Gardening resources
Colleyville Garden Club
The club participates in community projects and focuses on promoting interest in gardening and community beautification. Meetings are the first Wednesday of each month September to May. Meetings are at Colleyville Center, 5301 Riverwalk Drive, Colleyville. 817-503-1330. www.colleyvillegardenclub.org
Grapevine Garden Club
The club promotes interest about gardening through monthly programs, field trips and beautification projects. Meetings are at 10 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month from September to May. Meetings are at Stacy’s Furniture, 1900 S. Main St., Grapevine. 817-424-8800.
www.grapevinegardenclub.com
Southlake Garden Club
The club introduces members to new garden elements for the purpose of creating unique gardens, protect nature and to share information with others. 817-707-4331.
www.southlakegardenclub.org
Gardening stores
Blooming Colors Nursery Gardening Center
Calloway’s Nursery
Foreman’s General Store
Marshall Grain Co.
Mike’s Garden Center
- 555 W. SH 114
- Southlake, 817-251-2620
Composting: How to turn fruit scraps, newspapers and more into homemade garden growth
Why should I compost?
- Composting is a way to recycle materials that would normally go into landfills.
- Composting gives gardeners their own organic soil that can be used to fertilize plants.
- Homemade compost boosts the growth of homegrown fruits, vegetables and houseplants.
Where should I compost?
- You can start a compost mixture in different ways:
- An outdoor pit in the ground
- An outdoor pile, perhaps inside a box
- A closed indoor box that is kept moist and filled with red worms, known as vermicomposting
When should I compost?
- You can start a compost mixture any time.
- However, it is easier to obtain brown elements—dead materials such as leaves and wood chips—during lawn maintenance in the summer and fall.
- It is also easier to obtain green elements—organic materials such as fruit and vegetable skins—in the spring and summer. Both sets of materials are vital to a balanced compost mix.
What can’t I compost?
- Bones, fish or meat scraps—these can attract pests
- Diseased plants—these can infect the mixture
- Pet manure—these can contain parasites
How do I maintain my compost mixture?
- Avoid using products that are oil-based or could contain chemicals or pesticides.
- Keep your mix in a pile or ventilated space so the bacteria can best break down plant matter. Bacteria also release heat into the mixture, speeding the breakdown process and killing pathogens and weed seeds.
- Make time to turn over your compost mix at least once every two weeks.
- Ensure your compost mixture stays moist to aid in bacteria growth.
- Watch out for animals that may be attracted to open compost mixtures.
When is my compost ready?
Healthy compost mixtures can take six to eight weeks to be ready for use in gardening.
Not ready:
- Mixture has unpleasant odors
- Original materials can be seen in mixture
- Mixture is lumpy and does not easily crumble
Ready:
- Mixture has sweet, earthy scent
- Original materials can’t be seen in mixture
- Mixture has a smoother texture and easily crumbles
