Okay, so you’ve spent the fall and winter feeding organic materials to your compost bin, turning it when necessary, keeping a watch on your pH levels, making sure your red wiggler worms are multiplying and munching their way to making the nutrient-rich compost you expect at the end of the process, but now that it’s time to get your yard ready for the warmer months, what exactly can you do with all that compost?

Green up that Grass

Is your grass looking a little wan after the cold months? Not to worry – after you aerate your yard and lay down your organic weed killer, grab your wheelbarrow and fill her up with that dark compost and layer it over your grass. Take a metal rake and work it down into the top soil to give it somewhere to cling then run your sprinklers to hold it in place.

The minerals in the compost will feed your lawn better than any commercial, chemical based grass feed.

Need to reseed this year? Add the compost in before you spread the new seed around for an extra boost of growth.

Nourish your Flower Beds

Shoots have been driving up out the ground for weeks now, so you know that Mother Nature is doing her part to get your flowers and shrubs back to their beautiful selves. Why not give them a boost with a layer of compost? Clear out any old leaves or sticks, weed your gardens and then sprinkle an inch of compost throughout your flowerbeds. Water the beds and then cover with mulch to keep it in all in place.

Don’t Forget your Trees

Oftentimes we think that due to their size, and maybe because they were there before we were, the trees lining our yard don’t need any tending beyond the occasional trim of a branch or limb. Not so. Trees need nutrients too, and because of their size, tend to leach it from the soil around them faster than other plant life. Add about 3 inches of compost around large trees and two inches around smaller ones to give them some much needed nutrients. If the ground is sloped or uneven around your trees, you may want to consider rimming them with pavers or stones to keep the compost around them where it belongs.