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RDNO-Gro
Regional yard waste composting operations at the Greater Vernon Recycling and Disposal Facility began in the spring of 2012. Composted and screened yard and garden waste, now known as RDNO-Gro, is used for various landscaping projects in the region.
Limited quantities of the current season batch is also available to residents for personal use, free of charge. A stockpile is available near the entrance of the Greater Vernon RDF, where customers can load their own vehicles.
What is RDNO-Gro?
RDNO-Gro is the compost produced at the Regional Yard Waste Composting Facility located at the Greater Vernon Recycling and Disposal Facility. It is made from the organic yard and garden waste that is dropped off by residents and landscapers throughout the year.
The yard and garden waste pile is chipped three or four times per year and then the material is placed in windrows. This material is mechanically aerated (turned with an excavator) and also watered to maintain high temperatures. The process takes about 24 months, producing a well-rotted, soil-like compost or soil amendment. Once cured, the compost is screened to remove large pieces of wood, rocks and debris and the screened material is set to cure further before being used.
The yard and garden waste is supplemented with a small amount of water treatment plant solids during the composting phase. The solids are the organic matter removed during treatment at the RDNO’s Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant, and are naturally present in raw water. They break down during the composting process, providing additional nutrients to the compost.
The process utilized at the RYWCF is in accordance with the Provincial Organic Matter Recycling Regulation. Once finished the compost is sampled to determine if it meets the OMRR Class A standard. All batches produced since the facility opened have met the Class A standard.
- Sampling Results - Yard Waste Compost (April 2017) - RDNO - Compost Analysis
- Organic Matter Recycling Regulation - Schedule 4
What are the BENEFITS of using RDNO-Gro in my yard or garden?
RDNO-Gro is composed mainly of organic matter. It also contains a very small amount of nutrients, which are present in a ‘slow-release’ form. This means that they can only be used by your plants once the organic matter has broken down. The compost is equivalent to a 1-0.25-0.5 soil amendment. Addition of this compost to your soil will increase the amount of organic matter in your soil, which has many benefits to your soil and plants.
The following are some of the benefits of adding compost to your soil:
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Improves soil structure, which improves plant rooting and makes weed pulling easier
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Improves drought tolerance when used as a mulch or is tilled in, which reduces water requirements
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Reduces soil erosion from rainfall or irrigation when used as a mulch
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Reduces soil compaction, which eases cultivation
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Promotes growth of soil microbes and fungi.
How to use RDNO-Gro
As a general soil amendment: Apply 3 to 5 cm (1-2”) to your garden beds and incorporate by digging or rototilling. Do not cut back on fertilizer use as the compost will only provide a very small amount of nutrients for your plants. Gardens should be amended frequently with compost to maintain soil organic matter content.
As a mulch to suppress weeds in perennial beds and around shrubs: Apply 6 to 8 cm (2.5-3”) evenly over the soil surface and do not incorporate. Leave a 30-60 cm (1-2’) ring around the base of each perennial to allow application of fertilizer as required.
For topdressing of lawns: Apply 1 cm on the lawn surface and rake to produce an even layer over the lawn. Fertilize normally.
In containers and raised beds: Use up to 50% in a fabricated soil mix in planters and raised beds, blending with topsoil, peat moss, sand, vermiculite, perlite or other suitable fabricated soil feedstock.
Questions? Email us at [email protected] or visit our Contact Us page for all other inquiries.