Composting Green Waste | University Of Nevada

Hey you composting fanatics. Check this out! Full Circle Soils & Compost is composting the green waste from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Full Circle collects the green waste, turns it for 10 weeks in our aerobic composting process, breaks it down into awesome humus based compost, and then offers this amazing growing media to Nevada gardeners and growers.

The University of Nevada brings custom compost back up to the campus and uses it all over the landscape to grow healthy and luscious grass, shrubs, flowers, and trees while cutting down on chemical fertilizers!

Now that is “FULL CIRCLE”!!

Read more awesome composting and gardening blogs here at the Full Circle Blog

UNR Landscape Container Before and After Results Using Full Circle KICK Garden Soil…WOAH!

UNR Quad Results Using Custom Made Full Circle Soils & Compost Organic Soil Amendment! YEEEHHAAAA

Read Full Post »

300 lbs of Tomatoes From 4 Plants! Nevada Garden

Is it possible to get 300 lbs of tomatoes off 4 plants in one 4ft x 4ft raised bed? Is it possible to grow huge tomatoes in Nevada? Totally doable! Even if you’re not a seasoned green thumb. Even if you DON’T have a greenhouse.

Here’s How!

Grow Huge Tomatoes in Nevada (300 lbs of them from 4 plants)

1. Build a 4ftx4ft raised bed 12 inches deep. Use any scrap wood you have. As long as it stays together, you’re good to go.
2. Fill that bed with 8 inches of Full Circle’s KICK Garden Soil (leave room for drenching with water).
3. Plant 4 baby tomato plants. Need an easy planting guide for growing tomatoes in Nevada? Click Here.  Be sure to grow awesome heirloom tomatoes that grow like crazy here in Nevada. We suggest:
   • Northern Lights
   • Mexico
   • Juaquian Jewel
   • Striped German
4. Cover soil with 1 inch of PROTECT to hold water and keep the soil happy.
5. Fill that bed with 2-3 inches of water for a full soak only once every 3-4 days (“flood style” because KICK and PROTECT will hold water awesomely).
6. BOOST with 1/4 inch of Full Circle’s BOOST twice during the growing season (about every 6-8 weeks). Even though KICK has enough nutrients to grow awesome for an entire growing season, you’re growing 4 hungry (and BIG) tomatoe plants, and they’re going to love eating up nutrients. So, replenish with BOOST.

That’s it! Now you’re set to grow huge tomatoes in Nevada (and anywhere really).

Happy growing.

Read Full Post »

Gardening New Year’s Resolutions 2016

Well, folks. It’s the end of the year! And as short as these winter days are, for us die-hard gardener / grower types, they can sure feel long … as we gaze longingly out at our snow-blanketed planter boxes like a lonely puppy, counting down the weeks till spring with every can or jar of harvest-time goodies we finish …

But wait a minute! What better time than as we wave goodbye to 2015 could there be to start planning our 2016 yards and gardens? Not only does getting a jump on it now help you hit the ground running (or raking …), it gives you a really great thing to get excited about when people ask you your New Year’s resolution!

So leave the vows for fad diets and garage clean-ups to your Facebook friends. Read on for our favorite 8 New Year’s resolutions for gardeners and growers — ones sure to make it a truly Happy New Year for you and your plants!

FOR NEW GARDENERS!

1. Start a Garden!

If you don’t have a garden yet … start one! No matter what style of gardening / planting / growing you want to do, get things off to an amazing beginning with a healthy dose of KICK and other beyond organic Full Circle compost products … so your plants can go from zero to hero in one season.

If you’re new to the region, let us warn you that gardening in Nevada can be tough … but NOT if you have the right soil. Since most Nevada properties don’t start off with nice, developed, mature soil, you’ll just have to nurture it on up to the right conditions.

(Find out more about bad compost versus good compost for Nevada growing here; learn more about Nevada soil here.)

FOR YOUR GARDEN!

2. Start a Gardening Journal

Not only will this will motivate you to make plans–and stick to them!–but it can help you keep track of planting schedules, successes & failures, and other experience that’ll get those thumbs looking greener in no time.

3. Make a Planting Calendar!

Like your journal, having a dedicated gardening calendar helps you remember when to START projects, buy seeds or seedlings, prep soil, plant, harvest, and all the other fun steps that lead to delicious homegrown veggies and beautiful yards.

4. Build Raised Garden Beds!

You know, like the ones you see in yards around your neighborhood and wish you had. Well this year’s your year and you can get started BEFORE the planting season. Whether you want small front-yard herb-and-veggie boxes or a full-on greenhouse operation like Gary’s, all it takes is a trip to the hardware store, some dedication, and our plant-loving KICK to get things growing BIG! Learn how to build raised garden beds with guides from Sunset, Lowe’s and Eartheasy as inspiration. (You can always buy planter boxes and raised garden beds, but what’s the fun in that!)

