SureGrow Compost

green and brown logo for Sure Grow compost

SureGrow Multi-Purpose Compost is an all-natural soil additive produced in Medicine Hat.

SureGrow compost can be purchased in bulk quantities. Customers are required to bring a container and shovel to the landfill for self-load and transport. For commercial quantities, additional loader fees apply for all tandem trucks. Contact the Landfill Scalehouse at 403-527-1718 during regular business hours to inquire about bulk pricing.

Why SureGrow?

garden shovel with plant growing on dirt in spade

If your soil is highly compacted, having trouble holding water, or low in organic matter and nutrition, compost is an excellent addition. Compost improves the soil's physical and chemical characteristics allowing for healthy growth of virtually any kind of plant by:

  • Replenishing nutrients in soil
  • Promoting healthier root growth
  • Improving soil structure
  • Increasing water and nutrient holding capacity

SureGrow is produced under industry standards to meet the requirements of category “A” compost. Refer to the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment for details.

Directions for use

The following application amounts and frequency are guidelines. Use your judgement and monitor your vegetation to determine the best rates for your environment.

Potted Plants
Do not plant in pure compost. To root properly, plants must have the texture provided by soil. Mix one part compost with three parts potting soil.
Gardens 
To establish a new garden or prepare a garden for planting, till the soil to a depth of 8-10 inches. Apply a four-inch layer of compost and mix thoroughly into the soil.
Lawns 
On established lawns, apply compost once per year in layers one-quarter inch to one-half inch thick. Water well. To prepare soil for a new lawn, till four inches of compost into eight inches of soil.
 Trees and Shrubs
Lay one inch of compost around trees one foot away from the trunk out past the drip line. Use a two-inch layer for shrubs. Apply once per year.

Do not plant directly into SureGrow or any other compost. Compost should be blended thoroughly with soil and/or other non-compost amendments (such as peat moss).

Chemical composition

SureGrow Compost is a class “A” product made from yard waste materials like grass clippings, leaves, and tree and shrub trimmings. It meets all Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) standards and Environmental Protection Act “Exceptional Quality Standards.”

SureGrow Compost has these physical and chemical characteristics (measured with water removed):

  • Not less than 18% organic content
  • Carbon to nitrogen ratio: 7.5-9 to 1
  • Total nitrogen content: 1.6-2.0%
  • Organic (slow release) nitrogen: 1.5-2%
  • Phosphorus (P205): 0.5-1%
  • Sodium: 0.03-0.04%
  • Sulphur (SO4): 1,400-2,000 ppm
  • Electrical conductivity: 6-9 mmhos/cm
  • pH (when wet): 7-8.5
  • Organic carbon: 10%
  • Potassium (K20): 2-2.9%
  • Calcium: 2-3%
  • Magnesium: 0.5-1%
  • Chloride: 0.3-0.6%

Download the product sheet.