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.