Planting a Vegetable Garden?

If you're planting a vegetable garden, make sure you pick up some of Aguinaga's Organic blend mix. You can pick it up or we can also deliver it. Call 1-877-OC-MULCH for ordering and for delivery prices.

Here's more about Aguinaga Green's Organic blend:

Aguinaga Green's Organic Blend is a fortified planting mix and can be used as general planting medium specifically for vegetable gardens. It contains a substantial level of organic matter and contains naturally available calcium, as well as balanced ingredients that are specially blended to complement plant growth.


Specifications:
BASE FEED STOCK: Base feed stock material consists of uncontaminated clean green shredded tree trimmings and plant material native to the area, by an STA approved facility. There is NO inclusion of grasses of any kind, curbside material, or miscellaneous foreign debris.


COMPOSTING: Material is initially ground to four-inch-minus and composted by the formation of windrows which are turned every three days at a minimum, for fifteen days. During this fifteen day period, moisture, aeration, and temperature will be monitored and recorded to assure that a minimum of 132F degrees is obtained throughout the process. The temperature detailed herein will assure that weeds which can germinate and raw material contained pathogens are destroyed, and a microbial–friendly environment is formed for the production of required plant-growth nutrients. Windrows do not become anaerobic.


MATERIAL PARTICLE SIZE: Material is subsequently screened to the specified 3/8 minus particle size in order to achieve consistency and material uniformity.

As in all Aguinaga products, Aguinaga Green STA composted Organic Blend contains no curbside green waste.

Using compost with gypsum improves clay soils

Gypsum, otherwise known as calcium sulfate, can be used to amend clay-based soil and also to improve soils with high concentrations of sodium.

Amending clay-based soils with gypsum leads to healthier and more productive plant growth. Gypsum also improves soil structure and infiltration rates when there are high concentrations of sodium.

Aguinaga’s General Purpose Soil Amendment 1 (GPS 1) is one of Aguinaga’s special blends. It consists of general purpose mulch, recycled green matter, turf plus, and gypsum. The blending of these products has brought forth an excellent balanced planting soil amendment that has a multiplicity of uses throughout the garden area, regardless of soil texture. Sandy soil will begin to retain moisture and clay soil will have improved drainage and aeration.

The addition of turf plus improves the nutrient levels in the product and adds organic nitrogen for long term, slow-release microbial activity. The improved levels of soil bacteria greatly enhance root development and stimulate plant growth. GPS 1 particle size is 0 to 1/2 inch. It is nitrolized and stabilized and fully composted.

All of Aguinaga's products are STA Certified.

pH and Compost

What is pH?
pH Factor means potential Hydrogen and measures soil’s acidity or alkalinity. The scale runs from 0 to 14 where 7 represents a neutral soil. Numbers below 7 indicate the degree of acidity, and numbers above 7 indicate the degree of alkalinity. The pH scale is logarithmic and each jump is a ten fold increase. A soil with a pH of 4 is 10 times for acidic than one with a pH of 5 and 100 times more acidic than one with a pH of 6.

Composting and the pH Factor
The microorganisms in compost operate best under neutral to acidic conditions with the pH in the range of 5 to 8. In the beginning stages of decomposition, organic acids are formed. Conditions that are acidic are best for the growth fungi and breakdown of lignin and cellulose. As composting goes on, the organic acids become neutralized. “Mature” compost generally has a pH between 6 and 8.

If there is not enough oxygen (anaerobic), the acid accumulation can lower the pH to 4.5 and limit microbial activity – thus slowing down the composting process. Aeration is needed to return the compost pH to an acceptable range.

Compost and Plants
Most garden plants do best in a slightly acidic to neutral soil – around pH 6.5 to 7. Compost can modify and stabilize pH. When compost is added to the soil, it acts as a chemical buffer and increases the plants tolerance to pH. Adding compost to a slightly alkaline soil will make it more neutral.

pH, STA Certification, and Aguinaga
Each month, Aguinaga sends a sample of compost to the US Composting Council where the pH and other properties are tested. By passing these lab tests every month, the US Composting Council awards us with the Seal of Testing Assurance (STA Certified.)

Aguinaga Materials Overview

General Ground Cover: 0-2 (particle size in inches)
Aguinaga ground covers are made from shredded tree trimmings and plant material that has been fully composted to STA standards established by the American Compost Council, which require the material to pass stringent testing after being exposed to 132degrees F for a period of time which eliminates seeds and pathogens. It is an economical, nitrogen stabilized material with a rich brown color that will preserve ground moisture, help prevent weeds, and add a pleasant contrast continuum to any garden area and deteriorates at a slow rate.

