CORVALLIS – Adding organic matter is the best way to improve nearly all kinds of soils. If you’re unsure if your soil needs amendments, take note if it dries and cracks in summer, drains slowly or is ...

There are many benefits of using compost in your garden, planting beds, and your lawn, and fall can be the perfect time to start a compost pile while you are cleaning up the garden and removing leaves ...

I recently got a question from a reader about where to get good soil and compost. Part of her request was for “organic” soil and compost. The Spokane region is home to a wide variety of soils ...

To get the most out of any organic fertilizer, keep in mind how plants feed and how these fertilizers act in the soil. The bulk of a plant’s feeder roots -- whether it’s a midget marigold or a mighty ...

The conventional way that gardeners solve bad-soil trouble is by adding organic matter such as compost, leaves, grass clippings, and/or rotted manure – or bypassing in-ground planting altogether with ...

Some gardeners have asked if composting garden, yard and food waste is sustainable or beneficial to the environment since the composting process generates lots of carbon dioxide, the principal ...

A rotting jack-o-lantern pumpkin in autumn - Misuzu Henderson/Shutterstock Halloween may generate a lot of waste, but jack-o-lanterns don't have to take up room in landfills when there are other ways ...

To improve their soil, gardeners often are told to add organic matter. What’s that? “Organic matter is anything that used to be alive,” says Meghan Midgley, soil scientist in the Center for Tree ...

Every fall, as vibrant leaves blanket the ground, homeowners start their annual raking routine. This year, instead of throwing your leaves away, consider adding them to your compost pile. While it may ...

Adding soil you buy from your local garden center can be good for your plants but not all bags are the same. Have you ever stood in front of the bagged soil products displayed at your local nursery ...