Q&A Master Gardeners with the

I like to use my compost for gardening but I have no idea how much to mix with my soil. NoideaonapHlevel!Help!!

Compost is an excellent garden soil amendment to use every gardening season and should be added starting early before planting. It also can be added as a mulch as your plants begin to grow and produce. Compost improves the tilth (workability) of the soil and acts like a slow-release fertilizer for your plants. Most good garden soil has around

4% compost. I like to use about 10% in my gardening, which works out to adding about 1 inch of compost worked into the top 9 inches of soil. Mature, finished compost acts like a buffer to soil pH.Unfinished compost produces amino (organic) acids as the low-temperature bacteria break down the compost. Mature compost becomes more neutral (between 6-8 pH) as mesophile bacteria take over.

Most garden plants require a soil pH of between 6 and 7. You can get soil test kits, testing meters, and paper test strips and test your soil yourself, or you can contact your local county Cooperative Extension office for more information.

Any recommendations on getting rid of spinach worms?

The “spinach worms” you have are likely a variety of caterpillar. They can be treated effectively with an organic substance called Bacillus Thuringiensis, often called BT. This is a common product in garden centers. Follow all instructions on the label closely.

you fancy a market or just grow the fruits and ve ies at home, enjoy any combination of these delectable delights to kick o your summer right.