Friends of Boulder Knoll

06/04/2026

05/19/2026

What to know before you buy topsoil
The word topsoil suggests rich, dark earth that will fix most of what ails a yard. Maybe the lawn never recovered after construction, a new raised bed needs filling, or a bare patch by the driveway still looks more like gravel than garden. Buying a load of topsoil seems like a simple answer to all three. But “topsoil” is not a guarantee of quality. Depending on the source, it may be dense, low in organic matter, full of stones, or simply a poor match for the job you have in mind. That means homeowners should buy it with a clear idea of what it can and cannot do.
The first question is not what to buy, but what problem you are trying to solve. If the real issue is low pH, low fertility, or some other imbalance, another load of soil may not help much. A soil test is an inexpensive way to check pH and nutrient levels before you start
adding products.
If you are filling a new raised bed, topsoil alone is usually not the best answer. A blend of topsoil and finished compost works better than straight compost or straight mineral soil, because the two materials do different jobs. Topsoil provides mineral content, structure, and weight. Compost adds organic matter, holds moisture, and improves tilth. Most unamended topsoil is low in organic matter, which is why a topsoil-compost blend is usually more useful for gardens and landscapes.
There is no state-run topsoil grading or certification system in Connecticut, so buyers have to ask a few questions on their own. Where did the soil come from? Has it been screened? Is it meant for lawn repair, general grading, or a vegetable garden? Is compost already mixed in, and if so, how much? These answers matter because soil products are not interchangeable: material sold for grading can be fine for filling low spots but a poor choice for a vegetable bed.
It is also worth thinking about what might come along for the ride. Poorly sourced soil can carry contaminants that are not obvious to the eye, including residues from past land use. Ask the supplier about the soil’s origin, and if there is reason for concern, have it tested for lead or pesticide residues before planting. If the product includes compost, ask whether it comes from a reputable testing program, such as the U.S. Composting Council’s Seal of Testing Assurance, which requires routine testing for heavy metals and pathogens. There is a biological concern as well. Invasive jumping worms and their cocoons can hitch a ride in soil, compost, mulch, and potted plants, so buying from reputable sources and using heat-treated compost or mulch when possible can help reduce that risk.
Texture is another simple check. If the material feels sticky and heavy when wet, it may seal up and drain poorly. If it feels very light, peaty, or woody, it may settle quickly after a season or two. Good garden soil, or a good topsoil-compost blend, should crumble easily, drain reasonably well, and still hold moisture. It should smell earthy, not sour or strongly ammonia-like.
Cost deserves a clear-eyed look as well. Bulk soil is usually cheaper than bagged soil and creates less plastic waste, but the cheapest load may not be the best buy if it leaves you with hard, low-organic-matter material that won’t support plant growth well.
There is one more caution, mainly for gardeners who refresh beds every year. Building organic matter in a tired soil is a good idea, but more compost and manure are not always better over the long run. Repeated heavy additions, especially of manure-based compost,
can push phosphorus levels well above what plants can use. That is a problem for water quality if the soil erodes, and it can throw off the balance of other nutrients. A periodic soil test is the best way to know whether a bed actually needs more material.
For most homeowners, the best results come from matching the material to the job. Test first if you can. Use topsoil for structure and volume, compost for organic matter, and each where it makes sense. For a raised bed, start with a soil-compost blend. To repair a lawn after construction, plan to build organic matter over time with compost, mulch, and returning grass clippings or shredded leaves to the soil. When buying from a bulk supplier, ask questions before the truck shows up.
Topsoil can be a useful tool, but it is still only one ingredient. Better soil is built, not delivered in a single truckload.
The UConn Home Garden Education Office supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at 877-486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension Center at extension.uconn.edu/locations.

04/27/2026

We are very fortunate to be displaying a beautiful new sign at our community farm, thanks to four talented young ladies who study painting at Artsplace. Three of them, with their instructor Kristy Endriss, attended the unveiling ceremony April 26. A delightful partnership. Nice work, ladies. 🥰

