UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County
University of California
UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County

Composting

Your New Year’s Resolution—turn over a new leaf, or lots of them. Start composting.  Recycle your fruit and vegetable waste, and yard and garden trimmings into a rich soil amendment for your garden, all in your own backyard.  Composting is simply the natural process of organic matter decomposing. The end product is a soil, a humus-like material—a multivitamin for your garden soil.

Compost:

  • improves soil structure by adding organic content, thereby increasing the water-holding capacity of your soil and reducing your need to water
  • helps keep heavy clay soil from compacting, making it easier to work; root systems develop better
  • gives sandy soil better structure
  • promotes soil fertility
  • stimulates healthy root development
  • aids erosion control

Visit our calendar for composting demonstrations offered at all Fair Oaks Horticulture Center (FOHC) events and other locations.

Below is a collection of resources just for the home gardener.

All About Composting - everything you need to be a successful with compost.

FOHC Composting - demonstration of composting methods at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center.

 

Master Gardener Publications and Videos

Note: PDF files open in a new window/tab.

Videos

 

External Resources

 


ANR = free publication from the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Catalog
PN = free publication from UC Integrated Pest Management
EHN = Environmental Horticulture Notes from the UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County
GN = Garden Notes from the UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County

You need Adobe Reader to read the PDF files; download the latest version using the link below.

4145 Branch Center Road, Sacramento, CA 95827       Master Gardener Phone:  916.876.5338       Fax:  916.875.6233

Webmaster Email: mgsacramento@ucanr.edu