NewsDrop-April-2024

LANDSCAPE SOLUTIONS AT THE EAA EOC

By: EOC Staff

Tips from the pros include:

1

Do not compost meat, dairy, or greasy foods in your backyard composting bin.

Break up any food scraps to hasten the decomposition process.

2

Keep a small bin in your kitchen— possibly in the freezer— to collect compostable food scraps.

3

Keep some brown organic material available to cover up any green layer you add.

4

IF THERE WERE A WAY TO NATURALLY RESTORE OUR EARTH’S LANDSCAPE AND SOILS... WOULD YOU HELP?

Planting Native Grasses Want to see native grasses up close before wild scaping your yard? Visit the EOC to see our new native grass demonstration beds! This spring, the EOC is adding two native grass beds featuring Little Bluestem and Buffalograss grown from seed. Both species are warm-season, perennial grasses. Little Bluestem grows in dry to moderate soil mois ture in full sun, is a foundation species for tall- and short-grass prairies, and may enhance commercial and residential landscapes. Buffalograss grows in clay soils in moderate-to low-rainfall regions, tolerates

as vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds and paper filters, grass clippings, and even crushed eggshells. As you add new, alternating layers to your bin, immediately cover up any “greens” with a “brown” layer at least four times as thick. Since essential components of the decomposi tion process are oxygen and moisture, “turn” or mix the bin contents occasionally with a garden fork or shovel to aerate--and keep the contents wet, but not soaked. After a few months, when all added material has broken down and the compost looks and smells earthy, it is ready for use! Try mixing it into the top six inches of your garden or sprinkle a thin layer on your lawn annually to help replenish organic nutrients. We are patiently wait ing to enhance the EOC Native Plant Demonstra tion Garden with compost from our bin!

alkaline soils, is important in short- and mixed-grass prairies, and may be used in low-traffic areas instead of non-native grasses such as Bermuda grass, St. Augustine, and Zoysia. Native grasses tend to be drought- and heat-resis tant, require little water to survive, and have long roots which stabilize soil and enable the plant to access moisture and nutrients from deep under ground. We welcome you to visit the EOC to see the native grass beds and demonstration compost bin and to leave inspired!

Composting Recreate this natural decay process for organic materials in your backyard by buying a compost bin or by repurposing wood, wire, or cinder blocks to make one. Choose a bin location with good drain age and nearby access to water. Concerned about rodents and other pests? Ensure your bin has floor, a secure cover, and no large holes or gaps that pests could enter. Once your bin is constructed, add “brown” (car bon-rich) and “green” (nitrogen-rich) organic material to your bin in alternating layers. Start with a few inches of lightweight “browns” to help absorb liquid and to allow for air circulation. Dead leaves, untreated wood chips, and twigs make a perfect “brown” base layer. A thin “green” layer may be added next using organic materials such

For more composting details and a complete list of what foods should and should not be composted in a backyard bin, check out reliable resources at: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/ composting-home

At the Edwards Aquifer Authority’s Education Outreach Center (EAA EOC), you can learn about two easy ways to give back to our earth: composting and planting native grasses. While both processes take time, finished results may include a drought-resistant, grassy landscape and a natural, fertilizing mulch to use as a supplement in your garden, on your lawn, and in homemade potting soil mixtures.

References: United States Environmental Protection Agency; San Antonio Food Bank; Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

12

13