Compost is a natural process in which micro-organisms break down organic material (leaves, twigs, biosolids & manures) into a dark crumbly soil amendment.

Compost is an organic matter source that has the unique ability to improve the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of soils or growing media. It contains plant nutrients but is typically not characterized as a fertilizer.

Harvest Blend Compost is the product resulting from the controlled biological decomposition of organic material that has been sanitized through the generation of heat and stabilized to the point that it is beneficial to plant growth.  Compost bears little physical resemblance to the raw material from which it originated.

· Improves soil structure, porosity and density to ensure a healthier root environment.

· Infiltrates heavy soils thereby reducing erosion.

· Increases water holding capacity of soil so that water is used more efficiently.

· Stabilizes pH and improves the soil’s ability to hold nutrients.

· Supply’s valuable microbes, micro and macronutrients and organic matter to the soil environment.

· Helps to suppress soil-borne plant pathogens.

· Binds and degrades specific pollutants.

At Engel & Gray, Inc. Regional Compost Facility we follow very strict criteria when manufacturing Harvest Blend Compost. We are a fully permitted facility that follows all County, State and Federal EPA regulations. Monthly regulatory inspections are conducted by the local health department, who performs the inspections for the State of California.

Years of testing by certified laboratories have shown that Harvest Blend Compost is safe.  Heavy metals and pathogens are tested for regularly and meet all EPA 503 regulations. The naturally occurring microbes and heat generated during composting break down the organic material into safe soil amendment. 

Harvest Blend Compost is proud to have earned the Certified Compost label. Harvest Blend Compost™ has passed rigorous testing to earn the US Composting Council’s Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) “Certified Compost™ “label.  

Soil organic matter, vital to soil health, is transient in nature and must be continually replenished. Locally produced, recycled organic matter is abundantly available to do just that, in the form of compost. 

Recommended compost application rates for various plantings are listed below. The higher rates are for sandy soils, lower rates for heavy clay:

Lawns:  1 to 2 inches of compost mixed 8 inches deep into soil.
New Shrub and Tree beds:  2 to 4 inches of compost mixed 8 to 12 inches deep.
Established Shrub and Tree beds:  Mulch with 2-3 inches of compost/bark mix every few years.
New Annual Gardens:  2 to 4 inches of compost mixed 8 to 10 inches deep.
Established Annual Gardens:  1 to 2 inches each year, mixed a 2 to 6 inches deep.

• Buying and using Harvest Blend Compost Completes the Cycle and supports a sustainable local economy.
• Compost is a concentrated source of plant nutrients, stores water for plants and feeds soil life that help plants get nutrients from the soil and fight off pests.
• Compost helps build and maintain healthy soils while minimizing erosion, chemical and water usage.
• Adding compost to your soil is more important and beneficial for most plants than using fertilizer.
• Composting these materials diverts them from costly transport to distant landfills, where they would generate methane—which is a “greenhouse gas” that is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide in creating climate warming.

Harvest Blend Compost is made from clean yard trimmings, food scraps, wood and bio-solids that are separated at their sources before being mixed with trash. Non-organic material that is accidentally mixed in with these clean compostables is removed by hand-sorting and screening prior to composting, and screening of finished compost.

Harvest Blend Compost is manufactured using the aerobic (oxygen requiring) windrow method. Once the ingredients are mixed, the temperature begins to naturally rise because of the natural microbial activity within the pile. The temperatures are monitored and the piles quickly rise above 131°F, often reaching 160°F and above. The temperatures are monitored daily, and the windrow is turned at least five times over the next fifteen days to ensure all material is heated. This heat not only breaks down the organic material, it sanitizes the ingredients, destroying pathogens and weed seeds that may be present. Through the natural heating process from this microbial activity, the material breaks down and the composition of the original feed stock changes to a stable humus product that is rich in nutrients and micro-organisms.

The organic matter in finished compost is a high-quality source of food for diverse organisms that repopulate it during the curing phase at our facilities, and from natural sources in and around your garden. The positive conditions created by adding compost (balanced nutrients, neutral pH, moist and well aerated soil) favor diverse populations of soil organisms. In these conditions beneficials will generally keep pests under control. At the end of the process, the compost is extremely active with microbes.

· The Engel & Gray, Inc. Regional Compost Facility is fully permitted.

· All County, State and Federal EPA regulations are followed.

· Harvest Blend Compost is proud to have earned the Certified Compost label.

· Harvest Blend Compost™ products have passed rigorous testing to earn the US Composting Council’s Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) “Certified Compost™ “label, ensuring the right product for every project (test results available upon request).

· Each Shipment is inspected and Monthly testing is done on production lots at a certified laboratory before shipping.

It is best to mix compost with mineral soils (clay, sand or loam) for gardening, to have ideal texture and provide anchorage for plant roots. 100% compost does not drain well and may encourage pest or disease problems. Lawns grown in too much compost will be soggy and uneven.

Mushrooms are natural decomposers that thrive on partially decomposed wood chips and bark. These materials persist in the compost for years. They help keep the soil loose and serve as food for beneficial soil life –like mushrooms—which eventually break down and release the nutrients to plants. These are “wild” mushrooms. They are not likely poisonous, but it is recommended that curious children and pets be kept away from them. Turning or mixing a pile will usually stop mushroom growth.

Finished yard trimmings composts are close to neutral in pH (7.0) and help to buffer our naturally acidic soils.

It depends on what you are growing and how much compost you use. Mature compost should provide all the nutrients needed for shrubs and trees when applied at the application rates recommended above. Compost releases nutrients slowly, especially in cool weather, so it is not a complete substitute for fertilizers on fast growing annual crops or lawns—it may allow reduction of recommended fertilization rates by 50% on these plants.

During the primary composting process, the material heats up to over 150 degrees F for at least two weeks which is sufficient to kill all weed seeds. The piles are mixed twice, so that every part of the pile is exposed to at least a week of high temperatures. The product is then screened and left to cure for 2-5 months.

During curing, the pile is exposed to weed seeds blown into the property. Before product is sold the outside layer is scraped off and put back through the composting system, but additional seeds may be blown into the compost while it awaits sale or at resale yards at nurseries or soil vendors.