International Compost Awareness Week Kickoff Day

As many of you may be aware, this week is International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW). Later this week we will be at the Iowa State Capitol Building to have a proclamation signed by the Governor recognizing ICAW and Chamness Technology for being a forerunner in the state! However, there are ways that you can celebrate ICAW at home as well! Here are just a few.

Plant some Tomatoes
This year the U.S. Composting Council announced their 1 Million Tomato campaign, so planting one of the million yourself is a great way to celebrate ICAW. Tomatoes do especially well in a soil/compost mixture that can result in bigger, brighter, and juicier tomatoes!

Start Composting At Home
It may seem difficult, but starting to compost at home is actually pretty easy. You can't do all of the organic products that we can handle at the professional level, but eggshells, coffee grounds, and old salad are some great first steps in your own composting journey!

Get your Workplace Composting
A lot of companies are beginning to put corporate sustainability policies in place, so why not make it a very sustainable place to work? Many companies don't even think about compostings, or realize there's a company in Iowa that can help you do it! Contact GreenRU if you're interested in getting your work composting at sales@greenru.org or 855-RU-VERDE

Find A Local Composter and Buy Some Compost For Your Garden
Compost can help everyone have a more beautiful and bountiful garden, no matter what the size. Keeping the compost local reduces the environmental footprint and can work wonders in all kinds of soil! We sell compost at our Eddyville and Ames facilities, so make sure to stop by if you need some locally sourced compost!

Tips for Growing Tomatoes

In the spirit of the U.S. Composting Council's Million Tomato Compost Campaign, we thought we'd give you some tips on growing your own tomatoes this year. We've collected a few of our favorite tips and tricks to growing big and beautiful tomatoes! Be sure to share any additional tips you might have in the comments.

Location, Location, Location!

Tomatoes love sunshine, so make sure you place them where they can get about 8-10 hours of sunshine a day! However, wind can be detrimental to them if it is too strong, so make sure that it's also an area where they won't get blow away.

Timing

You want to make sure you plant after the risk of frost has abated. Freezing can cause a whole slew of problems for your tomatoes, so it's better to be safe and wait until the risk has gone.

Chose your Type of Tomato Carefully

Certain types of tomatoes flourish, while other wither in specific climates. Find out what kind of tomatoes do best where you are! One way to test it out is to try a couple different kinds of tomatoes your first year planting. There are also many other resources for finding out which ones do best where you live, such as searching online or inquiring at local greenhouses.

Start your soil off right

One great way to ensure your tomatoes flourish as much as possible is to mix in compost with your natural soil prior to planing. This will help fight off diseases, pests, and encourage your tomatoes to grow better (and larger).