• About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Annual Reports
    • Audit Reports
    • 2022 Strategic Plan
    • Board Meetings
    • FY24 Proposed Budget
    • Board of Directors >
      • 2023 Director Elections
    • DEI Statement
    • Staff >
      • Career Opportunities
      • Internship Opportunity
    • Resource Assessment >
      • 2021 Results
      • 2016 Results
    • 2020 Millage
    • FOIA Requests
    • Annual Meeting >
      • 2022 WCCD Awardees
    • Conservation Update Newsletter
  • Store
  • Resources
    • School & Community Habitat Grant
    • Rain barrels & Composters >
      • Rain Barrels Information
      • Rain Barrel Common Questions
    • Tool and Equipment Rental >
      • Hand Tool Rentals
      • Herbicide Application Tool Rentals
    • Contractor Lists
    • Hunter Access Program
  • Events
    • Native Plant Expo & Marketplace >
      • 2023 Native Plant Expo Recap
      • 2023 Spring Milkweed Giveaway
      • 2023 Spring Native Plant Sale
      • 2023 NPEM Speaker Series
      • 2023 NPEM Sponsorship
      • 2023 NPEM Vendor Application
    • Tree & Shrub Distributions >
      • Fall Sale - Volunteer Sign-up
      • 2023 Spring Tree & Shrub Sale
    • Washtenaw Field Day >
      • Washtenaw Field Day Sponsorship
    • Do you need an Arborist or Forester? Webinar Speaker Info
    • Well Water Testing
    • Coffee & Conservation
    • Public Meetings Calendar
  • Conservation Planning
    • NRCS Farm Bill Programs
    • MAEAP
    • MiFarmLink
    • Michigan Climate Smart Farm Project
    • Farmer Cost-Share Opportunities
    • MI Farmland Preservation
    • Invasive Species
  • Education
    • Workshops & Programs >
      • Community Conservation Education
      • Conservation Agriculture Education
      • Conservation Stewards Program
    • Online resources >
      • Agriculture >
        • Farmland Preservation
        • Soils >
          • Washtenaw County Soils
        • Windbreaks
        • Composting >
          • Composters
      • Forestry >
        • Community Trees
        • Tree & Shrub Planting Guide
        • Tree Diseases & Pests
        • Crop Tree Management
        • Fruit Tree Planting & Care
        • Likelihood of Deer Damage
        • Other Forestry Links
        • Pruning Forest Trees
        • Timber Sales
        • Urban Trees
      • Insects >
        • Animal & Insect Repellents
      • Invasive Species & Control >
        • Spongy Moth Article
        • Oak Wilt Article
        • Tree-of-Heaven & Spotted Lanternfly Article
      • Native Plants >
        • Planting Native Plants
        • Seeding Wildflowers
      • Recycling
      • Water >
        • Groundwater >
          • Groundwater Protection - Agriculture
        • Pond Construction >
          • Pond Management
        • Rain Gardens
        • Shoreline Property
        • Stormwater Runoff & Management
        • Stream Bank Erosion and Control
        • Wells >
          • Water Testing
          • Water Screening Events
        • Wetlands >
          • Wetland Mitigation Banking
        • Wildlife >
          • Brush Piles
          • Clearcutting
          • Den Trees
  • Get Involved
    • Milkweed Seed Collection
    • Spring Tree & Shrub Event Volunteering
    • Fall Tree & Shrub Sale Volunteer Feedback Survey
    • 2023 Native Plant Expo & Marketplace Volunteer
  • Donate
