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Mulch & Soils
The First Amendment
What great gardens are built upon - Cole Simcox, Warehouse Manager
To enhance the growth of your annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, the use of a soil amendment is one of the most important steps to take. A soil amendment is simply defined as any material added to soil to improve its physical properties, such as water retention, permeability, drainage and aeration.
A few ways to easily amend soil to make your flowers flourish:
Peat Moss
Peat moss is the most common product used in the soil amendment process. Especially in sandy soils, peat moss or sphagnum peat, will help retain more water in the soil. They are also commonly found in other types of amendments and are harvested from bogs in Canada and the northern United States.
Manure
Manure is also used to enrich soils. Fresh manure, however, can actually harm plants due to elevated levels of ammonia. When using manure as a soil amendment, make sure it has been aged at least six months and rotated to ensure the levels of ammonia have properly dissipated.
Bumper Crop®
Dim lights Embed Embed this video on your site Bumper Crop® is an organic soil amendment referred to as The First Amendment and is recommended by the horticulturists at Bucks Country Gardens. Containing sphagnum peat moss, aged bark, and composted barnyard manure and shellfish, Bumper Crop® has all of the necessary ingredients for all soil types. Every ingredient is pH adjusted, resulting in a pre-balanced formula of organic materials that are highly recommended for fruits and vegetables. Mixed into existing soils, this amendment will help provide the nutrients needed for all types of gardening.
When adding to soil, spread a 2"–3" layer of Bumper Crop® onto beds or garden area and then mix into existing soil. For best results, use a garden tiller to thoroughly mix it into the beds prior to planting. When planting trees, dig your hole and mix the amendment into the soil when its time to backfill. If the desired outcome is the achievement of excellence in the garden, a little work ahead of time will reap a multitude of benefits in the long run. The First Amendment Cole Simcox, Warehouse Manager
5 easy tips for a greener lifestyle
Drive Smart
Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates. Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds a year. Plus, you'll save money at the gas pump and have a few extra minutes to spend some quality time with a friend.
Stop Using Toxic Chemicals
Traditional cleaning products contaminate the air and remain on surfaces–which are then absorbed through our skin. Additionally, they are washed down the sink, entering the waste stream and contaminating our ground water. Baking soda, lemon juice and white vinegar are natural alternatives to these harsh, traditional chemical cleaners.
Recycle Water–Both Indoors & Out
Place a bucket in the shower while you're waiting for the water to warm up. Then, use that water for cleaning or watering plants. Outdoors, use rain barrels to collect water that would otherwise be lost as runoff. This water can then be used to wash cars and water plants and lawns during dry spells.
Start a Compost Heap
Composting reduces the amount of food scraps dumped into landfills where they slowly decompose into methane. Methane is 72 times more damaging to our Earth's climate than carbon. Plus, compost is also great to use as a cost-effective fertilizer for your garden and helps to reduce your trash bill.
Switch to Recycled Toilet Paper
If every household in the United States bought just one fourpack of 260-sheet recycled bath tissue–instead of the typical tissue made from virgin fiber–it would eliminate 60,600 pounds of chlorine pollution, preserve 356 million gallons of fresh water and save nearly one million trees.
