Here in beautiful northern Nevada, the majority of our land is pure desert–dry, hot, and scarce of water. This year, it has been especially dry, which can certainly be troubling for our communities and nature. Simply put, this desert that we call home is in a drought.
You can think of a ‘drought’ as a lack of water, a time period where there’s insufficient water to meet the needs of our area. According to the University of Nevada’s Living with Drought program, our current Nevada drought conditions are harsh, putting our Reno-Tahoe-Carson City region in an extreme drought condition.
During a time like this, it’s especially important that water is not wasted–water down the drain, water evaporating, water drying out in our soil. Here at Full Circle Compost, we have a special place in our hearts for Mother Earth, that’s why we do the hands-in-the-dirt, composting work that we do! Preserving our sweet Mother Earth and treating her right is important to us, and it’s important to our fellow gardeners and growers too. So what can we do to help preserve water (and not to mention save money)? Use compost and save water!
No Wasting Water Here, Compost To The Rescue
Did you know that compost can reduce outdoor watering by an estimated 25%? Yes, that’s right! 25% less water can be used when northern Nevada gardeners and growers use compost in their gardens and growing areas. Seems too good to be true? No way, let’s explain!
Organic compost (compost that’s made from Mother Nature’s materials and hers only) improves the aeration and nutrient retention in natural, native soils. When compost is added to our dry, nutrient-less Nevada soil, the organic matter in the compost acts like little sponges in the soil holding water and dispersing nutrients. We can water less, save money, and grow healthy, lush plants, lawn, gardens, and more!
The Science of Soil
So how does all of this ‘compost saves water’ stuff work? Let’s talk math.
According to Michigan State University, when you increase the organic matter in your soil (with compost!) just 1%, you increase the volume of water that soil can hold to 3 quarts per cubic foot of soil. To put it simple, the organic matter, like the compost products we make here at Full Circle, holds a lot of water … a lot!
A hundred pounds of average soil (a 1×10-foot row tilled six inches deep) with a pound of compost mixed in will hold an additional 33 pounds (4 gallons) of water. Take the organic content to five pounds, and that hundred pounds of soil will hold nearly two hundred pounds (25 gallons) of water! WOW! Another way to think about this is Nevada soils have on average 1-2% organic matter. If you can increase the organic matter to 5%, you can save 75,000-100,000 gallons of water to the acre!
In a 2000 study, it was found that increasing the water-holding capacity of your native soil by adding compost helped gardens, shrubs, lawns, trees, and crops during summer droughts and reduced watering.
While this is all very essential information for farmers and large-scale agricultural areas, it’s also crucial for backyard gardeners like you! Just add compost to your soil and that organic material will help retail water at your plant’s roots, allowing them to thrive with less water, less impact to our drought, and less money out of your pocket.
Go ahead, do it! Add compost to your flower beds and gardens, as well as to your soil before laying sod or planting trees and shrubs. It even works to add a top dressing of compost to your existing lawn too!
Check Out Our Very Own Water-Saving Experiment!
Add BOOST To Your Native Nevada Soil
Organic compost, what’s that? Here at Full Circle Compost, we use our organic compost in all our plantastic, water-saving products!
First up, BOOST! BOOST Soil Amendment is our premium humus based compost with a 100 lb (20 ingredient) mineral and nutrient package specific to Nevada soils. You just spread BOOST at 1/4″ on everything, rake it out, water it in. You can use BOOST on landscapes, lawns, flowers, trees, shrubs, and gardens.
And the best part is, this water-retaining compost goes a long way! 1 cubic yard of BOOST covers 1,350 sq ft at the 1/4″ inch application rate.
Just spread 1/4″ inch of BOOST out on almost anything you want to grow happy and healthy (plants only hahaha! – see attached photos):
- BOOST your lawn.
- BOOST your garden.
- BOOST your flowers.
- BOOST your landscape.
- BOOST your trees.
- BOOST your shrubs.
What’s in it, you ask?
- Base Compost
- Agricultural Gypsum
- Agricultural Limestone
- Solution Gypsum
- Solution Limestone
- Soft Rock Phosphate
- Magnesium Sulfate
- Manganese Sulfate
- Molasses
- Rock Powder Mineral Program
- Humate
- Mycorrhizae
- Liquid Fish
- Sulfur
- Vermicompost
- Compost Tea Brew
- Kelp
- Feather Meal
- Iron Sulfate
- Yucca Powder
Mulch It!
Another great way to retain water is to mulch your everything! Our organic, compost-made PROTECT is the mulch for your Nevada garden and landscape. PROTECT Mulch not only suppresses weeds, withstands wind, and protects your soil, but it shields from the sun, keeping your soil (and your plants’ roots) moist underneath for longer!
Everything in PROTECT is born from our proprietary humus-based compost and the woody biomass of Lake Tahoe. Local … how cool!
To apply it, lay a 1-inch deep blanket to the base of your garden, trees, shrubs, flowers, roses, and more and keep that water in!
Find Full Circle At A Distributor Near You!
Love the stuff we’re composting up to save water and help northern Nevada plants thrive? Help our sweet Mother Nature in this desert drought and get your plants some Full Circle Compost products. Our products are available year-round at the following locations.
