Healthy, resilient landscapes start below the surface. That was the central message of “Research to Real-World Results: Bloom for Turfgrass and Landscaping Success,” a webinar bringing together university research and the experiences of landscaping and grounds-management professionals using compost in the field. You can watch the full webinar now.
The webinar featured Dr. Mark Carroll, associate professor in the University of Maryland Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture; Gabe Gammill, president of Capital Sports Fields; and Brandon Smallwood, assistant supervisor of grounds management at Navy Federal Credit Union’s headquarters campus. Together, they examined how compost and Bloom can improve soil performance, support healthier turf and potentially reduce long-term landscape inputs.
Compost as a Soil-Building Tool
One of the webinar’s most important takeaways was that compost’s value extends well beyond the nutrients it provides. Dr. Carroll, who has researched compost and turfgrass throughout his career, highlighted three major benefits: improving soil physical properties, supplying nutrients over time and increasing the amount of water available to plants. These benefits can be especially significant in compacted soils, such as those commonly encountered around newly constructed homes and commercial developments.
Research presented during the webinar demonstrated just how significant those physical improvements can be. In one study, incorporating approximately two inches of compost produced infiltration rates roughly five times those of non-amended soils. In separate University of Maryland research, compost-amended turf plots averaged approximately 33% less runoff over three years than turf receiving synthetic fertilizer alone.
The addition of organic matter helps reduce soil bulk density and creates conditions in which water can more readily enter the soil while also increasing the amount of water available for plants. For landscaping professionals dealing with compacted clay, construction-disturbed soils or landscapes prone to drought stress, those improvements can have important implications for long-term landscape performance.
Benefits That Continue for Years
Compost also differs from conventional fertilizer in the way it supplies nutrients. Dr. Carroll explained that compost functions as a slow-release nutrient source, with a portion of its nitrogen becoming plant-available during the first year and progressively smaller amounts becoming available in subsequent years.
One of the most striking examples came from a University of Maryland residential lawn study. Approximately two inches of compost were incorporated into compacted soil around newly constructed homes. The amended lawn received no irrigation, fertilizer, herbicides or other pesticides during the study, yet continued to perform well three years later. The result demonstrated what can happen when contractors address the underlying soil rather than relying exclusively on ongoing inputs to compensate for poor growing conditions.
For landscape professionals, this suggests a different way to think about soil amendment: an investment made during installation or renovation can continue influencing landscape performance for years afterward.
From Research to Professional Turf Management
Gabe Gammill of Capital Sports Fields provided the contractor perspective, showing how these principles translate into management of heavily used athletic fields.
Compaction, wear, irrigation demand and weed pressure are persistent challenges in sports turf. Capital Sports Fields incorporates compost into a broader program that includes soil testing, aeration, overseeding and other soil amendments. Compost is applied following aeration so material can move into the root zone, and it is also used during overseeding to improve seed-to-soil contact and turf establishment.
For new field construction, Gammill showed an example in which approximately two inches of woody compost were incorporated into the existing soil before final grading. The goal was to increase organic matter, improve infiltration and create conditions for deeper rooting from the beginning rather than attempting to correct the soil after establishment.
His broader message was that compost works best as part of an integrated soil-management program. Stronger soils support denser turf and deeper roots, which can improve stress tolerance, reduce opportunities for weeds and decrease irrigation demand.
Seven Years of Results at a Large Commercial Campus
Brandon Smallwood offered another real-world perspective from Navy Federal Credit Union’s headquarters campus in Vienna, Virginia. His grounds team manages approximately 75 acres across three properties and has used Bloom for roughly seven years.
The organization initially produced its own leaf compost before experimenting with other commercial compost products. Storage constraints, labor requirements and product availability eventually led the team to Bloom.
After initially using the Woody Blend, Navy Federal increasingly adopted Bloom’s Sandy Blend, particularly for turf and compacted soils associated with new construction. Smallwood noted that the Sandy Blend also worked more easily through the team’s smaller topdressing equipment.
Today, the grounds team incorporates Bloom into its seasonal turf program, including aeration and overseeding. Smallwood reported improvements in soil organic matter and more consistent soil pH across turf areas, but one of the most noticeable differences has appeared during drought conditions. Turf growing in the amended soils has demonstrated better moisture retention and resilience, allowing the team to be more targeted with irrigation.
That resilience is particularly important on a highly visible corporate campus that hosts large events throughout the year. As Smallwood explained, the objective isn’t simply greener turf: it is turf capable of tolerating stress and recovering quickly afterward.
Application Strategy Matters
The webinar also highlighted an important distinction between incorporating compost into soil and applying compost as a topdressing, particularly for landscaping professionals operating in Maryland.
Maryland’s nutrient-management regulations can restrict the amount of compost that can legally be applied to established turf based on nitrogen and phosphorus levels. Dr. Carroll explained that these restrictions can make traditional compost topdressing rates impractical in some situations, particularly when existing soil phosphorus is already at optimum or excessive levels.
That limitation does not diminish compost’s value as an incorporated soil amendment. Instead, it reinforces the importance of testing soil, understanding the nutrient analysis of the amendment being applied and choosing an application strategy appropriate to the site and jurisdiction.
A Different Approach to Landscape Performance
Taken together, the research and field experience presented during the webinar point toward a straightforward principle for landscape professionals: better soil can reduce the need to continually compensate for poor growing conditions.
Incorporating quality compost into compacted or disturbed soils can improve infiltration, increase plant-available water, supply nutrients over an extended period and create better conditions for root development. In established turf, pairing appropriate compost applications with aeration, overseeding and soil testing can become part of a broader strategy for developing healthier, more resilient turf.
For contractors, designers and grounds managers, the opportunity is therefore larger than simply substituting compost for fertilizer. Particularly during new construction and major renovations, improving the soil profile from the beginning can help create landscapes that establish more successfully, tolerate drought and traffic better, and require fewer corrective inputs over their lifetime.
