Only Place in Las Vegas with Rich Compost

I have been asked by many. There is only one place I know about in Las Vegas that has nutrient "rich" compost; Viragrow. What I mean by "rich" compost is that it will fertilize your fruit trees and landscape plants for at least two years. By my calculations, one cubic yard of Viragrow Compost has about $150 worth of fertilizer. That's alot! You cont want to plant directly into it or apply it a few inches from your plants or it can damage them....it is that rich! Thats where the soil mixes come in.

Viragrow's "Organic" compost. Previously called Viragrow's "Vegan" compost. Nothing animal or human used to make it. Just sawdust from lumber mills and tree trimmings.

Compost vs Soil Mix. What's the Difference?

Compost is made to mix in soil. Soil Mixes are already mixed! Soil mixes are "Hamburger Helper" of the landscape supply world, if you will. Any of the Viragrow composts should be mixed with a soil by about one bucket for three buckets of soil....about 25% by volume.

Tractor and bucket filling a pickup bed with soil mix. A small small pickup like the one shown can carry up to about one cubic yard of a heavy soil mix. A standard sized pickup will carry safely about 1 1/2 cubic yards of material.

There are four composts sold at Viragrow:

Viragrow Compost (aka, 166) is made by composting municipal solid waste (MSW) and screening this compost fine enough for use as a topdressing for turfgrass and lawns. It contains a small percentage of composted human biosolids found in the MSW.

Viragrow Compost, aka 166, is a rich compost made and screened at the Inland Empire Composting

 Facility in southern California.

"Organic" Compost (aka, Vegan compost) is made from waste from sawmills composted with mineral fertilizers. No animal or human waste is used.

GS Compost is made mostly from yard waste that is finely ground and screened. It could be classified as a "natural" compost but contains no composted biosolids or MSW (municipal solid waste).

Premium Compost is the same as Viragrow Compost (so it contains composted biosolids) but it is not as finely screened as 166. it is screened so the larger pieces of wood are permitted.

Soil Mixes

 Soil Mixes are made by mixing compost with a special type of sand only available from Viragrow...a screened sand. Other places use inexpensive Reject Sand or fill sand in the soil mixes but Viragrow doesn't. It costs more but it produces a better backfill for plants.

Learn When to Fertilize Landscape Plants Like Podocarpus 'Maki'

 

Podocarpus is sometimes called "Yew pine" or "Budha pine". They can get big but the dwarf versions like 'Maki' are dwarf and remain small. Or is it just because the grow so slowly?

Learn when and how to fertilize landscape plants like Podocarpus 'Maki' when growing in the desert.

Damaged Tree at Planting. What to do?

Trees and shrubs can be damaged at planting time. One disease is particularly worrisome. Learn what it is and what you can do about this. All this and more in this episode of Desert Horticulture.