04/24/2026

Our 2026 Season Opening Celebration -

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04/23/2026

By Stephen Underwood
Hartford Courant
If you live near a Connecticut farm, chances are you may smell manure this summer. While its foul odor may be
an inconvenience for some, farmers say it is an essential tool to help grow crops and ensure their livelihoods.
Manure is organic matter, primarily from livestock f***l droppings like cows or horses, used as fertilizer to
boost soil fertility by providing nutrients. The manure is then mixed with bedding, often aged or composted
before use. Fertilizer, while often lacking the smell of manure, is an artificial or synthetic substance produced in
factories that provides immediate, highly concentrated and targeted nutrients.
Seth Bahler, CEO and fifth-generation farmer at Oakridge Dairy in Somers and Ellington, said manure is often
the most important tool for farmers to grow and sustain crops. While some fertilizer is used at Oakridge, the
largest dairy farm in Connecticut with over 600 acres and close to 3,000 cows, manure is mostly used. Bahler
also uses a methane digester to convert approximately 70,000 gallons of daily cow manure into renewable
natural gas, which is the equivalent to roughly powering 800 cars annually, he said.
“We’re getting neighbors with pitchforks trying to kill us about the smell, but we’re only trying to produce safe
and healthy food for people to eat. While folks may have to deal with manure odor a couple times a year, as a
farmer, we’re doing all this hard work to feed people,” Bahler said. “Dairy farmers are the definition of
sustainability, nothing goes to waste. We spread manure on our crop to grow our vegetables, which then feeds
our cows. The cow produces milk and manure, which goes back on the land for the crops. Everything is used
here. It’s a giant cycle.”
Bahler said manure gives farmers a much more natural and cheaper alternative than synthetic fertilizer. Since
the war in Iran started earlier this year, there has a been global fertilizer shipping shortage, as much of the
world’s fertilizer passes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Associated Press. Fertilizer, which uses
urea and nitrogen, has since ballooned in price, jumping from $500 to over $860 per ton. Many farmers are
scaling back their use of fertilizer to cut costs, Bahler said.
“It would easily cost us over $1 million a year if we had to use fertilizer and not cow manure,” Bahler said.
“Manure is more natural, better for the environment and a lot more cost effective. We’re still doing the same
farming methods and practices we have always been doing, but there are some smaller farmers that purchase
manure from other farms or using chicken manure instead.”
Francis Whelan, co-owner of Hayes Farm in Rocky Hill, said that manure often produces a much more
sustainable and healthy crop. Whelan said he is putting down manure on the farm’s leased 13-acre portion of
the Rocky Hill Community Farm. While manure may smell initially, Whelan said that it often subsides after a
couple of days or generally the first rainfall.
“It smells for maybe five days or so, but the smell soon subsides,” Whelan said. “We have raised crops in the
past with commercially man-made fertilizers, but using manure, the crops look healthier, they’re greener and
seem to last longer. We can really tell the difference between manure and fertilizer.”
Hayes Farm, which was founded in 1868, sells grass-fed beef, pork, chicken and free-range eggs, plus ice
cream, Whelan said.
“Manure is a natural product with no chemicals in it, it also stays in the dirt longer,” he said. “Commercial
fertilizers wash out and get into our water streams. It’s not as good for the environment. Fertilizers are very
effective and can make the crops grow, but they need to be applied two or three times per year. The manure
only needs to be applied once per year and holds much better in the soil.”
Fertilizer is known to be environmentally detrimental when not applied correctly, according to the state’s
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. It can seep into rivers, ponds and streams and cause
water pollution, such as toxic algal blooms and oxygen-depleted “dead zones” in lakes and oceans. Due to
fertilizers nitrogen base, it also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Manure can also be an
environmental hazard if not properly disposed or contained and if it seeps into bodies of water.
Manure is generally safe to handle because of the way it is processed and produced. Manure typically takes
three to 12 months to fully compost and become safe for garden use, Bahler said. Compost is ready when it is
dark brown, crumbly and smells like healthy earth. During the compost process, manure often reaches
temperatures between 113 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for several weeks if done correctly,
effectively killing pathogens.
Most manure comes from horses and cows, with some also coming from chickens and rabbits, according to
DEEP.
“Manure improves soil health and allows farmers to grow crops sustainably,” Whelan said. “While we know it
can smell temporarily and cause a nuisance, it is what allows farms to grow crops and be successful so we can
serve our communities.”
Stephen Underwood can be reached at [email protected].

