Composted Hardwood Humus

Composted Hardwood Humus is an all plant based compost that is modeled after the mushroom composts of the east coast. When reading a gardening blog, it is hard not to run into the benefits of a mushroom compost. A mellow level of nutrients, very high organic matter and light fluffy texture makes it an easy tool to make use of in most garden beds here with our heavy native soils.

Composted Hardwood Humus is a unique compost to our local area. The pH is unique. The pH is often found to be between 6 and 7. The lowest pH compost that we have been able to put together. Another unique aspect to Composted Hardwood Humus is it's very low salt level. The salt levels are often found to be around .004 mmchos. By far and away the lowest salt level of any of our composts. There are more interesting aspects to this compost, but I'll have to address those another day.

55
00

1-5 cubic yards purchased

Compost

46
00

6 plus yards, volume discount

Compost

A compost that is differant from the rest.

We hunted this material out because of its unique attributes. This compost is not someone else's waste, it's a treasure.

Benefits of Composted Hardwood Humus

  • Produced from plant material
  • High in organic matter, loosens soil
  • Increased water-holding capacity for soil
  • Low in available nutrients, low propensity to burn plants
  • Free of weed seeds
  • Beneficial soil biology
  • No unpleasant odor
  • Free of harmful pathogens
  • Fine texture, easily handled with a shovel

Recommended Uses

  • Gardens
  • Flower beds
  • Berry beds
  • Tree planting
  • Shrub planting
  • A dense peat moss substitute
  • Pathway mulch, fine and dark
  • Bed mulch, to be turned under at the end of the season

Directions for Use

Confirmation - Be sure to cross reference the product on your receipt of purchase to confirm you are reading the directions of use for the correct product.

Location of use - Composted Hardwood Humus is a soil amendment and therefore has many uses.  These uses include, but are not limited to, vegtable and herb gardens, flower beds, tree planting, topdressing trees and berry bushes. Any application where you wish to increase water holding capacity and encourage biological diversity, particularly soil borne fungi.

Gardens and flower beds - Depth recommendations for gardens and flower beds vary between 1 - 4".  Wherein this parameter a particular garden will follow depends upon the history of the garden (new plots require more than established plots) and the depth of incoporation of the Composted Hardwood Humus (the deeper the compost is incorporated into the existing soil, the greater the amount of material within the recommendation).  If you are planning to till the compost to a shallow depth (3"), then add only a small amount of compost (1").  If you are planning to till the compost deeper (10 - 12"), then add the maximum amount of compost (4").  In a vegetable or herb garden, never exceed a 70/30 mix ratio of existing soil to compost.  If you are incorporating other amendments (leaves, grass clippings, etc.) at the same time, calculate them in as a part of the compost in the ratio.

Turf establishment (sod or seed) - Composted Hardwood Humus is not recommened for turf establishment. Because this compost is mellow in nutrients it will not encourage lush green growth. This compost is high in organic matter and does contribute to the water holding capacity of your soil.

Topdressing turf - We do not recommend using Composted Hardwood Humus for topdressing turf. Due to the mellow nitrogen level in this compost, it will not boost the growth of a stand of grass.  We recommend the use of one of our other composts, particularlly Dairy Compost.

Tree planting - The amount recommendation for tree planting is 35% of the volume of material put back into the tree's hole. Composted Hardwood Humus is mellow and will not harm the tree via nutreint burn.  Be sure to mix it well with the whole of the soil that you are using to backfill the tree.  If you have any carbonaceous organic matter available, we recommend using an additional 15% of that.  Good examples of carbonaceous organic matter are decomposing mulch, decomposing leaves, etc.  Trees enjoy soils rich in organic matter, but do not thrive in an excess of nutrients that a nutrient rich compost will bring with it.  If you are looking for a compost to use in excess of 20% in tree planting, consider our Composted Hardwood Humus, Garden Compost Recipe #5, or our Fertile Mulch.

Tree and berry topdressing - Water retention and biology can be easily made available to trees or berries by using Composted Hardwood Humus.  Depth recommendations for tree and berry topdressing vary between 1/4 - 5".  The use within this recommendation would vary dependant upon the size of the plants being topdressed. Composted Hardwood Humus is a wonderful way to encourage biological diversity in a garden bed. The low bacterial population and high fungal populations are remonisent of an old world forest floor.  Incorporation is optional when topdressing trees and berries.  If you do incorporate the compost, be sure not to damage the existing roots of your plant.  When you topdress or incorporate the compost into the top few inches of soil, biology and water will take the nutrients down into the root zone.