Which plants like peat-based compost, and which flourish more with manure? Get the dirt on this nutrient-rich soil additive.

Happy plants need quality soil.

One of the most commonly asked questions in gardening is ‘what’s the difference between mulch and compost?’ Both are usually brown and soil-like, both help nurture plant growth – so how come they are ...

Mulch can be expensive, but another budget-friendly option may improve soil, support pollinators, and help plants thrive ...

Amanda Blum is a freelancer who writes about smart home technology, gardening, and food preservation. Previously, Amanda has worked as a technology strategist specializing in problem solving and ...

May is the time to start working on the garden. Sonoma County Gazette file photo. Master Gardeners have a mantra: compost, compost, compost, mulch, mulch, mulch! We emphasize the importance of both ...

Every spring I bought bags of chemical fertilizer, spread them across the beds, and expected bigger harvests. The plants ...

While compost and mulch may seem interchangeable, they have distinctly different uses in sustainable landscaping. Photo courtesy San Diego County Water Authority Seventh in a series republished with ...

Switching up your yard usually means ripping up the grass, tilling, and fertilizing the soil to prep for new vegetation, but why not just cover it up? Sheet mulching uses a simple form of composting ...

A few years ago, a gardening friend suggested I place a layer of compost in my flower beds before mulching with my usual shredded bark mulch. As my garden seemed happy and required less care that ...

Composting involves decomposing organic materials to create nutrient-rich soil. A compost pile needs a balance of green (nitrogen-rich) and brown (carbon-rich) materials. Maintaining proper moisture, ...

Dyed mulch fills millions of American garden beds, sold as tidy and long-lasting. But the recycled wood underneath the color ...