• Plant Trees and Shrubs in February - Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 12:06 PM
  • Southern California cities average about seven days of rainy weather in February meaning there is still plenty of sunny days to plant trees and shrubs and prepare gardens for spring, say experts at Agromin, an Oxnard-based manufacturer of earth-friendly soil products made from organic material collected from more than 50 Southern California communities.

    Plant Trees and Shrubs: Planting trees and shrubs is relatively simple. First, dig a hole twice as wide but just as deep as the tree's root ball. If the soil is mostly clay or compacted, dig a hole three times as big and amend the soil. This will encourage trees roots to spread out. Place the root ball in the hole with the top of the root ball even with the top of the hole. Add soil until the hole is about two-thirds full. Water and then let the soil settle. Add a thick layer of mulch to keep in moisture, but don't let the mulch touch the trunk. Water as needed during periods of no rain.

    Avoiding Staking New Trees: Unless the newly planted tree is in a windy area, do not stake the tree. If you must stake the tree, do so for no more than a year. Movement helps strengthen the trunk and stimulates root growth. A staked tree may grow taller faster, but in general, their root system is less developed and their trunks are weaker.

    Plant Warm-Weather Flowers: Once the danger of frost has passed, plant warm-season flowers such as marigolds, petunias and already-blooming plants such as violas, snapdragons, calendulas and primroses. They provide instant color.

    Select Healthy Plants At The Nursery: Watch for signs up an unhealthy plant before you decide to make your purchase at the local nursery or home center. Otherwise, your garden will not be as successful, despite your best efforts. Wilted or yellow leaves could mean an illness or not enough water. Long stems without much leaf growth are an indication the plant has been in its container too long. While flowers on a plant may look nice in the store, too many blooms mean the plant is devoting too much energy into creating those flowers--and could go into shock once transplanted. Roots poking out of the bottom of the plant are another sign a plant has been in its pot too long and is experiencing stress. Weeds in the pot are not a good sign. It means the plant is sharing the soil nutrients with an unwanted guest.

    Plant California Native Shrubs: Plant California native plants now, many of which are ready to bloom. These include Creeping Sage, varieties of Manzanita, California Morning Glory, Ceanothus Rigidus Snowball, Maritime California Lilac and Wooly Blue Curls.  

    Get A Jump On Weeds: Even during mostly dry winters, weeds will find a way to grow. Remove them by hand or with a hoe before they get too big. Once they go to seed, the time it takes to remove them becomes much greater. Cover your garden with two or three inches of mulch to keep new weeds from growing.

    Water Potted Plants: The winter sun can quickly dry out both indoor and outdoor potted plants. Water outdoor potted plants so the soil remains moist, especially if the weather has been dry for 7 to 10 days. Indoor plants can try out just as quickly, especially if exposed to sunlight or warm air from heaters or fireplaces.

                For more gardening tips, go to www.agromin.com.

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  • New Turf in Time for Soccer Season at Ranch Capistrano - Monday, January 16, 2012 at 2:54 PM


  • Soccer players from United Futbol Club (UFC) and The Blues Soccer Club have lush new grass to play on this season. The grass on its fields at Ranch Capistrano was upgraded courtesy of Hutchins Agronomic Services with organic soil amendments from Agromin and grass seed and sod from Crop Production Services and West Coast Turf.

                With 40 teams from the UFC and 20 teams from the Blues practicing four days a week, plus high school tournaments, soccer tournaments and league play, the fields are under constant use. "It is mind boggling how much soccer is played on the ranch's six fields. That is why it is so difficult to maintain good field conditions," says Kevin Hutchins, owner of Hutchins Agronomic Services. Hutchins' son plays for UFC. His company specializes in golf course and turf field renovation.   

                Hutchins' company used state-of-the-art equipment to seed the fields including an Amazone seeder and PlanetAir aerifier. His team also sodded areas where there was little or no turf. He then used Agromin's organic lawn dressing to cover the seeds and sod for warmth, to hold in moisture and provide nutrients. Hutchins used 240 yards of Agromin's lawn dressing over the six acres of fields. He also replaced 200 sprinklers. His team worked four, 16-hour days in December to complete the project.