5. Build a Compost System!

Wanna get serious about composting? Make your own! One of our favorite composting systems is the 3 pile backyard compost system. It’s a little labor-intensive, and is definitely a commitment. But if you’re up for the challenge, the payoff is (bio)massive. Go here for our instructions, tips and advice!

FOR YOUR YARD / PROPERTY!

6. Re-seed Your Lawn!

Love your lawn? This spring, get your turf to come back lusher and plusher than ever before with this way-too-easy 4-step turf reseed plan. Lasting results in as quick as 2 weeks! Check out photos of some real-life success stories from Reno, David in South Lake Tahoe, and University of Nevada.

7. Xeriscape Nevada Style!

Don’t love your lawn? Rip it out! Save water, defend against drought, cut costs, improve the value of your home, AND make your neighbors jealous by converting your yard to a natural landscape that requires minimal maintenance. Just get it started and let Nature do the hard work, season after season! Learn more about the benefits and see the payoffs in our Xeriscape Nevada articles.

8. Go Native!

Grow more natural, local, native species of plants and flowers! Not only have they been living and growing successfully in our region for a long, long time; they’re beautiful. And trust us, it ain’t all sagebrush! See our list of dozens of drought-tolerant plants that LOVE Nevada here: Xeriscape Reno – Improve Your Home’s Value) and learn how to incorporate them into your own personal ecosystem.

For more great tips, advice and professional secrets to growing in Nevada & Beyond in 2016, sign up for The Planter’s Post, a goody-packed monthly newsletter!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

Read Full Post »

Chemical versus All-natural Composts and Soils | What is Better?

Chemical vs All-natural potting mix. Who will win the battle!!!!

The age old debate arises: are chemical or all-natural composts and soils better? Should gardeners and growers being using chemical or all-natural composts and soils? Are chemical or all-natural composts and soils more healthy? These questions dive deep into the fundamental debate between the use of chemical or all-natural compost and soil products in growing scenarios. This topic is building more and more momentum as the organic growing movement and demand for organically grown products increases. Well, here at Full Circle Soils & Compost, we stumbled upon a very interesting test trial that will blow your mind and help you make an informed decision between chemical or all-natural composts and soils FOREVER!

Our test trial began as a simple test to see if our products performed better than “that stuff they say is a miracle and grows.” The test came to a grinding halt; however, we discovered some evidence even more astonishing….TO CONTINUE READING PLEASE CLICK HERE

Read Full Post »

Next Step in Xeriscape Nevada! Plant and Mulch

Plants have been planted and mulch applied! Part 3 will finish the job!

Hey you Nevada home owners looking to add Xeriscape to your abode! Part 2 of this multi-part blog series walking you through the steps of the Xeriscape Nevada process is here! The River School Farm team has finished planting and mulching the front yard of this Reno, Nevada rental house. Let’s take a look….Please click here to continue reading this post.

Read Full Post »

All New Blog | All New Composting Information

Hello Gardeners and Growers! I am back after a long hiatus. Where have I been for the last few years? Well, helping our family business grow and grow (just like all the plants and veggies we help flourish with our all-natural soil and compost products!). I am going to be writing all new blogs and providing great information about composting, gardening, growing, and all things green on our all new blog, THE SCOOP. You can find our blog on the bottom of our new website, fullcirclecompost.com. Please come take a look.

Come on over and visit the all new Full Circle Soils & Compost with awesome composting information and products!

I hope you enjoy the Full Circle Soils & Compost revamped brand. This is the first season we’ve rolled it out and our business is taking us to new places every day. The distributors and retail stores we’ve teamed with continue to relay kind customer comments regarding our all-natural growing products and we couldn’t be more tickled. Whether you’re a new customer just discovering the power of our enviro-friendly products, or a seasoned user continuing to be impressed with the gleeful response from your plants, we’re happy to have you on-board.

Happy Growing!

Read Full Post »

Big vs. Small…Tomatillos!!

So what is better, big or small…tomatillos? (Don’t let your mind wander!!) Well in this case a big tomatillo plant is always better than a small tomatillo plant! How do you get big tomatillo plants? Well if you have ever read my blog, it is all about balanced soil and the proper nutrients that the plant itself craves to get big results!! A great example of properly balanced soil and improperly balanced soil is happening in Gardnerville at the JT Basque Bar and Dining Room right now with some tomatillo plants.

I helped the JT Basque Bar plants some edible landscape in June all throughout their patio area and it is all cranking. The guys in the back of the restaurant saw this going on and asked the owners if they could get a little garden started for some tomatillos. The owner said yes, so she bought two half wine barrels and we filled them with some of Full Circle Compost’s Garden Soil and planted a few tomatillo plants. Here are the plants as of last week:

Big tomatillos grown in Full Circle Compost’s Garden Boost

These tomatillos are cranking, producing flowers and fruit. This is where the impromptu experiment begins. The guys also decided to plant a tomatillo plant right nest to these guys in the native soil behind the restaurant. This all happened at the same time. Here is the area where the planted the other plant.

Read Full Post »