Quality compost is hot stuff

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Quality compost is hot stuff

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Dean Dack of Classic Compost has to drop the handful of compost because it’s become so hot, and he’d like to see that byproduct used to heat greenhouses in winter.


Doug Farrow/contributor

Rows of black soil are lined up in a field, some a slightly different colour than others—but only one is releasing a mysterious vapour from the peak of the pile.

This is the row to which Dean Dack added pomace last fall after local grapes were crushed for wine, and he is delighted to report that it’s been creating immense heat all winter. Continue reading →

International Compost Awareness Week

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The Compost Council of Canada is a national non-profit, member-driven organization with a charter to advocate and advance organics residuals recycling and compost use. It serves as the central resource and network for the compost industry in Canada and, through its members, contributes to the environmental sustainability of the communities in which they operate. This years Compost Awareness week is May 6th to 12th.

Fruit, grapes and greenhouse gas

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A team of research scientists from UBC Okanagan have embarked on a $1.2 million research project that could help farmers save water and reduce harmful emissions.

The UBCO scientists say existing irrigation methods release greenhouse gases from soil, mulch and fertilizer.

They believe water conservation can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from local vineyards and orchards.

Read it on Global News: CHBC Okanagan | Fruit, grapes and greenhouse gas

Try volcanic rock dust as an organic soil booster

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Volcanic rock minerals around ancient volcanoes has given our wineries a boost in quality and unique flavor. Volcanic rock dust has also been used as a non-synthetic fertilizer by organic farmers for years. Consider sprinkling some of our product around your trees, shrubs, and vegetables. A little goes a long way, at just $10 a bucket. Classic Compost volcanic rock dust comes from crushed basalt, a volcanic rock.

Research has shown that adding rock dust to soil increases it’s moisture-holding ability, improves the cation exchange capacity and gives better soil structure and drainage. Rock dust also provides calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, plus trace elements and micronutrients. By replacing these leached minerals, the soil health is better and produces healthier plants. Indoor “herb” farmers have long known this to be true!

Why mulch your veggie garden

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June is a good time to mulch your garden, when your veggies’ soil has warmed up and you want to keep your plants from drying out. When the soil dries out, plants slow their growth or stop growing altogether. Swift, steady growth is important for the best-tasting fruits and vegetables.

The best thing about mulches is they keep our dry Okanagan soil evenly moist.

Mulches actually have MANY benefits:

  1. They protect against soil erosion by breaking the force of those heavy rains we’ve been having this spring. Mulches help prevent soil compaction.
  2. They discourage the growth of weeds and they reduce certain disease problems.
  3. Mulches are insulators, making it possible to keep the soil warmer during cool weather and cooler during warm weather.
  4. Organic mulches also improve the soil texture.
  5. Many gardeners like to bring the tidy look of their perennials and borders to their garden and find it gives a neater appearance.

Gardeners Gold Compost Mulch, or your homemade compost, is ideal as an organic mulch that adds nutrients to the soil. Lawn clippings (may smell as it decomposes) are also used alot, as well as leaves, sawdust (preferably decomposed, requires added nitrogen), and straw (not hay which has lots of weed seeds) and a variety of non organic mulches. Of course nothing else quite compares to Dean’s vegi mulch for big healthy vegetables!