Soils And Compost

learn how to create and use compost for your home garden
UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County: Page

Compost for the Garden

Decomposition occurs naturally over time, affecting all organic matter. Managing the process for soil improvement in a compost pile provides rich organic material for the garden.
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Banner Compost A
UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

How To Use Compost

Compost is multi-purpose. It can be used as mulch, topdressing, soil amendment, or as an organic fertilizer. Adding compost to the garden is one of the best ways to improve soil and support plant health.
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how to enrich garden soil
UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County: Page

Enriching Garden Soil

Soil science now advises gardeners to refrain from disturbing the soil in order to preserve the vast web of life beneath the surface including beneficial bacteria, fungi, algae, and other microbes that enrich soil.
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Banner Compost B
UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Compost Troubleshooting

Use this table to turn around problems you may be encountering with your composting system.
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Soil in bags for testing.
Over the Fence (Alameda County): Article

Getting the Dirt on Soil Testing

June 18, 2024
By Jim Farr
Get the dirt on soil testing for Alameda County gardens. Learn pH levels, nutrient analysis, sampling methods & how to interpret results effectively.
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UC Master Gardeners of the Lake Tahoe Basin: Article

Growing Food in the Lake Tahoe Basin: Site, Soil, and Irrigation

November 28, 2018
Growing food in Tahoe is not for the faint of heart - it can freeze any night of the year, it can snow in any month, but generally our frost-free growing season lasts at least 90 days--from mid-June to mid-September, which is enough to grow a wide variety of edible crops.  Here we'll walk you through…
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