When I visit clients’ properties it is often clear that the soil is depleted of nutrients. If organic matter like leaves, grass clippings, pine needles and small stems from perennials (the type of plant that comes back) are all removed every year, they can’t break down and add nutrients to the soil. Think about a natural area where no one is running around with yard waste bags. This usually results in unhappy plants! I often suggest adding compost. It adds nutrients to your soil that will break down over time so they don’t immediately start providing nutrients but it doesn’t take long if you add them at the beginning of spring. Where do you get compost? We have gotten it delivered multiple times from our local nursery so I would start there. There are usually minimum delivery requirements, such as 3 yards but you can also buy bags. Other materials are great too, like mushroom or lobster compost and even manure. The best thing you can do is to leave as much of your own organic matter around your yard. It is the cheapest and lowest maintenance way to go and you can control what comes onto your property. So how that would go is doing what I’m suggesting to this client and then in the fall leaving as much as possible in the garden beds and then the following spring, top up the mulch if needed so there is no exposed soil. The following year may require another load of compost, especially if leaves and other materials have not been left to decompose. Yes, mulch can decompose but it’s usually not the same and thick mats cannot decompose easily. About me: I am a garden coach and consultant in the Boston area. Visit my website for information about how to book an in-person or virtual consultation and my Linktree for other resources: https://www.youcandoitgardening.com
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