04/12/2026

Scientists sound alarm on ticks
carrying Lyme, other diseases
By Stephen Underwood
Hartford Courant
Scientists with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station say they are seeing an increasing number of ticks testing positive for Lyme disease this year, a concerning trend for anyone looking to enjoy the outdoors this spring.
“During the past few weeks, we have received an average of 30 tick submissions per day for testing, and greater than 40% have tested positive for Lyme disease spirochetes. In addition, these ticks have tested positive for the pathogens responsible for babesiosis, anaplasmosis and Borrelia miyamotoi disease,” said Dr. Goudarz Molaei, director of the CAES tick testing program. “We are at the beginning of the tick activity season for adult blacklegged ticks, which often have higher infection rates because they have had two chances to acquire disease agents during their juvenile stages (larva and nymph),” Molaei said.
In March, scientists with the CAES announced that more than 10,000 ticks were collected from 40 publicly accessible locations across all eight Connecticut counties during the spring, summer and fall of 2025. The ticks were then tested for five human disease-causing pathogens including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Lyme
disease, hard tick relapsing fever and Powassan virus. Scientists said the number of ticks collected was higher than in previous years, showing a rise in the tick population. New London County reported the highest average adult blacklegged tick density, with around 81 ticks per acre, and Litchfield County reported the highest average nymphal tick density, around 28 nymph ticks per acre. Nymphs are ticks that have not fully matured and are often the size of a poppy seed, making them hard to detect.
Treatment and prevention According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States, affecting an estimated 475,000 people annually and causing potential damage to the joints and nervous system. “One of the biggest issues of Lyme disease in Connecticut is that there are a lot of symptoms that are attributed to Lyme, that aren’t necessarily Lyme,” said Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare. “It’s
both an over-diagnosed disease, because the testing is not perfect for it, it’s also a vastly under-diagnosed disease as well because a lot of people aren’t tested for it.”
Wu said that most patients with Lyme disease often display the characteristic bullseye rash, but not all who are infected will develop it. He said the most important thing is doing a tick check after spending time outdoors. Some of the first signs of Lyme disease include mild fever, joint aches, muscle pain, fatigue and headache. The first stage of Lyme disease is called “early localized disease” followed by early disseminated disease, which occurs a few weeks to a few months after an infected tick bite. This stage, while more serious, can affect the central nervous system and the heart, Wu said. “Before we didn’t always prescribe anti-microbial prophylaxes every time someone had a deer tick bite, but it’s much more common nowadays, because people don’t want to take the risk,” Wu said. “If you find a tick on you, the first thing to do is find out if it’s a deer tick. There are plenty of other ticks in Connecticut that don’t transmit Lyme. If it is a deer tick, it needs to be on you greater than 36 hours, and we can judge that by the rate of engorgement. If that’s the case, then we generally start prophylaxes within 72 hours.” Common antibiotics used to treat Lyme disease include doxycycline, amoxicillin, and cefuroxime. Early, prompt treatment with these antibiotics is highly effective, Wu said.
The state’s Department of Public Health reported 2,170 human cases of Lyme disease in Connecticut in 2024. While there are no currently approved human vaccines for Lyme disease, Pfizer recently announced the results of a clinical vaccine trial that demonstrated 70% efficacy in preventing Lyme disease in individuals aged 5 years old and above. The drug maker said they will now seek FDA approval for the vaccine. A human vaccine for Lyme disease was approved by the FDA in 1998. Called LYMErix, it was the first and only licensed vaccine for Lyme disease, developed by SmithKline Beecham. But it was discounted shortly after due
to low demand, safety fears and lawsuits, according to Wu.
“This is a very promising development,” Wu said. “Believe it or not, there was a vaccine in 1998, but it was discontinued because of poor sales. But there is a difficulty in making one because of the complexity of the bacteria. The Pfizer oner seems to be quite promising and expected this year. So this is a really big
development for Lyme disease.” Ticks carry more than Lyme
Molaei said several other tick species found in Connecticut carry babesiosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis. Hundreds of ticks were found to be positive last year, but the “actual number of disease cases could be nearly 10 times higher.” Babesiosis, transmitted by blacklegged ticks, can cause flu-like symptoms — fever, chills, fatigue and muscle aches — and can be severe or fatal in older adults or those with weakened immune systems, according to scientists.
“Using tick repellents when hiking or camping and conducting tick checks remain the best ways to reduce the risk of contracting tick-borne diseases,” said Dr. Jason White, director of the CAES. “Connecticut residents are also encouraged to submit ticks they have removed from their bodies to our laboratory for species
identification and testing. This allows them to make informed decisions concerning diagnosis and treatment in consultation with their healthcare providers.” Connecticut also has several non-native tick species that have established populations in the state, according to Molaei.
The lone star tick, mostly native to the southeast portion of the United States, was first discovered in 2017. It was found in Fairfield and New London counties in 2019. The tick, while not a carrier of Lyme disease, is known for its unusual ability to make some people develop a red meat allergy. Alpha-gal syndrome, also known as mammalian meat allergy, is a tick-borne allergy to a sugar molecule called alpha-gal, triggering delayed reactions to ingesting red meat. Longhorned ticks, which are also now considered established in Connecticut, are not native to the United States and are considered an exotic species. They originally were found in tropical environments in Asia and often don’t bite humans, but there have been documented reports of humans being bit by them in Connecticut, according to CAES. They are unusual for their ability to reproduce primarily through parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction where females lay eggs without mating. “In addition to pervasive populations of blacklegged and American dog ticks, Connecticut has established populations of three invasive species: the lone star tick, Gulf Coast tick, and longhorned tick, primarily in the coastal areas of Fairfield and New Haven counties,” Molaei said.
“These ticks are capable of transmitting their own suite of pathogens responsible for ehrlichiosis, rickettsiosis, and Heartland virus, among others,” he said. The best way to remove a tick is to grasp it close to the mouth parts near the skin surface and with gentle, steady pressure, pull the tick upward away from the skin until it releases, Molaei said. Once the tick is removed, wash the area of the bite with an antiseptic or rubbing alcohol.
According to the Center for Disease Control, the best way to prevent tick-borne illness includes: Checking your clothing for ticks. Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing. Any ticks that are found should be removed. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed. If the clothes require washing first, hot water is recommended. Cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks. Examining gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats and daypacks. Showering soon after being outdoors. Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce the risk of getting Lyme disease and may be effective in reducing the risk of other tick-borne diseases. Showering may help wash off unattached ticks and it is a good opportunity to do a tick check. Checking your body for ticks after being outdoors. Conduct a full body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas, including your own backyard. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of
your body. Check these parts of your body and your child’s body for ticks.

