COMPOST USE: INNOVATIVE COMPOST GARDENING SYSTEM APPLIES TO
CONVENTIONAL AGRICULTURE, URBAN GARDENS, BACKYARDS, AND MORE.
Rodney W. Tyler, Filtrexx International, Grafton, Ohio 44044; Kristin A. Nix, Filtrexx
International, Grafton, Ohio 44044
Food safety, population growth, nutrition, and an increase in childhood obesity are all
food issues facing our society today. These issues challenge us to question our food choices and
where our food comes from. Compost can be part of a simple solution to growing safe and local
food. Using compost filled GardenSoxx® to grow fruits and vegetables is a proven technology
that has a variety of applications, which will be examined through a series of case studies.
COMPOST SYSTEM: Filtrexx International has developed a versatile growing system –
compost filled GardenSoxx® – that is applicable in promoting health, nutrition, and local food
production in commercial agriculture, urban gardens, backyards, community gardens, vacant
lots, and schools. The GardenSoxx® system was recently featured on the popular PBS show
GardenSmart as an innovative and versatile gardening tool.
Using weed and disease free compost to grow fruits and vegetables provides abundant
nutrients and biologic activity to plants. When the compost is contained by the GardenSoxx®
mesh technology, proper moisture, drainage, and air circulation occur, providing an ideal
growing environment. The system is portable, accessible, and requires no tilling.
COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE: In 2007, USDA research reported that strawberries
grown in compost filled GardenSoxx® not only produced a higher yield of berries, they also
contained higher nutrient levels. Since this initial research in 2007, over 100 varieties of fruits,
vegetables, and herbs have grown successfully in the GardenSoxx® system. Current research is
focused on tightening plant spacing and vertical planting applications.
URBAN/BACKYARD GARDENS: The GardenSoxx® system allows the ability to
garden in areas that may not have traditional growing potential. Many backyards and urban
areas have no soil, poor soil, or contaminated soil. With GardenSoxx®, no tools are needed, the
system is accessible to the handicapped and elderly, and it can work with popular garden trend
methods such as square foot and raised bed gardens. This urban backyard garden model has
been proven through a program that gives low income families in urban communities an
opportunity to garden and improve their health. Utilizing the features of GardenSoxx® allowed
volunteers to deliver, install, and plant 500 gardens in one day throughout Lorain County, Ohio.
COMMUNITY GARDENS: Community gardens and vacant lots can also benefit from
the system – with GardenSoxx® there is no need for costly soil testing, one day installation is
possible, and community gardeners have the ability to become creative with garden layouts,
using the GardenSoxx® to form shapes and patterns instead of defaulting to traditional row or
raised bed designs. If a garden must be removed from a lot, the compost in the system can be
used to remediate soils or the GardenSoxx® can be easily transported to another location.
SCHOOL GARDENS: There is a “perfect storm” forming in the lives of children today –
nutrition, playtime, and school programs are decreasing, while obesity, processed food, and the
use of technology are increasing. These factors are contributing to a lack of creativity and the
degradation of overall health in children. To counter these trends, many schools are bringing
gardens into the classroom by using GardenSoxx® and the curriculum A Garden For Every
Child, co-written by Filtrexx International, the USCC, and the NGA.
GardenSoxx® is a Registered Trademark of Filtrexx International, LLC. All Rights Reserved.