say if you waited too long between cuttings, the grass clippings become an excellent mulch or soil additive - So long as you do not add weed killers to your lawn! My husband and I add our grass clippings, about an inch thick, throughout my raised beds. The clippings add nutrients, help seal in moisture and help to prevent weeds.

While pulling the grass from my beds though, I was reminded - Add these grass clippings to your garden beds before your grass has gone to seed...

I need to get back to pulling grass clumps... *sigh*