                The reaction from The Ranch Partnership, the nonprofit group that runs the fields and soccer programs, was shock. "They were amazed how fast the grass grew and how great it looks," says Hutchins. The grass is a combination of 75 percent ryegrass and 25 percent red fescue. Over 5,000 pounds of seed and more 3,500 square feet of overseeded "328 Bermuda" sod were applied to the fields.

                Says Kelly Nunn, a UFC girls soccer coach, "This is the best that I have ever seen the fields. They have never looked this fabulous! Thank you Kevin. Thank you for your kindness and hard work."

                For more information about large-scale landscaping, contact Kevin Hutchins at kevinhas@ymail.com.  Hutchins Agronomic Services offers agronomic consulting, soil testing, renovation planning and execution.  . For more on organic lawn care, go to www.agromin.com.

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  • Agromin's Tom Kelley to Moderate Program at Annual US Composting Council Conference - Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 10:38 AM


  • Tom Kelley, Agromin's vice president of sales and business development, will be moderating a marketing panel at the US Composting Council's 20th Annual Conference & Tradeshow, January 17-20 in Austin, Texas. Kelley will be moderating the January 18 "Achievements and Advances" program.

    Agromin is a Gold Sponsor of the USCC conference. The company is dedicated to supporting the USCC and its state chapter, the Association of Compost Producers (ACP). For more information about the USCC, go to http://compostingcouncil.org/

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  • Agromin Names Tom Kelley Vice President of Sales & Business Development - Friday, January 6, 2012 at 12:24 PM
  • Agromin, one of the largest organics management companies in California, has named Tom Kelley as vice president of sales and business development.  

                Kelley has over 27 years in the organics industry, most recently as business development manager for Harvest Power, Inc., a renewable energy and organics management company, where he directed California business development and nationwide product marketing and sales.

                Prior to Harvest Power, Kelley was with Gro-Well Brands as its western region sales director. Before that, he directed sales and marketing for Synagro Composting Company of California Inc., developing programs to market, sell and distribute 550,000 cubic-yards of organic products annually in southern California.

                "Tom's expertise in organics sales and marketing and his years in the organics industry make him an excellent addition to Agromin," says Bill Camarillo, Agromin CEO. "Tom will play an important role in the planning and implementation needed to further establish our brand and presence in California."

                Kelley is currently serving his ninth year on the board of directors for the U.S. Composting Council. To reach him, go to tom@agromin.com.

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  • Monte Vista Special Needs Students Learn Joys of Gardening - Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 6:08 PM

  •             A special needs class at Monte Vista Middle School in Camarillo is experiencing the joys of gardening.

                A class of 12 autistic students in sixth through eighth grade is learning about planting, growing and harvesting a variety of vegetables under the tutelage of Dianne Polen, the school's Life Lab and campus beautification coordinator.

                "I love teaching students about gardening and how important it is in their lives to learn to eat healthy and how simple it is to grow their own fresh veggies and fruit," says Polen. "It touches my heart to see how excited they are to work in their garden." 

                The school garden consists of six garden boxes. The students are growing varieties of lettuce, purple and green cabbage, cauliflower, onions, carrots and broccoli. These vegetables will be picked throughout fall and winter with a new crop for spring to be planted soon. The students compare the taste of fresh grown vegetables and vegetables from the store, plus they get to take the fresh vegetables home with them. They also learn about butterflies and the value of good bugs such as ladybugs and butterflies.

                Polen works with the students once a week. "It's always fun to watch students stop by the garden at lunch or between classes to check its progress," says Polen. 


                "The garden fosters all types of learning including art, science and math," says the students' teacher Mary Postal. "There are so many ways to use the garden as a learning tool in addition to the caretaking and responsibility aspect. For this special class, the garden is used in therapeutic ways as well. When a student is having a hard time in class, we just go outside, water the garden and refocus. For a teacher, it's been wonderful.”

