Good and Not-So-Good Compost

Not all soil amendments are created equally. Compost is a great example. You can put almost anything in a bag and call it “compost” here in Texas. It may be little more than old wooden pallets that have been run through a huge shredder and piled for a few months, then sold as some type of compost. Those materials generally do little to improve soil quality and plant growth.

At the other end of the scale, it could be ultra-rich leaf mulch from the forest floor – organic matter that has been accumulating and decaying for decades. Or, it could be when a variety of types of organic matter are carefully screened and allowed to decay in piles that are moistened, turned and worked until they are filled with rich humus.

The good soil companies can show you their top-of-the-line composting materials. This is a good example of where paying a little more brings very large dividends.