20 — North Shore News — Wednesday, June 14, 2000 living Spread that biack gol NORTH Shore garden- ers know the rotten truth. . In fact, they take great pride in spreading it around, all _ over their vegetable gardens, «their lawns and their plants. The truth is that rotting fruit ~~. and vegetables, coffee ' grounds, leaves, garden trim- mings and grass create a great soil conditioner called com- Composting has been around since dirt. It’s a natural process that breaks down organic. material like spple cores and plant trimmings into ‘a’. dark. nutrient-rich — soil builder. Want to’ save moncy ‘on. fertilizers and _ pesticides? Interested in’ reducing the amount of time. you spend watering and..weeding your garden and lawn? How about reducing = your. garbage - by. up). to. 33%? ‘Composting is here to help. Com fg is not a fringe ity; though it’s fairly incon- spicuous compared . to. other environmental actions like Blue Box ‘recycling. In fact, 62% of homeo and more are joining the ranks cach year. All that’s needed isa - npost, bin, a pitch” “s Backyard cor AS: TEAM OF SHOULDN'T YOU? | Children’s Boutique houschold. ers, already. compost_ purchase compost bins throughout the year. Call the North Shore Recycling Program at 984-9730 for more details. In just a few months you can be deciding how you'll use your own compost. Apply compost in spring to ensure that nutrients are avail- able to plants throughout the growing scason. When you dig compost into your garden you help the soil “breathe.” By cre- ating spaces for air and water you'll get better root penctra- tion and heaithier plants. Your plants will also appreciate the important nutrients like nitro- gen, phosphorous, potassium and calcium that the compost slowly releases. Compost dug into the gar- den will reduce excessive drainage and help your soil act more like a sponge holding moisture so you needn't water as often. If fyou have sandy soil, compost will help make it more productive; allowing roots to absorb nutrients. Spread compost underneath _ trees, shrubs and perennials as mulch. Mulch protects soil from heat, cold wind, rain and . frost. Compost helps block out weeds and contro! a e number of soil-borne diseases’ and pests. Compost also helps prevent soil ° erosion. : ply... compost to your ‘lawn. Acraie the lawn and rake - - five