Healthy Soil = Healthy Gardens

soil, region, amendments

Yum Yum Mix® 'Winterizer' Organic Fertilizer
Item # 99811 		Yum Yum Mix® 'Winterizer' Organic Fertilizer

Each $39.95
Soil Mender Humate
Item # H0019 		Soil Mender Humate

each $11.95
Soil Mender® Compost - 40 lb bag
Item # 99744 		Soil Mender® Compost

One 40 lb bag $23.95
  • Topic: Soil
  • Author: Cindy Bellinger
  • Keywords: soil, topsoil, clay, region, amendments, compost
  • Date: September 2006

© All articles are copyrighted by High Country Gardens. Republication is prohibited without Permission.

People who move to Santa Fe marvel at our soil. It really is something else, especially compared to more fertile regions. A lot of gardening in our area requires a lot of fussing with the soil.

Even if you’re settled enough to feel like a native, it’d be well worth your time to attend the presentation this Saturday. Greg Birkenfeld, the creator of Soil Mender® products, does know something about soil. His list of products is long and includes:

  • Yum Yum® Mix Winterizer
  • Greensand
  • Planters II
  • Soil Mender® Blend Plus, Compost, Mulch, Top Soil, different meals

For many of his products he consulted with David Salman, President of Santa Fe Greenhouses. The Soil Mender® line is an exclusive in Santa Fe, and the story behind Soil Mender is worth telling.

Three brothers—Keith, Bob, and Greg—grew up “dairying and farming” in Texas. Then about twelve years ago they got to looking at their fields of organic cotton and lots of cow manure and decided to compost it.

“And that’s what got us started in the compost business,” said
Birkenfeld. “We first called ourselves KBG Compost, and for the first seven years
only sold bulk to golf courses and the agriculture industry.”

Today they have three product lines and sell over 30 products; each one lends a different approach to amending soil. But Birkenfeld said, “In any situation you want to mix our products with your local soil. All soils have good qualities and if you’re planting native plants, you want those native qualities to be there in the soil.”

Birkenfeld said when he first began developing Soil Mender® Blend he worked with Salman for the right ingredients and to get a light, fine texture.

“He had the cotton burrs and the manure, and I suggested seeing what would happen if he put them together,” Salman said. Both are well aged. Then about two years ago Birkenfeld began adding alfalfa to the blend and it became Soil Mender® Blend Plus. Once you use it with our clay soil, you’ll be hooked. It’s definitely the fix-all.

The Soil Mender® Top Soil is also a fine texture but a little denser. It’s a mix of Texas topsoil and cotton burr fines, fines being what’s left over after being sifted. It’s composted for nearly a year and is good for creating the base or bulk in raised beds. Combine it with your existing soil and Birkenfeld says in time the added topsoil will bind with your local soil.

“I totally believe in their products. They’re really top rate,” said Salman. Is there any better recommendation than that?