04/05/2026

Keep foundation of your garden healthy
Soil not just dirt but ecosystem of organic matter plus nutrients

For the best results, focus on building soil health slowly rather than relying on quick fixes, which are typically short-lived.
Jessica Damiano
Associated Press

We all dream of it: A breathtaking, lush, verdant garden that nourishes our souls and makes us the envy of the
neighborhood. And to make that dream come true, our first thoughts tend to focus on plants. But the garden is
a structure, and like any structure, it requires a good foundation. That’s where soil health comes in.
Soil is not just “dirt.” It’s a living ecosystem teeming with nutrients, organic matter and billions of organisms
like bacteria, fungi, insects and invertebrates like worms. That ecosystem is estimated to be home to 59% of all
life, “making it the singular most biodiverse habitat on Earth,” according to a 2023 research article published in
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Soil organisms keep harmful organisms in check, break down organic matter into natural fertilizer, distribute
oxygen and aerate the soil to optimize water drainage. Keeping it healthy is paramount to your garden’s
success.
Before planting, assess your soil’s structure. Sand drains too quickly, while heavy clay retains too much water.
Neither will properly meet most plants’ moisture requirements.
Improve either soil type by spreading 3-4 inches of compost, leaf mold or well-rotted manure over the area,
then use a broad fork to gently turn it in 6-12 inches deep.
Don’t overdo it; the end result should be lumpy, not powdery.
Aggressive turning or tilling harms microorganisms, kills beneficial insects and earthworms, increases
erosion, removes air pockets, releases carbon into the atmosphere and brings dormant w**d seeds to the
surface, where conditions are perfect for their growth. It also moves nutrient-rich topsoil down, replacing it
with less-fertile soil from below.
In subsequent years, simply spread the organic matter over the soil and allow it to work its way down naturally
as it decomposes.
What is your soil’s pH level? Each plant type thrives only within a specific pH range. Learn your plants’ target
range, then check your soil’s value with a home test kit. If its level is outside the ideal range, raise it by
incorporating garden lime or lower it with elemental sulfur, following the dosing directions on the package
label.
While you’re at it, check nutrient levels to ensure the soil is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — the
three essential macronutrients for plant health. The results will guide your fertilizer strategy. You can buy a
separate test kit or look for a combination pH-nutrient kit. Both are inexpensive and widely available.
Alternately, call your local cooperative extension office; many provide soil tests and guidance for a nominal fee.
For the best results, focus on building soil health slowly rather than relying on quick fixes, which are typically
short-lived. This means opting for slow-release fertilizers and organic matter, such as compost, rather than
using fast-release synthetic fertilizers. Save fast-release options for emergencies when you need to resolve a
nutrient deficiency quickly to save a plant.
Avoid walking on soil in beds, borders and the lawn. Doing so risks compacting the soil, which closes vital air
pockets, inhibits water flow and makes it difficult for roots to grow through. Most plants growing in compacted
soil will be stunted or otherwise fail to thrive.
Bare soil leads to erosion, nutrient deficiencies, moisture loss and the death of microorganisms. It also rolls out
the welcome mat for w**ds. Plant something or cover the soil with a thick layer of undyed organic mulch like
shredded bark, wood chips, straw or dry leaves.
Spread 2-3 inches of mulch around plants in beds and borders, too. It will retain moisture, keep soil
temperature even and discourage w**ds. Just keep it a couple of inches away from plant crowns and stems to
avoid rotting.
Jessica Damiano writes a weekly gardening column for The Associated Press and publishes the award-winning
Weekly Dirt Newsletter.