                Agromin, the county's green material recycler and maker of organic potting soil and compost, donated soil amendments for the garden.

                "We've found that students get tremendous satisfaction and a great sense of accomplishment when they are responsible for a school garden," says Bill Camarillo, Agromin CEO. "It may seem to be a simple task, but the lessons they learn--from how to eat healthy to how to follow through on a project--can stay with them all their lives."

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  • Agromin-Sponsored High School Ag Program Wins Award - Friday, October 21, 2011 at 2:36 PM

  • Buena Park High FFA Chapter Officers
    Buena Park High School's Agriculture Partnership Program is the recipient of a California School Boards Association (CSBA)'s 2011 Golden Bell Award. The annual awards recognize school programs that are essential to support teaching and learning. The Buena Park agriculture program was recognized as the top program in the "Partnerships and Collaboratives" category. Agromin is a major sponsor of the school's agriculture program and Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter.

                The program began in the 2007-08 school year with around 60 students. It is now up to over 400 students. Buena Park High's agriculture program has been ranked as the number one high school agriculture program in the Western United States (three years straight) by the National Association of Agricultural Educators. Once uncultivated land now features over 350 fruit-bearing trees and irrigation, providing a hands-on field lab for students as well as program-supporting income through weekly farm store sales. Members of FFA and their farm animals regularly place high at the Orange County Fair.

                Besides experiencing training in agriculture and animal husbandry and learning about sustainability and the environment, students have an opportunity to earn six college credits while in the program. Other tangible benefits include an increase in grade point average of participating students from 2.34 percent to 2.68 percent since the program's inception and college enrollment after graduation increasing from 0 percent in 2008 to 32 percent in 2010.

                Since it began its sponsorship in 2009, Agromin, one of the largest organic materials recyclers in California and a premium soil manufacturer, has provided the program with plants, soil amendments and soil science teaching. It helped expand and maintain the school's 15-acre orchards and row-crop fields. The company also offers significant support for the school's student-animal projects. "Agromin’s mission of spreading knowledge about green and sustainable living is even more evident in our latest joint project to reclaim an acre of distressed land on campus and rejuvenating it into fertile farm land," says Jessica Fernandes, head agriculture science teacher and FFA chapter leader at Buena Park High School. "It's a model project for Orange County."

                Fernandes was also just awarded the National Association of Agricultural Educators' “Outstanding Ag Teacher” for 2011.

                Buena Park High's agriculture program and Agromin will be honored at the CSBA Golden Bell Awards dinner on December 3 in San Diego.

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  • New Turf Removal Program Helps Simi Residents Reduce Water Use & Plant Drought Resident Landscape - Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 12:19 PM
  • Under a new residential turf removal program by Golden State Water Company, Simi Valley residents who remove all or a portion of their lawn and replace it with mulch and drought tolerant plants can receive $1.50 for every square foot of grass removed up to $3,000.

    The program is part of the Metropolitan Water District's SoCal Water$mart water conservation effort. Only residential properties qualify. Homeowners must fill out an application, provide a copy of a recent water bill and provide four or five "before" shots of the area where the grass will be replaced. At least 250 square feet of turf must be removed.

    Once the application is approved, residents have 120 days to remove and replace the turf. All exposed soil must be covered with a 2" layer of mulch. No invasive plant species can be used. Once the project is completed, homeowners will need to complete the final portion of the rebate application and provide four or five color photos of the revamped area.

    Homeowners can replace grass with shrubs, ground cover, mulch, permeable paths and permeable hardscape.

    "A lawn is one of the largest users of residential water," says Bill Camarillo, CEO of Agromin, Simi Valley's renewable organics recycler. "By removing all or a portion of your lawn, you conserve water and save on your water bill." Agromin offers mulch at a number of Simi Valley outlets. For a list, go to www.agromin.com.

    For more information on the turf replacement program, go to SoCalWaterSmart and click on Calleguas Municipal Water District / Golden State Water Company.

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