WASHTENAW COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Annual Reports
    • Audit Reports
    • 2022 Strategic Plan
    • Board Meetings
    • FY24 Proposed Budget
    • Board of Directors >
      • 2023 Director Elections
    • DEI Statement
    • Staff >
      • Career Opportunities
      • Internship Opportunity
    • Resource Assessment >
      • 2021 Results
      • 2016 Results
    • 2020 Millage
    • FOIA Requests
    • Annual Meeting >
      • 2022 WCCD Awardees
    • Conservation Update Newsletter
  • Store
  • Resources
    • School & Community Habitat Grant
    • Rain barrels & Composters >
      • Rain Barrels Information
      • Rain Barrel Common Questions
    • Tool and Equipment Rental >
      • Hand Tool Rentals
      • Herbicide Application Tool Rentals
    • Contractor Lists
    • Hunter Access Program
  • Events
    • Native Plant Expo & Marketplace >
      • 2023 Native Plant Expo Recap
      • 2023 Spring Milkweed Giveaway
      • 2023 Spring Native Plant Sale
      • 2023 NPEM Speaker Series
      • 2023 NPEM Sponsorship
      • 2023 NPEM Vendor Application
    • Tree & Shrub Distributions >
      • Fall Sale - Volunteer Sign-up
      • 2023 Spring Tree & Shrub Sale
    • Washtenaw Field Day >
      • Washtenaw Field Day Sponsorship
    • Do you need an Arborist or Forester? Webinar Speaker Info
    • Well Water Testing
    • Coffee & Conservation
    • Public Meetings Calendar
  • Conservation Planning
    • NRCS Farm Bill Programs
    • MAEAP
    • MiFarmLink
    • Michigan Climate Smart Farm Project
    • Farmer Cost-Share Opportunities
    • MI Farmland Preservation
    • Invasive Species
  • Education
    • Workshops & Programs >
      • Community Conservation Education
      • Conservation Agriculture Education
      • Conservation Stewards Program
    • Online resources >
      • Agriculture >
        • Farmland Preservation
        • Soils >
          • Washtenaw County Soils
        • Windbreaks
        • Composting >
          • Composters
      • Forestry >
        • Community Trees
        • Tree & Shrub Planting Guide
        • Tree Diseases & Pests
        • Crop Tree Management
        • Fruit Tree Planting & Care
        • Likelihood of Deer Damage
        • Other Forestry Links
        • Pruning Forest Trees
        • Timber Sales
        • Urban Trees
      • Insects >
        • Animal & Insect Repellents
      • Invasive Species & Control >
        • Spongy Moth Article
        • Oak Wilt Article
        • Tree-of-Heaven & Spotted Lanternfly Article
      • Native Plants >
        • Planting Native Plants
        • Seeding Wildflowers
      • Recycling
      • Water >
        • Groundwater >
          • Groundwater Protection - Agriculture
        • Pond Construction >
          • Pond Management
        • Rain Gardens
        • Shoreline Property
        • Stormwater Runoff & Management
        • Stream Bank Erosion and Control
        • Wells >
          • Water Testing
          • Water Screening Events
        • Wetlands >
          • Wetland Mitigation Banking
        • Wildlife >
          • Brush Piles
          • Clearcutting
          • Den Trees
  • Get Involved
    • Milkweed Seed Collection
    • Spring Tree & Shrub Event Volunteering
    • Fall Tree & Shrub Sale Volunteer Feedback Survey
    • 2023 Native Plant Expo & Marketplace Volunteer
  • Donate