General Ground Cover: ½ to 1½ (particle size in inches)
This ground cover - similar to the one above but with a finer particle size - is made from native shredded tree trimmings and plant material. It is screened for uniformity, nitrogen stabilized and used for ground cover as well as for tree box mixes.

General Purpose Amendment (GPS2)
GPS2 is a fully composted soil amendment (thereby void of renegade seeds and deleterious pathogens) made from clean-green recycled material that can be used for back-fill material for planting shrubs and plants, or rototilled into the soil as a general amendment.

It is nitrogen stable – that is will not create nitrogen drag from the soil and plantings, and will generally achieve improved soil moisture retention in sandy soils and alleviate compaction in clay laden soils.

Planter Mix:
Planter mix is great for shallow planter boxes and color burst. It contains mature peat moss for micro nutrient supply as well as pearlite and redwood to help maintain moisture.

Seed Topper:
Seed topper, as the name implies is designed mainly to be used for covering seeds, but in many cases can be used as mulch, for planting mediums as a back-fill amendment. As a top dressing, the material can be used to dress walked-on corners, or for re-seeding turf.

Organic Matter Content

Organic matter content is the measure of the vast array of carbon based materials in compost and is typically expressed as a percentage of dry weight. Organic matter is an important ingredient in all soils and improves soil structure, physical condition, soil temperature, water holding capacity, and nutrient availability – especially the soil bacterial processes which affect the availability of mineral salts to plants.

High quality organic soil amendments should contain at least 40 percent organic matter. Soil and silica make up the remainder of the compost dry matter. The range for ideal organic matter content for compost ranges from 30 to 70 percent.

Being aware of a product's organic matter content is necessary for determining compost application rates on specific applications, such as soil incorporation, turf establishment, agricultural crop production, and topsoil production. Knowing the organic matter content is also useful for estimating the age and physical properties of the compost.

Each month, we send a sample of our compost to the US Composting Council lab where it is analyzed and tested. Organic matter content is one of the many properties that is tested.

Achieving the Correct Moisture Content of Compost

In order for a compost pile to work efficiently, the correct moisture content must be achieved.

The organisms that do the composting need water to live and when the moisture content is too low, the biological activity stops because the organisms need water for their metabolism. Low moisture content slows down the composting process. Compost that is too dry looks more dusty and less like fresh soil. It will often crumble apart in your hand.

High moisture content must also be avoided. When excess water fills the pore spaces in the compost, oxygen diffusion is impeded and this leads to anaerobic conditions. The microorganisms drown because they are deprived of oxygen. If you hold compost in your hand, and you can squeeze water out of it, the compost is too wet. The compost is often foul-smelling (ammonia) and clumped or matted together.

The moisture content of compost should range between 40 to 55 percent. Compost should not release water, but stay compacted. Piles that are aerated well and turned often will have a desirable moisture content percentage.

Each month, we send a sample of our compost to the US Composting Council lab. One of the many properties that is tested is the moisture content.

Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio

Each month, we send a sample of our compost to the US Composting Council. The Carbon-to-Nitrogen ratio is one of the properties that is tested.

The Carbon-to-Nitrogen ratio is an important factor in the quality of compost. Composting microorganisms require the correct proportion of Carbon for energy and Nitrogen for protein production.

All organic matter is made up of substantial amounts of Carbon combined with lesser amounts of Nitrogen. The course of decomposition or ogranic matter is affected by the presence of these two elements. The balance of Carbon and Nitrogen is called the Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio). If a material has a C:N ratio of 25:1, that means there is 25 times as much Carbon as Nitrogen.

Decomposition of organic matter is done by living organisms that require Carbon for energy and require Nitrogen for protein production and building cell structure. The best compost has a C:N ratio around 25 to 30 parts Carbon to 1 part Nitrogen and is dark, rich colored, soft, and easily malleable in your hand.

If there is too much Carbon on the C:N ratio is too high, decomposition slows down. This is because there is not sufficient nitrogen for optimal growth of the microbial populations, so the compost won't get hot and it will decompose at a slower rate. If the C:N ratio is too low, you will have a smelly compost pile because the microorganisms can't use all the nitrogen and the excess is lost in the form of smelly ammonia gas.

We send a sample of our compost to the US Composting Council under the STA program and each month, properties such as the C:N ratio are tested. You can be assured that when buying compost from Aguinaga Green, you are receiving the very best quality.