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Home My WebLink Aboutswhandout2 Resto ri ng soil qua I ity with co m post A great way to restore. soil quality in urbanized areas and regain some natural functions of soils is to use compost. M icroorga n isms. i n com post reeye! e nutrients and make them available to plants. M i craD rg an isms ca n a Iso fig ht pests and diseases that attack plants. Because it improves ferti I ity and pest resistance ~ com.post reduces the need for.pesticides and ferti lize r~ Th e end resu It is th e creation of a h ea Ith ie rJ more attractive land sea pe that is easi er to ma i ntai n. Com post ~a me nded soils a re also better ~t breaking down or filtering pollutants - . such as hydrocarbons and heavy metals from cars, pesti cides or sol u bl e fertil izers. _ Fi na lIy, com post can red u.ce mai ntenance . costs by improving soil moisture retention. and plant rooti ng depth J reducing the need for irrigation. compost on the lawn I a close look Corrypost improves lawn and landscape health by breaking dow!! nutrients and making them av.ailable. , to plants,-. improving plant hard;ness and .vigor, al?d retaining more water in the landscape. When runoff is prevented from moving off the landscape~ eroded soil, nutrients, and other p6f1utants do not enter surface waters. .~":... ~.. ...... .:~~~...~./~_ ."r.". . ...... . ... Amending soils with compost Arne nd ing so ils with co m post or othe r decom posed 0 rga nics will he I p restore ma ny of th e native soil fu nction s: · Increased evapotra nspi ration, natu ral stormwater d etenti on and i nfi ttratio n · Decreased surface water runoff, erosion a nd poll uta nts · Improved plant nutrient a vail abil itYl pia nt a p peara nee}, and savi ngs in wate r, fe rti I izer and pesticide usage Compost helps at construction sites Those i nvo Ived in eonstructio n have a lot to. gain by using compost-based practices in compli~nce with environmental rules., By using compost blankets tO,absorb th e force of faJ Ii ng ra i nd raps and prevent . soi I. pa rticles . from being dis lodged, the process of erosion can be stopped at its start. SimilarlYJ compost socks can act as barri ers to ru noff w . Making the comparison I naturally...functioning soi/~ and human-impacted soils. ., I/Justration courtesy of King County,. Washington Illustration courtesy of King County. Washington. Naturally-functioning soils A hearthy, vigo ro us soil an d veg etation structure p rovi des valuable plant nutrients, ho Ids and retai ns water and oxygen] and binds and breaks down pollutants. C ha ra cteristi cs of hea Ithy soi Is: . · many a ir an d water pockets · numerous micro and macro organisms · deep plant root growth · high evapotranspiration, surface water infiltration, and sto rmwater detenti on · low water runoff, minimal erosion HumanlllJimpacted soils A soil structure impacted by human activity, compaction, and deve lopment ca nnot perform its n atu ral function s~ resu Itin 9 in negative impacts. Characterisfics of disturbed soils: · few ai r and water pockets ~ I,j m ited benefi cial m i era a nd macro 0 rga n isms; more pests · shallow pia nt root growth · low evapotra nspi ration, su rface water infiltration, and stormwater detentron · high water ru noff a nd erosion : ~.,_~~.~(_:..,,:-,-_.; .:.:..,:-}~~:.;:.:.':'-X.,,~~:.:>::~.~_):-~,~-.....:.:.-._~r-~.""~.:"'J~:" :(~..'-.~.:.~. ... ~~.:..~_:r.-.. ...:..~'~.'.:: .-... .:-.:. ..,") ::...::~- I.: ..1-.: .. ... ~.::-:. ~~ ~::-==. _ ~.. ,-:,. ..~.-.;'_. ..:.: .:. Compost in new residential construction Polk County. homeowner Lynn Betts U I was ready to sod my yard, Ii ke so ma ny . people do~ But a friend said I would be happier with "it .if I seeded with co mpost instead of sadding~ So J gave it a try. Photos by Lynn Betts The seeding company came with a big truck and long hoses about six inches in diameter and 'they used that to blow the seed and compost onto the yard ab.out an inch thi ck. The com post does just wh at the co nservatio n i st said it wo u Id. 1 t holds moisture longer, keeps the grass greener, and it just rooks healthier. An inch of compost under the grass is the key - it's like having a .layer of good topsoil, rich in organic matter, that the se.ed takes root in very quickly. And it sustains it over time. Now, my footprints are left in the yard each time I.mow, because the grass 'is thick like a carpet. That's been the case from the beginning, when my yard stood out from the others because of the cotor and, dense grass cove r. . I also had to deal with heavy ra in s that wash ed some of the com post and seed off my slo ping yard ea rl y on -- you have to be carefu I with what comes off you r rooft concentrated ~ro m downspouts. But those iss ues were man ag~able. My yard is healthy and neighbors and strangers arike say it's got a beautiful 9 res n cor or. And it was estab I ished at less. expense. by seedj ng with. compost . rathe r than sodd i ng. I would seed ag a in with co mpost wi.tho ut a dou bt, and recommend it to anyone who wants..a healthy, beautiful yard for.years to come~n (top Jeft - compost treatment a.t the home of Lynn Betts.) bottom left - Betts 1 yard after grass cover is established) Compost also works as 'retrofit' Polk County homeowner Paul Miller HOver tim.e~ we watched as water ran across the sidewalk from. under the sod. Year after year, we witnessed sandy, compacted clay subsoi I, and d ried-Qut conditi ons dam i nate au r yard. ,After a couple years., .the grass started to give up, and it looked I ike we would have to sta rt from scratch. But rathe r than re-seed and start from the beg in ni ng agai n, we decid ed to try a co mpost amendment. The results were easy to see six months later. And we have only watered twice 1 wh i I e others watered much more often A After a pplying co mpost over the to p, I wish ed that we cou Id have taken the man ey that was spe nt on sod an d done it right the first time. We would have had a more sustainable yard that didn"'t need so .m uch 'ba bying ~ HI (top right: fall treament of Miller's yard with compost) (bottom right: .Miller1s lawn Ugreens up" first in the spring) ... :.. .- ._~- ~".~~~.~.~~I': . . . . . A little rain - a big problem? Soil Quality BMP's for COl)struction Sites One inch of rain doesn't seem like muc~ in a rain gauge or a d rin king- glass. But eve ry .in ch of rai n that fa II s on one acre deHvers 27,150 gallons of wateL As much as 60 % of that (16,00.0- ga 110 n s. pe r. acre) ru nS off impervious and compacted urban landscapes. · M i n i m ize construction footp rint to protect soi I fro"m compaction. . , · Where grading mu~t occur, stockpile topsoil and < , res p read it as. part of fi naJ grad i ng. Restore com.pacted soils with tillage that breaks up the soi I profile to a depth of one foot or- dee per. . . · Tm or apply 2 - 4 inch es of a we II-cu red, qu a Uty com post , in the upper 8 inches of soil, or apply 2 inches on the surface with seed. . . I n stead of' infHtrating into the soH to restore . 9 ro"un dwater. baseflow a nd recharge aq u ifers, that- water is sent rus hi rtg into creeks and rivers.. Rather tha n a nu isance that needs to be qui ckry - diverted off.property~ home owners and developers sh ould th i nk . about ra i nfal I as a n atu ral resou rce to be retai ned,. infiltrated, an d util ized . to sustai n au r land scapes I restore groundwater baseflow an d recharge natu ral aq u ifers.