Composting & Mulches

Picture
Compost is one of nature's best mulches and soil amendments, and you can use it instead of commercial fertilizers. Using compost improves soil structure, texture, and aeration and increases the soil's water-holding capacity. Compost loosens clay soils and helps sandy soils retain water. Adding compost improves soil fertility and stimulates healthy root development in plants. The organic matter in compost provides food for microorganisms, which keeps the soil in a healthy, balanced condition. This allows nutrients to be produced naturally by the feeding of the microorganisms, so few if any soil amendments will need to be added.

Guides to Composting
  • How to Make Compost, A Composting Guide
  • Composting
  • Composting with Worms

For mulches or wood chips, you can often find affordable large quantities from local municipal services. For wood chips, it's recommended to purchase ones that are seasoned and free of weed seeds. Some local municipal composting facilities include:
  • Ann Arbor Compost Facility
  • Ypsilanti Township Compost Site

It's possible to get woodchips from local arborists working in your area as well. ChipDrop is an organization that makes this connection easier.

Washtenaw County Conservation District
(734) 302-8715
info@washtenawcd.org

​ 705 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Copyright 2020
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Annual Reports
    • Audit Reports
    • 2022 Strategic Plan
    • Board Meetings
    • FY24 Proposed Budget
    • Board of Directors >
      • 2023 Director Elections
    • DEI Statement
    • Staff >
      • Career Opportunities
      • Internship Opportunity
    • Resource Assessment >
      • 2021 Results
      • 2016 Results
    • 2020 Millage
    • FOIA Requests
    • Annual Meeting >
      • 2022 WCCD Awardees
    • Conservation Update Newsletter
  • Store
  • Resources
    • School & Community Habitat Grant
    • Rain barrels & Composters >
      • Rain Barrels Information
      • Rain Barrel Common Questions
    • Tool and Equipment Rental >
      • Hand Tool Rentals
      • Herbicide Application Tool Rentals
    • Contractor Lists
    • Hunter Access Program
  • Events
    • Native Plant Expo & Marketplace >
      • 2023 Native Plant Expo Recap
      • 2023 Spring Milkweed Giveaway
      • 2023 Spring Native Plant Sale
      • 2023 NPEM Speaker Series
      • 2023 NPEM Sponsorship
      • 2023 NPEM Vendor Application
    • Tree & Shrub Distributions >
      • Fall Sale - Volunteer Sign-up
      • 2023 Spring Tree & Shrub Sale
    • Washtenaw Field Day >
      • Washtenaw Field Day Sponsorship
    • Do you need an Arborist or Forester? Webinar Speaker Info
    • Well Water Testing
    • Coffee & Conservation
    • Public Meetings Calendar
  • Conservation Planning
    • NRCS Farm Bill Programs
    • MAEAP
    • MiFarmLink
    • Michigan Climate Smart Farm Project
    • Farmer Cost-Share Opportunities
    • MI Farmland Preservation
    • Invasive Species
  • Education
    • Workshops & Programs >
      • Community Conservation Education
      • Conservation Agriculture Education
      • Conservation Stewards Program
    • Online resources >
      • Agriculture >
        • Farmland Preservation
        • Soils >
          • Washtenaw County Soils
        • Windbreaks
        • Composting >
          • Composters
      • Forestry >
        • Community Trees
        • Tree & Shrub Planting Guide
        • Tree Diseases & Pests
        • Crop Tree Management
        • Fruit Tree Planting & Care
        • Likelihood of Deer Damage
        • Other Forestry Links
        • Pruning Forest Trees
        • Timber Sales
        • Urban Trees
      • Insects >
        • Animal & Insect Repellents
      • Invasive Species & Control >
        • Spongy Moth Article
        • Oak Wilt Article
        • Tree-of-Heaven & Spotted Lanternfly Article
      • Native Plants >
        • Planting Native Plants
        • Seeding Wildflowers
      • Recycling
      • Water >
        • Groundwater >
          • Groundwater Protection - Agriculture
        • Pond Construction >
          • Pond Management
        • Rain Gardens
        • Shoreline Property
        • Stormwater Runoff & Management
        • Stream Bank Erosion and Control
        • Wells >
          • Water Testing
          • Water Screening Events
        • Wetlands >
          • Wetland Mitigation Banking
        • Wildlife >
          • Brush Piles
          • Clearcutting
          • Den Trees
  • Get Involved
    • Milkweed Seed Collection
    • Spring Tree & Shrub Event Volunteering
    • Fall Tree & Shrub Sale Volunteer Feedback Survey
    • 2023 Native Plant Expo & Marketplace Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Live Chat Support ×

    Connecting

    You: ::content::
    ::agent_name:: ::content::
    ::content::
    ::content::