Curbside Courier: Spring 2005

Compost – A Natural Link

What's the key to growing beautiful flowers and tasty vegetables? Most gardeners will say it is healthy soil. In nature, soil is renewed as organic matter breaks down and deposits rich nutrients back into the ground as compost. In San José, your yard trimmings are recycled to make compost - whether you set your yard waste out for collection, or make compost yourself. Compost-rich soil absorbs water and enhances plant growth. It is also a valuable link between the health of your garden and that of our local watershed and environment.

What's a Watershed?

A watershed is the land that our water flows through to get to a larger body of water such as a creek, river, bay, or aquifer. Your yard is part of the Santa Clara Basin Watershed that flows into San Francisco Bay. The healthy, compost-rich soil in your garden not only nourishes your plants but also filters and purifies water, and absorbs excessive runoff during heavy rains.

Tips for Healthy Gardens

• Add compost to your garden a few times a year to improve the soil. Bought or homemade, compost helps loosen the soil, makes digging easier, improves water drainage, and helps plants develop bigger and stronger roots.

• Switch to non-toxic chemicals or stop using them altogether. Adding compost to your garden will help you grow vibrant plants that are more disease resistant and attract natural predatory insects and birds to control pests. Pesticides and fertilizers eventually wash into the creeks, polluting the watershed and harming fish and other wildlife.

• Grow plants native to our region, as they are particularly suited to the climate and soil, and can thrive without the use of chemicals. They usually need less water too!

• You can view Bay Nature Magazine's full color supplement, Soil Matters by visiting www.baynature.com or calling (408) 918-4640 for a free copy.

Spotlight on Diazinon

In the Bay Area, residents apply more pesticides than farmers. Learn to control pests with non-toxic or less toxic alternatives.

Bill Paying Tips

Seasonal Tips

Curbside Courier Newsletter Archive

Updated 3/8/05